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November 17, 2009 at 07:00 PM
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) says it has won approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a major expansion of its BrokerCheck service.
The service makes records of final regulatory actions against brokers permanently available to the public, regardless of whether they continue to be employed in the securities industry. Under current rules, a broker’s record generally becomes unavailable to the public two years after he or she leaves the securities industry and is therefore no longer under FINRA’s jurisdiction.
Disclosure records for former brokers will be available on BrokerCheck beginning November 30, FINRA says.
“This is an important step for investors and for investor protection,” explains FINRA Chairman and CEO Richard Ketchum. “Individuals previously barred by FINRA and other regulators have surfaced in a number of recent frauds in other parts of the financial industry that cost unsuspecting investors millions of dollars. It has never been more critical for investors to research the backgrounds of the financial professionals they deal with than it is today.”
“It is possible that a (former broker) could become a financial planner or work in another related field where his securities record would help members of the public decide if they should accept his financial advice or rely on his advice or expertise,” says the SEC. It also states that providing information on final regulatory actions against former brokers “will help members of the public to protect themselves from unscrupulous people and thus….should help prevent fraudulent and manipulative acts and practices, and protect investors and the public interest.”
BrokerCheck is a free online service through which investors can instantly see the employment, qualifications and disciplinary history of more than 650,000 brokers under FINRA’s jurisdiction.
