Tag Archives: Securities regulation

SEC to Increase Focus on Advisor Fee Disclosures

Leave a reply

The SEC’s investor advocate, Rick Fleming, has told Congress that one of the SEC’s focuses in the coming budgetary year (starting October 2016) will be the quality of advisor and broker dealer fee disclosures. The SEC is concerned that such disclosures (referencing things like advisory, trailer, administrative, “regulatory,” and custodial fees) are confusing to retail investors who don’t know industry parlance. Broker dealers are likely to be paying extra attention to the quality of their disclosures, not only because of this initiative but because the “best interests” standard under the DOL’s fiduciary rule will take effect in April 2017.  For further discussion, please see the link below.

http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20160701/FREE/160709997/sec-investor-advocate-fleming-targets-fees-charged-by-advisers

Advertisement

SEC: Ski Resort Operators Abused Immigrant Investor Program (EB-5)

Leave a reply

The SEC recently announced it would pursue fraud charges and freeze the assets of the Jay Peak, Inc. Vermont ski resort. The SEC alleges that Ariel Quiros, of Miami, and William Stenger, of Vermont, conducted an illegal Ponzi-like scheme in connection with the funds raised for the resort. The total amount of money in question with these activities is $350 million, a large portion of which was raised through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, a program designed to incentivize foreign investment by promising a fast track to a green card.

According to the SEC, Quiros and Stenger diverted money from the ski resort project to other projects in an attempt to finance them. In addition, an alleged $50 million was spent on Quiros’s personal expenses, such as his personal income taxes and a luxury condominium. There appears to be little money left to fund the ski resort renovations.

Further, the actions of Quiros and Stenger could put many investors’ funds and immigration petitions in jeopardy. In order to get their green card the investors need to fund at least 10 new jobs, which may not happen here.

Given these charges, it is unclear whether investors who were considering committing capital to U.S. projects under EB-5 will still do so. It is also unclear as to whether this is a continuing problem or isolated incident.

Here’s the link to the SEC news release.  https://www.sec.gov/news/pressrelease/2016-69.html