TAG ARCHIVES: LANCE WALLACH

Captive Insurance

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Choosing a domicile.
■ Regulatory environment. Some jurisdictions are friendlier than others, or their
statutes may permit different used and forms of captives.
■ Minimum capitalization requirements – varies between jurisdictions from
$150,000 to $750,000. Separate series of a group captive requires risk-based
amount of capital, typically
■ Start-up costs and annual maintenance – typical start-up costs range from
$50,000 to $80,000 for pure captive (plus required capital) and from $20,000
to $25,000 for cell (or series) of group captive.
■ Underwriting risk classification
• Traditional coverage or non-traditional coverage, such as loss of license.
■ Tax implications.
• Small insurance company with premiums less than $1,200,000. See
Section 831(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Applies to US tax-law
compliant companies.
• Excise taxes on premiums paid for non-US captives.


Alternative investments can be a great

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Many of stockbroker fraud cases we see involve alternative investments – Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Tenants in Common investments (TICs), private placements and exotic derivatives. In our experience, these investments are more prone to fraud and have problems because they are often thinly traded.
Just 20 years ago, the types of investments commonly available to investors were quite limited. Stockbrokers generally peddled stocks, bonds and the occasional options strategy. Over the last several years, however, the sheer number of investment vehicles available is huge. Everyday a new derivative is invented and quickly brought to market. Unfortunately, today that means stockbrokers often don’t understand the intricacies (or even the basics) of the investments they are offering. Private placement memorandums, prospectus documents and offering documents are often hundreds of pages in length.
When the investment adviser or broker selling these investments doesn’t understand them, the investor often suffers. Without fully understanding the risk factors involved, financial professionals can’t perform any meaningful due diligence. They also can’t properly determine if they are suitable for their customer’s needs.
Another example of stockbroker fraud is the sale of thinly traded REITs and TICs. “Thinly traded” means there is no ready secondary market for the investment. That means investors might have to hold on to their investment for a decade or longer. While that might be fine for a younger investor with no need to access their monies, elderly investors who need their investments to fund retirement are at risk.
We have seen many instances of customers suing their brokers when they learn that they can’t sell or redeem their investment. Brokers must be extremely careful when recommending thinly traded investments. Several firms have been heavily fined by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) for recommending thinly or not-traded real estate investments.
Earlier this year, FINRA fined LPL Financial $500,000 for improperly recommending non-traded REITs. Several customers complained when they learned they could not sell their investment. It’s nice to get a monthly statement saying your investment is worth $1 million but that statement is just a piece of paper. If the investment can’t be sold because there is no market, sone would argue the investment is worth nothing.
FINRA and the SEC have been warning the industry for several years to be careful when recommending alternative investments, particularly those that have no secondary market. As a result from on-going regulatory pressure and the recent fine against LPL, several broker dealers have announced new restrictions on the sale of these investments.
Some firms are now restricting how much of a customer’s portfolio should contain these alternatives. (Customers are always free to buy whatever they want, however the new guidelines restrict what and how much should be recommended to clients.) Other firms are beefing up their due diligence efforts to insure that brokers fully understand the investments they are recommending and to insure that the investment isn’t a scam.
Over the last 18 months, several broker dealers have gone under after getting hit with multiple stockbroker fraud claims stemming from sales of DBSI (a TIC Ponzi scheme) and tenants in common real estate projects affiliated with Carlton Cabot.
Investment advisers and stockbrokers can be held responsible for making unsuitable recommendations, for not fully understanding their customers’ cash flow needs and risk tolerance and for not performing due diligence on the products they offer. Unfortunately, when the broker dealer goes out of business, their clients may be stuck with no recovery.
Stockbroker fraud is a serious problem and takes many shapes and forms. The decision to scale back on alternatives, especially for the elderly, is a good one. Thus far just a handful of brokers have agreed to voluntarily impose internal controls. We hope other brokers do so as well.
Unlike investment advisers, stockbrokers frequently get paid by commission. While traditional investments might only carry a 1 or 2% commission, alternatives can pay 7 to 10%. Some stockbrokers resort to “selling away” which is the practice of selling investments without their employer’s knowledge. Purchasing from a broker who is selling away may prevent the customer from suing the broker dealer, particularly if the customer knew that his or her broker was working these “side deals.”
As more brokerage firms begin to regulate alternative investments, we expect to see an increase in selling away stockbroker fraud cases.
Our advice? Alternative investments can be a great way to make above market rate returns and capital appreciation. If approached by a stockbroker offering such an investment, inquire as to his or her commission, make sure you understand the fine print, make sure your broker fully understands the fine print and determine whether an employee of the brokerage firm has conducted extensive due diligence on the product. In other words, make sure that the investments has been well vetted and isn’t simply being offered because it carries a huge commission.
Also make sure that your adviser is working through a legitimate broker dealer and not “selling away.”
Stockbroker fraud occurs daily across the United States. Sometimes the broker is solely to blame and at other times its both the broker and a dishonest promoter. Either way, its the customers that ultimately suffer.
If you believe you are the victim of stockbroker fraud, contact us immediately
As an expert witness Lance Wallachs side has never lost a case.
Lance Wallach
68 Keswick Lane
Plainview, NY 11803
Ph.: (516)938-5007
Fax: (516)938-6330 www.vebaplan.com
National Society of Accountants Speaker of The Year

The information provided herein is not intended as legal, accounting, financial or any type of advice for any specific individual or other entity. You should contact an appropriate professional for any such advic