Internet- and social media-based frauds are the top threats to investors this year, according to enforcement officials surveyed by the North American Securities Administrators Association.
The group, which polled its state and provincial securities regulator members, said that in particular, investors should be on the lookout for investment schemes involving precious metals, cryptocurrencies, promissory notes and foreign exchange markets.
The survey found that self-directed individual retirement accounts, which lack the services and protection of traditional IRAs, can be fertile soil for scammers, especially those involving cryptocurrency-related and precious metals-based investments.
Enforcement officials said they expect to see a resurgence of high-yield foreign exchange and cryptocurrency-related schemes targeting investors this year that are disguised as membership or investment programs.
According to the NASAA survey, 82% of state and provincial securities regulators in the U.S., Canada and Mexico anticipate that bad actors will continue to attempt to leverage investor fear and anxiety related to changes in financial markets and the economy due to COVID-19 to illegally sell securities this year.
InvestmentNews reported in 2017 that the IRS was scrutinizing the tax shelter land deals, called syndication conservation easements.
Advisors gain a second workflow for 401(k) guidance as the fintech expands beyond bulk rebalancing, backed by new policy research on advice access.
New data shows most people do not have enough saved to cover costs and are not fully utilizing their accounts.
Firms announce new recruits this week, with teams overseeing hundreds of millions in client assets switching affiliations.
It’s the 12th deal for Stratos since SEI's investment and follows 11 acquisitions worth $4.8B in 2025.
Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains
Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income
