Investors whose portfolios have taken a hit recently might not be too keen to open their account statements. Bad move, according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Instead, the self-regulator cautions investors to review their statements carefully and immediately contact the firm issuing their account statement about any unexplained fees, overcharges or unauthorized transactions.
“A single keystroke can make the difference between 100 and 1,000 shares,” says Gerri Walsh, FINRA’s Vice President for Investor Education.
On Feb. 23, FINRA issued a new Investor Alert titled It Pays to Understand Your Brokerage Account Statements and Trade Confirmations that details in plain language key elements of customer account statements, plus “red flags” that can help investors spot and avert problems.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also is taking up the subject of unauthorized trading. On Feb. 27, it issued a risk alert outlining preventative measures to help brokerages improve their policing of authorized trades.