Understanding your stockbroker’s fiduciary duty
When your stockbroker takes your money to invest on your behalf, he or she must follow certain rules and regulations. Investments have regular ups and downs as the market fluctuates. Therefore, you may have to look very closely at your portfolio’s performance, along...Gold prices have gone up—but so have gold scams
The price of gold has risen steadily in the past few months. In times of financial turmoil, precious metals such as gold make appealing options to investors who seek a reliable return. However, just as the price of gold has climbed, so has the rate of scams involving...Insider trading has a negative impact on all investors
Insider trading happens when a person makes a trade based on information that is not available to the public. Trading can be based on an event that is likely to either increase or decrease the price of a company’s stock. For example, a better than expected quarterly...Common sales pitches in precious metal fraud
For ages, gold has been a safe investment for the uninitiated or market-wary. The stability of gold and other precious metals make them an accessible investment with little influence from volatile markets. The accessibility of precious metals, however, makes them an...Look out for signs of churning
Your broker earns a commission or collects a fee every time they trade a stock. This can tempt some unethical brokers to engage in “churning.” Churning happens when a broker makes several small trades to help them earn extra income from commissions and fees. Churning...