BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : JUNE 19, 2000 ISSUE
BUSINESSWEEK INVESTOR Fighting Back in Six Steps Here's how to improve your chances of resolving a complaint against your broker: 1. Send a written complaint promptly to the broker. Include dates, times, and amounts of trades, plus any documentation. 2. File an online copy of your complaint at NASDR, the National Association of Securities Dealers' regulatory arm. Click on www.nasdr.com, scroll to Online Customer Complaint Form. 3. Copy your state securities regulator, which tries to investigate every complaint. The North American Securities Administrators Assn.'s Web site lists state regulators and contact information (www.nasaa.org). 4. If you and your broker can't resolve your dispute, consider mediation, an informal and inexpensive forum before a neutral party. The decision is nonbinding. The NASDR Web site lists regional offices and stock exchanges offering mediation services. 5. Still unhappy? Try arbitration, a more formal process that's binding and that determines liability and damages. Hiring a lawyer is a good idea. The Public Investors Arbitration Bar Assn. (e-mail: piaba@piaba.org) will tell you which lawyers specialize in securities arbitration. 6. If all else fails, litigation is a final option. You must file suit within one year of the alleged wrongdoing. State bar associations (www.abanet.org) and the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory (www.martindale-hubbell.com) can help find plaintiffs' lawyers who handle securities cases. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP					RELATED ITEMS What to Do When Your Online Broker Screws Up TABLE: Fighting Back in Six Steps INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online

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