By Larry Lee Colorado lawmakers have had a busy legislative session. Six new employment laws were enacted in the state addressing equal gender pay, criminal history inquiries, felony convictions for wage violations, local government rule for minimum wage, garnishments and a study of a family and medical leave insurance program. Here’s the highlights and effective… Read more »
By Dave Thayer Doing business has become riskier for broker-dealers giving investment advice. On June 5, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted “Regulation Best Interest” which in a nutshell says that broker-dealers cannot put their own pocketbooks ahead of their clients’ “best interest.” For years, broker-dealers were viewed as purveyors of investment products… Read more »
By Dave Thayer On May 3, 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed amendments to improve and streamline financial disclosures relating to business acquisitions and dispositions. The proposed amendments are primarily to rules contained in Article 11 of Regulation S-X, but include changes to other related rules and disclosures, such as Form 8-K. The SEC… Read more »
By Reid A. Godbolt The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) recently adopted amendments (available at https://www.sec.gov/rules/proposed/2017/33-10425.pdf) to its Regulation S-K and related rules and forms in seeking to modernize and simplify disclosure requirements for public companies, investment advisers and investment companies. The amendments are intended to improve the readability and navigability of disclosure documents and… Read more »
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 »
(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 »
(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 »
(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 »
(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 »
(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 »