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Want to Get Rich Quickly?

Do you sincerely want to be rich? That was the sales slogan used by fraudster Bernie Cornfeld which attracted many. Or perhaps even better, do you want to sincerely get rich quickly? That is in essence the sales pitch used by many promoters of CFDs (Contracts for Difference).

CFDs are geared investments in stock market shares, bitcoins, commodities or any volatile instrument where you can magnify your profits many times. Or, of course, magnify your losses. You can, to put it simply, lose all your money and very quickly. Last week the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) wrote a stern letter to CFD distributors saying in essence that their review revealed substantial failings in the rules that they should have been following.

CFD products are complex and risky and are not suitable for inexperienced or unsophisticated investors. But 76% of retail customers for CFDs lost money in the year to June 2016 according to the FCA which clearly indicates that there are plenty of suckers out there who are being exploited. One of the many problems that the FCA discovered was inadequate client qualification with many relying on broad descriptions of “sophisticated” and “financially literate”. Indeed, they often relied solely on the client’s words about their knowledge and experience and their qualification to be classed as “elective professional” clients which effectively relieves the seller of any responsibility for the advice they give.

This problem extends not just to CFD providers but historically has been a big problem in the promotion of shares in unlisted companies, the small cap companies listed on AIM and in some overseas markets. If reliance is placed on what the client says about their competence and ability, it’s rather like asking a motorist whether they are a good driver – they will all say yes.

In essence there surely needs to be a better way to tackle this issue. If that cannot be devised then the FCA is likely to get much tougher in policing the market for CFDs.

But the FCA should not be too concerned. If those who speculate in CFDs lose the ability to do so, they’ll just move onto something else like trading in bitcoins or forex – and there are lots of promoters of those around. The problem really comes down to basic financial education. Folks need to learn at an early age that there are no quick ways to get rich. If they do not then they will fall for the latest scam regardless of the actions of regulators.

Roger Lawson (Twitter: https://twitter.com/RogerWLawson )

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