The SEC's New Risk Alert Just Told You What Examiners Are Writing Down About Your Fee Disclosures
    Regulatory & Compliance

    The SEC's New Risk Alert Just Told You What Examiners Are Writing Down About Your Fee Disclosures

    TL;DR: On June 9, 2026, the SEC's Division of Examinations published a Risk Alert on economic conflicts of interest at registered investment advisers, and one day earlier the agency fined Phoenix-based Foundations...

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
    What a Fund Administrator Does, and Why LPs Now Require One
    Alternative Investments

    What a Fund Administrator Does, and Why LPs Now Require One

    TL;DR: A hedge fund manager named Grant Grieve invented a fake back-office administrator called Global Hedge Fund Services and used it to certify returns that didn't exist. The SEC charged him with securities fraud...

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··9 min read
    SEC's First Rule 18f-4 Enforcement: What Every ETF Investor Needs to Know
    Regulatory & Compliance

    SEC's First Rule 18f-4 Enforcement: What Every ETF Investor Needs to Know

    The SEC just issued its first-ever enforcement action under Rule 18f-4 — the derivatives risk management rule for investment companies. The target was Simplify Asset Management. The penalty was

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··6 min read
    RAD Diversified REIT $152M SEC Fraud: What Every Real Estate Investor Should Know
    Real Estate

    RAD Diversified REIT $152M SEC Fraud: What Every Real Estate Investor Should Know

    According to the SEC's litigation release filed July 29, 2026 , RAD Diversified REIT Inc. raised $152 million from more than 5,500 investors through unregistered securities offerings — then spent tens

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··7 min read
    REIT Fraud Red Flags: The 10-Point Checklist Every Investor Needs
    Regulatory & Compliance

    REIT Fraud Red Flags: The 10-Point Checklist Every Investor Needs

    Two REIT enforcement actions landed in July 2026 alone: the SEC charged RAD Diversified REIT on July 29 for a $152 million fraud scheme involving 5,500+ investors , and the Texas State Securities Boar

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··8 min read
    NAV Loans in Private Equity: What LPs Don't Know Can Hurt Them
    Private Equity

    NAV Loans in Private Equity: What LPs Don't Know Can Hurt Them

    According to ILPA guidance on NAV facilities , the following analysis reflects current market conditions and publicly available data. NAV Loans in Private Equity: What LPs Don't Know Can Hurt Them bod

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··13 min read
    How to Read a Private Placement Memorandum: Red Flags Before You Wire Money
    Capital Raising

    How to Read a Private Placement Memorandum: Red Flags Before You Wire Money

    TL;DR: A private placement memorandum is not reviewed, approved, or fact-checked by the SEC before it lands in your inbox. In 2025 alone, four Reg D sponsors raised a combined $489M from investors...

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··12 min read
    SEC Fraud Alert: How a Fake Form ADV Fooled Investors in 2026
    Regulatory & Compliance

    SEC Fraud Alert: How a Fake Form ADV Fooled Investors in 2026

    18 million default judgment against AI Financial Education Foundation Ltd. for filing false Form ADV disclosures claiming $10 million in AUM, a Denver office, and a private fund that did not exist. Th

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··8 min read
    SEC Nails Unregistered Fund Adviser for Charging 23% of Capital as Fees: What Every LP Must Know
    Regulatory & Compliance

    SEC Nails Unregistered Fund Adviser for Charging 23% of Capital as Fees: What Every LP Must Know

    SEC Fraud: Unregistered Adviser Charged LPs 23% in Fees The SEC filed a complaint against an unregistered private fund adviser that paid itself more than $515,000 in management fees — equal to 23% of

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··9 min read
    SEC Chair Says Fraud Is Under Investigation in Private Credit: What Every LP Must Understand
    Regulatory & Compliance

    SEC Chair Says Fraud Is Under Investigation in Private Credit: What Every LP Must Understand

    SEC Investigates Private Credit Fraud: What Atkins Said SEC Chair Says Fraud Is Under Investigation in Private Credit: What Every LP Must Understand TL;DR SEC Chairman Paul Atkins confirmed at the May

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··11 min read
    SEC Probes Continuation Vehicles: What Accredited Investors in GP-Led Funds Must Know Now
    Regulatory & Compliance

    SEC Probes Continuation Vehicles: What Accredited Investors in GP-Led Funds Must Know Now

    TL;DR — What You Need to Know The SEC is actively investigating continuation vehicles (CVs) for conflicts of interest, valuation manipulation, and inadequate LP disclosures. This is not a future risk;

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
    TZP Group: The Lower-Middle-Market PE Firm That Got Caught Overcharging LPs (And What It Teaches Us)
    Private Equity

    TZP Group: The Lower-Middle-Market PE Firm That Got Caught Overcharging LPs (And What It Teaches Us)

    In August 2025, the SEC ordered TZP Management Associates to repay $683,877 after it overcharged fund LPs on management fees for five years. A small number relative to $2.4B in assets. A loud signal a

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··10 min read
    The $400 Million ATM Ponzi: How Daryl Heller Fooled 2,700 Investors and the Red Flags They Missed
    Regulatory & Compliance

    The $400 Million ATM Ponzi: How Daryl Heller Fooled 2,700 Investors and the Red Flags They Missed

    By Jeff Barnes, MBA | Regulatory Compliance Here is the short version: the SEC charged Daryl F. Heller and his Pennsylvania companies with running a $770 million Ponzi scheme that destroyed $402 milli

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··11 min read
    SEC Private Placement Enforcement 2025: $700M+ in Fraud, Named Cases, and Red Flags
    Regulatory & Compliance

    SEC Private Placement Enforcement 2025: $700M+ in Fraud, Named Cases, and Red Flags

    TL;DR: The SEC brought actions totaling over $700 million in alleged private placement fraud in 2025 alone. If you are putting money into a Reg D offering, here is what the enforcement record tells yo

    Jeff Barnes, MBA··11 min read