Morgan Stanley Hit With $20mil Whistleblower Suit

Posted on August 28, 2015August 28, 2015 by admin

Two ex-brokers hit brokerdealer Morgan Stanley with a $20 million lawsuit this week, alleging that they were fired in retaliation for complaining about improper practices and violations of securities law at the wirehouse, according to news from BankInvestmentConsultant.com.

In a news story filed Aug 27, Jamie Feldman-Boland and her husband, John Boland, say that they witnessed trainees and interns entering in trades on behalf of advisors, and presumably doing so with brokers’ access codes in violation of the broker-dealer firm’s policy.

Other misconduct they say witnessed: an advisor trying to improperly get an insurance commission; cancelling a business deal worth $200 million to punish Feldman; and harassment of Feldman by another advisor and her branch manager.

Morgan denies the allegations.

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“These former financial advisor trainees have filed numerous unsubstantiated claims since their terminations in 2011. To date, none have been found to have any merit. We believe this latest claim is equally without merit and will be dismissed,” a Morgan spokeswoman said.

Alice Keeney Jump, an attorney at law firm Reavis Parent Lehrer who is representing the Feldman and Boland, rebutted Morgan’s argument, saying that the couple’s allegations are straightforward.

“I disagree any arbitration panel has settled these claims,” Jump says.

She adds, “My clients are fully confident in the truth of their allegations and have decided to pursue their rights.”

COLD CALLS

Feldman, 38, joined Morgan in 2008 after four years at Merrill Lynch, according to Finra’s BrokerCheck. Boland followed her to the firm in 2010 while the two were engaged, according to the complaint, which also stated that Morgan knew of their relationship.

When she joined the firm at its Midtown office in New York, she was part of a joint production agreement with two other advisors, according to the complaint. Her partner for high-net-worth clients, Michael Silverstein, had more than thirty years of industry experience, according to FINRA records.

According to the complaint, Silverstein did not devote time to meeting with or serving prospective clients that Feldman brought in, which in turn hurt her production numbers at the firm. Feldman alleges that by January 2011 she had presented clients with more than $100 million in assets to Silverstein, but he failed to prepare any investment portfolios.

In their complaint, Feldman and Boland also allege that trainees and interns cold-called Pfizer and Verizon employees close to retirement to urge them to roll-over their 401(k)s to Morgan Stanley, guaranteeing them a 15% return, according to the complaint.

The investments were in fact in closed-end mutual funds which experienced sharp fluctuations in net value, according to the complaint.

In April 2011, Feldman went to her branch manager to complain about these and other violations she had witnessed. The manager, David Turetzky, told her to leave his office, and later asked for a list of her clients, according to the complaint.

The following month, Turetzky called Feldman into his office to tell her that the firm would not pursue “at this time” a $200 million commodities deal that one of her clients wanted, according to the complaint.

Feldman alleges this was retaliation for her earlier complaints as well as a confrontation with Silverstein, who tried to claim that he was in fact the introducing broker and therefore entitled to the fees and commissions.

For the full story: click here

Any Grads Want to Join a BrokerDealer? These Banks Want You!

Posted on June 16, 2015June 16, 2015 by admin

If you or your college grad who you just financed 4 years of college for has yet to secure that sought-after Wall Street job, Brokerdealer.com profiles 9 different types of people that Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley are looking to hire at this point in the year. Here is what efinancialcareers.com said:

1. Goldman Sachs wants private wealth management and fund management professionals

2. Sachs wants technology professionals in Warsaw

3. Sachs wants derivatives clearing professionals in London and Warsaw

4. J.P. Morgan wants ‘client rationalization’ professionals in London

5. Morgan wants associates for its London investment banking team in London

Looking for a brokerdealer to submit your resume to?

Access the world’s largest database of broker-dealers Click Here.

6. J.P. Morgan wants someone to join a new team working on ‘VaR methodology’ in London

7. Morgan Stanley wants a cyber intelligence analyst in Glasgow

8. Stanley wants over the counter collateral analysts in Glasgow

9. Morgan Stanley wants top university graduates for glorified data monitoring and presentation roles

If you’re interested in getting into contact with one of these broker dealers, click here. BrokerDealer.com provides a global database of broker-dealers registered in the US as well as those performing brokerdealer services in upwards of 30 major countries throughout the world. -

BrokerDealers Bringing In The Bucks:

Posted on April 28, 2015 by admin

BrokerDealer.com blog update profiles the revenue and profit performance of the US Broker-Dealer space as demonstrated by the pricing action in the iShares US Broker-Dealer ETF (NYSE:IAI) when compared to the returns of the S&P 500 (see chart). Below extract is courtesy of coverage from ETFtrends.com.

Independent broker-dealers generated double-digit revenue growth in 2014, and a broker-dealer- related exchange traded fund is outperforming in the financial space so far this year.

BrokerDealer.com database is the global financial industry’s leading source of BrokerDealer information, with detailed information on thousands of BDs in upwards of 30 countries worldwide.

Over the past three months, the iShares US Broker-Dealers ETF (NYSEArca: IAI), which tracks U.S. investment banks, discount brokerages and stock exchanges, has increased 7.8%, compared to the 2.5% gain in the broader Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLF). Year-to-date, IAI was up 0.7% while XLF dipped 1.5%.

The 25 largest independent broker-dealers generated a 10.3% year-over-year rise in revenue over 2014, reports Bruce Kelly for InvestmentNews.

Top independent broker-dealers include LPL Financial LLC (NYSE: LPLA), which garnered $4.3 billion in revenue, and Raymond James Financial Services (NYSE: RJF), which added $1.6 billion. IAI includes a 3.4% tilt toward LPLA and a 4.7% weight in RJF.

The industry is experiencing an increase in fees. Revenue from investment products and services that charge a fee instead of a commission rose 20% in 2014 among the top 25 independent broker-dealers, mirroring a growing trend in the services industry.

For the full article from ETFtrends.com, please click here

Find a Brokerdealer who is also Socially Responsible

Posted on December 1, 2014 by admin

BrokerDealer.com blog update courtesy of extract from Investment News.

Socially responsible investors look to promote concepts and ideals that the investors feel strongly about. Generally, socially responsible investors accomplish this by investing in stocks that the investor believes best hold to important values to the investor; advocate for share holders in corporate decisions; and investing in communities and helping with community service activities.

Socially responsible investing is on the rise, and women advisers are leading the way in offering clients opportunities to invest in a personally meaningful way.

The wealth management industry as a whole is opening its eyes to potential business gains from the increasing client demand for investments with environmental and social impact. Nearly half of the 1,913 advisers surveyed said they’ve offered an SRI options to clients because the clients requested it.

Most financial professionals expect investor interest in SRI to trend upward, especially among young, affluent investors who strongly value sustainable investments and want to put their money where their values are.

“It’s clear that [socially] responsible investment strategies are now a client expectation that advisers need to be equipped to provide,” said First Affirmative senior vice president Betsy Moszeter. “We are encouraged to see that industry professionals are looking ahead, and understand that the views and concerns of Millennial investors will need to be addressed in coming years.”

Socially Responsible Investors will work hard to make the voices of their investors heard and invest in businesses and governments that make a positive impact in our country and around the world.

With the need for socially responsible investors on the rise, find a Brokerdealer that supports the values you care about most and will invest in companies and governments that hold the same values up high as you do and an brokerdealer that will advocate for you. Brokerdealer.com provides several databases that offer many different socially responsible investors to work with.

Top BrokerDealer Swings For Celebs & Sports Stars’ Wallets: Morgan Stanley Push

Posted on November 19, 2014 by admin

BrokerDealer.com blog update courtesy of extract from Investment News

6-Pack Broker-Dealer Morgan Stanley, whose brokerage helps manage more than $2 trillion of client assets, started a new unit that focuses on professional athletes and entertainers. This new initiative could prove to be prime meat for Morgan’s investment bankers and high-net worth advisors, when considering the many instances in which celebs and sports stars have faltered in their investment strategies.

The division has 69 advisers and will add a few more within the next year, Drew Hawkins, head of the Global Sports & Entertainment group, said Thursday. Many of them already had been working with celebrities, and brokers took a three-day training program on how to cater to those clients, he said.

Other brokerdealers have carved out a niche in their local markets to serve celebs and athletes; a full listing of those BDs is available via brokerdealer.com

Athlete pay has surged in recent years, with Giancarlo Stanton, a Miami Marlins outfielder, poised to sign a $325 million contract over 13 years, a Major League Baseball record, according to CBSSports.com. Kevin Durant, the National Basketball League’s reigning most-valuable player, re-signed as a Nike Inc. endorser with a contract worth $300 million over 10 years, Bloomberg News reported in September.

“The size of these contracts and the amount these individuals are earning tends to increase on a daily basis,” Hawkins said. “Celebrities and entertainers and those connected with those industries in a lot of cases make a lot of money, but they also have a lot of unique circumstances.”

Morgan Stanley will provide customized loans to the individuals and their outside businesses, offer insurance against injuries or voice damage and give advice on philanthropic endeavors, Hawkins said. He declined to identify any of the firm’s celebrity clients.