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Posts By: Paul Vorndran

Another Ponzi Scheme – Pot and Cattle

October 04, 2019 | Articles

If you are an adviser who sold these investments without knowledge that they were unlawful, or have received a notice from regulators, take steps to protect yourself and your retail clients.

Annuities Sellers Beware: Advice May Trigger Enforcement

April 25, 2019 | Articles

By Paul L. Vorndran Selling an annuity while advising investors about their securities investments will subject you to enforcement action by the Colorado Securities Commissioner. In the summer of 2018, the Colorado Securities Commissioner (Commissioner) adopted a rule which provides that an insurance agent who receives commissions from the sale of insurance products, where the… Read more »

Investment or Financial Professional Titles: Making Sense of It All

April 22, 2019 | Articles

(Originally published December 1, 2015) By Paul L. Vorndran Deciding upon whom to trust to deliver accurate and fair advice is an investor’s first difficult decision. In the investment world, a number of titles may be used by a professional offering various investments. But most of these are marketing tools issued by various organizations, and… Read more »

ETF Recommendations Under Scrutiny

April 19, 2019 | Articles

(Originally published December 1, 2015) By Paul L. Vorndran Regulators have been warning investors about investing in Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), a unit investment trust or open-end investment company whose shares represent an interest in a portfolio of securities that track an underlying benchmark or index.  In June 2009, those warnings were directed to broker-dealers and… Read more »

Colorado Rejects Williamson “Presumption”

April 16, 2019 | Articles

(Originally published December 1, 2015) By Paul L. Vorndran A panel of the Colorado Court of Appeals issued an opinion giving the Colorado Securities Commissioner a victory in a long standing effort to regulate joint ventures and general partnerships. In Rome v. HEI Resources, Inc. et al, 2014 CA 160, the Court first held that there is… Read more »

Colorado Investment Adviser Revoked for Non-Securities Transactions

April 11, 2019 | Articles

(Originally published December 1, 2015) By Paul L. Vorndran As a cautionary tale, Colorado licensed investment advisers should be mindful that non-securities transactions with their clients will be scrutinized by the Colorado Divisions of Securities. In December 2013, Secure Retirement Group, Inc. doing business as Secure Financial Group, Inc. and its principal, David L. Gonzales,… Read more »

Colorado Securities Commissioner Loses Important Case Interpreting Definition of ‘Security’

February 20, 2019 | Articles

(Originally published December 1, 2015) by Paul Vorndran Denver District Court recently determined that oil and gas joint venture interests promoted by Colorado companies HEI Resources, Inc. and Heartland Energy Development Corporation were not securities under the Colorado Securities Act. On October 17, 2013 following an intensely contested case brought by the Colorado Securities Commissioner,… Read more »