Although it is important broker's are fully versed in all aspects of the products they offer and they should know their client as well, the retail investor should be left to self manage as seen fit for themselves. Before investing in an individual company there are many statements, past and future earnings and market and economic conditions to review. In the past I typically would spend 20 to 40 hrs per week reviewing companies for investment consideration. I personally used small and mid cap companies (equities) for increased volatility compared to large caps but have found in recent years using the newer ETF's currently available to me, I can gain diversification while maintaining similar volatility/returns. Again, a person that is in a position of providing recommendations of investments or investment strategies should be scrutinized at some level, but an individual at the non professional level should have access to the legal investment tools available without the scrutiny, interference or restrictions of the government beyond as currently identified and applied.
Carl Kittelson Comment On Regulatory Notice 22-08
Although it is important broker's are fully versed in all aspects of the products they offer and they should know their client as well, the retail investor should be left to self manage as seen fit for themselves. Before investing in an individual company there are many statements, past and future earnings and market and economic conditions to review. In the past I typically would spend 20 to 40 hrs per week reviewing companies for investment consideration. I personally used small and mid cap companies (equities) for increased volatility compared to large caps but have found in recent years using the newer ETF's currently available to me, I can gain diversification while maintaining similar volatility/returns. Again, a person that is in a position of providing recommendations of investments or investment strategies should be scrutinized at some level, but an individual at the non professional level should have access to the legal investment tools available without the scrutiny, interference or restrictions of the government beyond as currently identified and applied.