Some investments make money. Others lose money. That’s natural, and that’s why you need a diversified portfolio to minimize your risk. But if you lose money because you’ve been cheated, that’s not natural, that’s a problem.

Sometimes all it takes is a simple phone call to your investment professional to resolve a problem. Maybe there was an honest mistake that can be corrected. If talking to the investment professional doesn’t resolve the problem, talk to the firm’s manager, and write a letter to confirm your conversation. If that doesn’t lead to a resolution, you may have to initiate legal action. You will need to take action quickly because the legal time limits for doing so can be short. Your local bar association can refer you to attorneys who specialize in securities law.

At the same time, call us and let us know what the problem was. Investor complaints are very important to the SEC, and sometimes we can help you resolve your problems. You may think you’re the only one experiencing a problem, but typically, you’re not alone. Sometimes it takes only one investor’s complaint to trigger an investigation that exposes a bad broker or an illegal scheme.

And in the years ahead, let us know how well your money is growing.