Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You may have questions related to our firm and to investing in general. Here are answers to some of the more frequently asked questions. We hope that you find these informative. If you have any other questions please contact us directly and we will be happy to answer your questions and address any concerns you may have.
Q. Who is Pershing LLC?
A. Pershing LLC (Pershing) is the largest independent clearing/custody firm. Pershing is a division of the Bank of New York Mellon. McLaughlin Ryder Investments has retained Pershing to provide certain record keeping or operational services. These services—such as the execution and settlement of securities transactions, custody of securities and cash balances, and extension of credit on margin transactions—are provided under a written Clearing Agreement. For more information please see following Disclosure Statement.
Q. Do you hold my money directly?
A. Absolutely not. We will not take possession of cash or securities in any form. Our custodian is Pershing LLC. They were founded in 1936 and are the largest independent clearing/custody firm. Pershing is a division of the Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE:BK). Bank of New York Mellon is the oldest bank in the nation and was founded by Alexander Hamilton in 1784. The assets held at Bank of New York Mellon total over $238 billion and they employ more than 22,000 people. We encourage clients to send deposits via our office: we will forward deposits to our custodian, tracking their progress. All checks should be made payable to Pershing LLC.
Q. Is my money safe at Pershing LLC?
A. Pershing is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC®). As a result, investor-owned assets held in custody by Pershing are protected by SIPC, up to $500,000 in value, including $250,000 for claims for uninvested cash awaiting reinvestment. SIPC provides protection for eligible client assets held in custody by a SIPC member brokerage firm should the SIPC member firm fail financially and become unable to meet the obligations to its clients. SIPC does not protect against losses due to market fluctuation or for client assets not held by a SIPC member. For more information about investor asset protection, visit SIPC’s web site at www.sipc.org.
Q. Do you guarantee returns?
A. No, we do not guarantee returns. We put together a solid, customized, and focused investment plan for our clients that is designed to help them achieve their financial goals. We cannot predict the future nor can we guarantee returns in any form.
Q. What is FINRA?
A. FINRA is the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. FINRA is the largest independent regulator for all securities firms doing business in the United States (including McLaughlin Ryder Investments, Inc.. FINRA oversees nearly 4,550 brokerage firms, 163,500 branch offices and 631,110 registered securities representatives. FINRA's primary role is to protect investors by maintaining the fairness of the U.S. capital markets. Learn more about FINRA here https://www.finra.org/.
Q. What is SIPC?
A. SIPC is the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Learn more about SIPC here http://www.sipc.org/.
Q. Is my information safe with McLaughlin Ryder Investments?
A. Yes. We employ security policies, physical security measures, and security technology that are best practices for financial firms. We are very concerned about computer and information security and take this matter very seriously. Our detailed Privacy Policy may be found in the Legal section of this website.
Q. Is my information confidential?
A. Yes. By law we cannot disclose your private information to anyone but you directly, or your other financial advisors (attorneys, accountants, estate planners) with your consent only. Our clients' information is highly confidential and we take this matter very seriously.
Q. Can I speak to some references?
A. Absolutely. We work very hard for all of our firm's clients and, as a result, the overwhelming majority of them are happy to provide a reference regarding McLaughlin Ryder's services. Please contact us directly and we will be happy to contact clients for permission to pass along their names and contact numbers to you.
Q. I have a question that doesn't appear in this list. How should I proceed?
A. We will be pleased to answer any specific questions you have. Please contact us at 703-684-9222 or Toll Free at 866-684-9222.