Should a Broker's Record be on the Record?

A recent decision by a federal appellate court goes a long way to protect investors, reports Michelle Singletary in The Washington Post. The case involved an allegedly dishonest broker who agreed to pay a complaining client $47,000, but only on the condition that all mention of the dispute be removed from the broker's Central Registration Depository record.

Checking the history of a broker or "advisor" is vital, as vividly illustrated by the case of Robert C. Brown, Jr.