In theory, financial professionals are relatively distinct: A broker-dealer conducts transactions in securities on behalf of itself and others; and an investment adviser provides advice to others regarding securities. Different laws regulate each type of professional, but boundaries have blurred. This report examines current business practices and investor understanding of each type.

"The Fourth Edition of a leading resource in the field, this valuable practice tool brings you completely up-to-date on the evolving laws governing banks' securities activities - from regulatory changes in the financial markets and administrative reform to recent court decisions and legislative reform, including the recently enacted Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Here is everything you need to help build a bank's securities business while avoiding compliance pitfalls. Securities Activities of Banks, Fourth Edition provides: In-depth discussions of the securities activities now permissible for banks, bank holding companies, and financial holding companies, Clear explanations of how securities laws affect banks' securities activities, A complete review of how banks are regulated - including foreign banks and affiliates, Up-to-date analysis of the evolution of the banking laws through agency and court decisions. Detailed descriptions and analyses illuminate the full range of current bank securities activities, including investment and trading activities, brokerage activities, investment advice, underwriting, mutual funds, international securities activities, derivative instruments, deposits and loans, fiduciary activities, and more."--Publisher's website.

In theory, financial professionals are relatively distinct: A broker conducts transactions in securities on behalf of others; a dealer buys and sells securities for his or her own accounts; and an investment adviser provides advice to others regarding securities. Broker-dealers and investment advisers are subject to different regulatory structures. But trends in the financial services market since the early 1990s have blurred the boundaries between them. Regulatory reform requires a clearer understanding of the industry's complexities. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission asked RAND to conduct this study to examine the professionals' current business practices and whether investors understand differences between and relationships among them. The report describes a heterogeneous industry, with firms taking many different forms and offering a multitude of services and products and with investors failing to distinguish broker-dealers and investment advisers along regulatory lines. Despite this, investors express high levels of satisfaction with the services they receive from their own financial service providers. This satisfaction was much more frequently reported to arise from the personal attention the investor receives than from the actual financial returns arising from this relationship.

Retail investors seek guidance from broker-dealers and investment advisers (BD&IA) to manage their invest. and to meet their own and their families¿ financial goals. BD&IA are regulated extensively, but the regulatory regimes differ, and BD&IA are subject to different standards under fed. law when providing invest. advice (IA) about securities. This report evaluated: (1) The effectiveness of existing legal standards of care for providing personalized IA and recommend. about securities to retail customers; and (2) Whether there are legal gaps in regulatory standards in the protection of retail customers relating to providing personalized IA about securities to retail customers that should be addressed by statute. This is print on demand report.

Have you ever wanted to know what an investment bank is? Have you ever wondered how the broker dealer fits into an investment bank and what it does? Have you ever wanted to know more about stocks and the products related to stocks that broker dealers offer to clients and why clients buy these products? If so this book is what you need. Written for the investing public, people new to the investment banking industry, as well as for those working in the industry; this book covers the following:* It opens with a general explanation of what investment banks are and what they do.* Then it covers the main business lines and how they are structured and how they relate to one another.* Using this background, we look at the work flow involved in making a typical equity trade.* Finally, we cover the main equity products offered by the broker dealer division of an investment bank in detail. This is the main focus of this book.