FINRA upgraded its BrokerCheck technology over the Veterans Day weekend, making it easier for the investing public to view detailed record information about brokers and other professionals registered with FINRA, the SEC, or state securities regulators.
The upgrades allow investors to search both the BrokerCheck and Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) databases directly from the FINRA BrokerCheck homepage located at www.finra.org/brokercheck; alternately, investors can call (800) 289-9999 to access the BrokerCheck hotline via telephone.
Upgrades to BrokerCheck include a new visual display that features a graphical timeline of a broker or firm's history in the securities industry, including their registration, certification and testing activity as well as reportable events such as customer disputes or disciplinary/regulatory actions.
For instance, underneath a new "Broker Summary" pane, viewers are able to quickly and plainly see whether a broker is currently licensed and whether a broker has any disclosure events. The graphical timeline allows investors to see not just how long a broker has worked in the securities industry, but whether disclosure events, if any exist, have been concentrated around a certain period of time—for instance, a cluster of recent events versus disclosures which occurred many years ago.
FINRA also announced that it plans to develop and make a new BrokerCheck widget available to third parties, designed for use with the BrokerCheck system. This means that in the future, investors may be able to access BrokerCheck directly from and without leaving a third party website.
Now is a perfect time to explore the new and enhanced FINRA BrokerCheck and look up firms or brokers that matter to you. If you have invested with a broker or firm who has misrepresented his or her disciplinary or registration history and such omissions or false statements have led to events that have adversely affected your investments or interests, please call The Law Offices of Jonathan W. Evans & Associates at (800) 699-1881 for an investigation and consultation.
News: FINRA Releases Enhanced Version of BrokerCheck (FINRA Press Release)