A recent Morningstar article outlines seven mutual fund horror stories. In addition to the Legg Mason Value Fund (symbol LMVTX) and Schwab YieldPlus Fund (symbol SWYPX) and the Regions Morgan Keegan funds, which are the subject of stories we have reported recently, several other hard-hit mutual funds are discussed. For…
Just as auction rate securities were sold by most investment firms as safe alternatives to money market funds which paid a higher rate, so also were a number of mutual funds. Packaged and sold as ultra-short term bond funds and a safe haven for funds which were to be secure…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced today that five major brokerage firms have agreed to pay fines totaling $2.4 million for supervision violations and improper mutual fund sales to thousands of investors. These firms must take remedial steps to prevent such actions in the future and pay amounts estimated…
Some Investors have complained they were sold mutual funds by the securities firm of Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. based on representations of safety which were unfounded. At this time such complaints are only allegations and no determination has been made that the firm and/or its representations engaged in any…
The director of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investment Management Division is calling for mutual funds to rename their 75 basis point “distribution fee” and call it a “sales charge”-regardless of whether the sales charge is deducted right away or over a period of time. At the Investment Company Institute’s…
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission says that a number of mutual funds have started providing risk/return data with the use of interactive reporting language. Vanguard 500 Index Fund, Allegiant Advantage Fund, Muhlenkamp Fund, and American Funds’ Europacific Growth Fund are among the mutual funds that have taken what the…
The Independent Directors Council (IDC) recently provided the Securities and Exchange Commission with a list of “reforms” regarding 12b-1 mutual funds, including that mutual fund directors should oversee the fees. The group claims that the fees are used to pay for advice and shareholder servicing, when the true use is…
Edward D. Jones & Co. will pay $75 million to settle charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission that it failed to adequately disclose financial incentives to sell mutual funds from its Preferred Families of mutual funds. The SEC also said that Edward Jones did not make adequate disclosures on…
After a widespread investigation into late-trading of mutual funds the SEC levied sanctions against various mutual fund management companies and others, including fines as well as orders to disgorge profits and to reimburse the victims of the fraudulent trading. In 2004, Invesco was ordered to pay $325 million and AIM…
Securities America, Inc. agreed to a $375,000 fine to settle charges by the NASD that it received improperly directed mutual fund commissions on behalf of one of its brokers, failed to supervise and failed to disclose the arrangements to the affected mutual fund owners. The NASD said that this situation,…