FINRA recently reported its January 2010 arbitration statistics. For the month ended January 31, 2010, 456 claims had been filed. This represents a decrease of 14% as compared to the number of cases filed in January 2009 (528). The average turnaround time for cases that have resulted in an arbitration hearing (i.e., cases that did not settle prior to the hearing) has declined by 11% (11.6 months from 13.0 months).
In addition, FINRA has also noted a significant increase in the …

Leveraged ETFs have recently returned to the news as Direxion announced the release of two new funds. As reported on Marketwatch.com, one of these new funds seeks to obtain returns equal to 300% of the two-year Treasury yield, while the other fund seeks to obtain returns equal to 300% of the inverse return of the two-year Treasury yield (in other words, when the Treasury yield declines, the investor profits).
Despite the repeated warnings issued by FINRA and the SEC as to …