The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently sanctioned Popular Securities, Inc. (Popular Securities) alleging between July 1, 2011, and June 30, 2013, Popular failed to establish and enforce a supervisory system and procedures designed to identify and review concentrated securities purchases in Puerto Rico municipal bonds and Puerto Rico closed-end…
Articles Posted in UBS
Why is UBS Still Selling the UBS Puerto Rico Bond Funds?
Albert Einstein once defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” While UBS does not challenge Einstein’s theories in physics it does challenge his thoughts on insanity. According to several news sources, including Financial Advisor Magazine and Reuters, UBS has told its brokers…
UBS Puerto Rico Fined $3.6 Million and to Pay $1.7 Million in Restitution to Customers of its Bond Funds
On October 9, 2014, Puerto Rico’s Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions (OCFI) has settled its claims with UBS Financial Services Incorporated of Puerto Rico (UBS Puerto Rico) over UBS’s sale of closed-end mutual funds in Puerto Rico. The OCFI conducted a routine examination from October 15, 2013 through…
UBS Preparing to Face Investor Claims Over Puerto Rico Bond Funds
According to UBS’ second quarter earnings report, the bank is now looking at over $600 million in claims brought by Puerto Rico investors, who have suffered significant losses related to their investments in closed-end bond funds. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has been inundated with a plethora of claims…
Will Puerto Rico Municipal Bonds Default?
This question is on the minds of many investors. Many clients and potential clients have contacted our firm concerned about the effect of a default on their UBS Puerto Rico municipal bond funds that are heavily invested in the island’s debt The UBS Puerto Rico bond funds, including the Puerto…
UBS Puerto Rico Bond Fund Sales Practices Come Under Fire
UBS Puerto Rico operates 23 proprietary non-exchange-traded closed-end funds (UBS Funds). UBS is one of the key players in the Puerto Rico municipal debt market and has packaged and sold approximately $10 billion in municipal debt through the UBS Funds. It has been alleged that UBS marketed the UBS Funds…
Former Merrill Lynch Broker David Zeng Barred From the Financial Industry
David G. Zeng (Zeng) was recently barred from the financial industry by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) over allegations that the broker failed to respond to the regulator’s inquiries concerning at least a dozen customer disputes initiated against the broker. The customer complaints against Zeng include claims of misrepresentations,…
Gana LLP Investiga las ventas de Bonos del Fondo de Puerto Rico hechas por UBS Puerto Rico, Popular Securities, y a Santander Securities
La caída en los precios de los bonos de Puerto Rico ha causado pérdidas financieras sustanciales a los inversionistas en activos que les fueron vendidos como como bonos seguros y garantizados. Según el New York Times, la raíz de los problemas de Puerto rico es el hecho de que 3.7…
Gana LLP Investigates UBS Puerto Rico, Popular Securities, and Santander Securities Sales of Puerto Rican Bond Funds
The steep decline in prices of Puerto Rican bonds has caused local investors substantial investment losses in assets that many are claiming were sold to them as safe and secure bonds. According to a New York Times article, Puerto Rico’s woes stem from the fact that its 3.7 million residents…
Retired Auto Executive Sues UBS for $30 Million for Investment Fraud Related to Puerto Rican Bonds
On October 1, 2013, Victor Gómez, Jr. a retired auto executive filed an action against UBS for investment fraud related to Puerto Rican bonds. According to the Caribbean News, this is the first of many legal actions expected to be filed in FINRA against UBS Financial Services, Inc. Mr. Gómez and his…