More On Legal & Compliance
from The Advisor's Professional Library- The New and Improved Form ADV Whether an RIA is describing its investment strategy in advertisements or in the new Form ADV Part 2, it is important the firm articulates material risks faced by advisory clients and avoids language that might be construed as a guarantee.
- Best Practices for Working with Senior Investors Securities examiners deal harshly with RIAs that do not fulfill their fiduciary obligations toward senior investors, as the SEC and state securities regulators view older investors as particularly vulnerable and in need of protection.
The underlying portfolio of securities that backed the synthetic collateralized debt obligation (CDO), named "ABACUS 2007-AC1," was connected to the performance of residential subprime mortgage backed securities (RMBS). The SEC complaint alleges it was not disclosed to investors that "a large hedge fund, Paulson & Co. Inc. ("Paulson"), with economic interests directly adverse to investors in the ABACUS 2007-AC1 CDO, played a significant role in the portfolio selection process."
http://www.sec.gov/litigation/complaints/2010/comp-pr2010-59.pdf
The SEC further alleges that Paulson & Co., Inc., "effectively shorted the portfolio," by creating credit default swaps (CDS), with Goldman Sachs, and that Paulson, because of this "short interest," had "economic incentive" to pick RBMS that it expected would drop in value for the portfolio.
Comments? Please send them to kmcbride@wealthmanagerweb.com. Kate McBride is editor in chief of Wealth Manager and a member of The Committee for the Fiduciary Standard.
