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The past decade brought unprecedented gains in the stock market.  The daily reports of positive performance seemed like they would never end, and investors enjoyed years of monthly statements showing that their portfolios were doing well – very well.  The next month’s statement won’t show gains. In fact, nearly all investors can expect to see …

Markets Go Up And Down – And They’re Doing That A Lot Right Now No investor or broker has a crystal ball.  Nobody knows when the market is going to soar, or when it’s going to crash.  While the common understanding is that the markets go up and the markets go down, we’ve seen a …

Unfortunately, there are some disreputable securities brokers out there. Some engage in churning, a type of broker misconduct, which can have serious financial consequences for their clients. All investors need to know what churning is, how to spot it, and what to do about it if they suspect their broker is engaging in this activity. …

The news headlines are full of people discussing the recent market volatility.  Many commentators are offering their opinions of who’s to blame for the serious losses that we’ve seen over the course of the last few weeks.  The team at McCarthy Lebit is not in the business of offering opinions of what’s driving the market …

We often advise readers of this blog to act promptly if they suspect that their stockbroker mishandled their accounts or gave them unsuitable or misleading recommendations. Usually, we just post a general warning that potential filing deadlines can bar investment claims. But we thought it might be a good idea to explain a bit more …

The Most Notorious US Financial Scammers Every civilized society is dependent for its success on its citizens being able to trust one another. And most people actually do tend to trust one another. Why? Because they themselves are basically good, or at least reasonably honest, and believe they will be treated honestly by others – …

If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having lost a lot of money in your brokerage account, you may not be sure why it happened or you may suspect or know that it’s your broker’s fault. Assuming you become certain you have a valid claim – and how you do that is the …

We’re seeing a disturbing trend of financial advisers borrowing money from their own clients — a prohibited practice in the investment industry.  Notwithstanding their claimed financial expertise, many brokers and investment advisers seem to run into personal money problems.  Some turn to their clients for a way out. The adviser’s pitch usually goes something like …