Securities Law Commons^™

Real Insider Trading, Michael A. Perino

Faculty Publications

In popular rhetoric, insider trading cases are about leveling the playing field between elite market participants and ordinary investors. Academic critiques vary. Some depict an untethered insider trading doctrine that enforcers use to expand their power and enhance their discretion. Others see enforcers beset with agency cost problems who bring predominantly simple, easily resolved cases to create the veneer of vigorous enforcement. The debate has, to this point, been based mostly on anecdote and conjecture rather than empirical evidence. This Article addresses that gap by collecting extensive data on 465 individual defendants in civil, criminal, and administrative actions to assess …

The Regulation Of Digital Investment Advice, Christine Lazaro

Faculty Publications

Digital investment advice, or robo-advice, is a growing trend in the financial services industry. It is expected that by 2022, robo-advisers will manage over $4 trillion in assets. Robo-advice covers a wide range of services, however all involve advice derived from algorithms. This article will discuss what robo-advice is as well as how it is regulated by the SEC and FINRA.

The Fragmented Regulation Of Investment Advice: A Call For Harmonization, Christine Lazaro, Benjamin P. Edwards

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

Decades of short-term thinking and regulatory fixes created the bewilderingly complex statutory and regulatory structures governing the giving of personalized investment advice to retail customers. Although deeply flawed, the current systems remain entrenched because of the difficulties inherent in making radical alterations. Importantly, the current patchwork systems do not seem to serve retail customers particularly well. Retail customers tend to make predictable and costly mistakes in allocating their assets. Some of this occurs because many investors lack basic financial literacy. A recent study released by the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) on financial literacy among …