Customer Protection

Protected Investors of America is an introducing Firm with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).  Categorized as such, an Introducing Firm does not maintain possession of customer cash and securities.

• Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC)
• Non-Profit membership corporation funded by member broker-dealers.  It protects customers against certain losses if the SIPC member fails financially and is unable to meet obligations to securities customers.
  
  SIPC covers customer cash and securities in possession by a broker-dealer (i.e. Schwab/NFS) and the ability of the broker to return those cash and securities to the customer.  SIPC covers financial failure of the broker-dealer.
  
  Unissued mutual fund shares held directly with a mutual fund company are not covered by SIPC because in this relationship a broker is not in possession of customer securities.  Should the fund fail, SIPC does not insure against any type of market fluctuations or the performance of the fund.
  
  SIPC protection covers the claims of customers up to a maximum of $500,000, including up to $100,000 on claims for cash per account.
  http://www.sipc.org/

• Signature Guarantee
• A 'Signature Guarantee' is often required for the sale, transfer or negotiation of securities.  Firms who have Signature Guarantee service are liable for actions taken based upon their Signature Guarantee.   Each firm's Signature Guarantee stamp has an ID that indicates the maximum dollar amount of a covered transaction.  If the item or instructions cover a transaction for a dollar amount over the Signature Guarantee’s allowance, it generally will not be accepted by the receiving party.

  Protected Investors of America carries a surety bond to cover its Signature Guarantee limits; our ID code of C0016329 covers single transactions up to $500,000 with an aggregate annual limit of $1,000,000.

• Securities Dealer Blanket Bond

• Protected Investors of America maintains Financial Institution Bond coverage for $60,000.  The bond covers losses resulting from employee dishonesty and mysterious disappearance of customer securities. 

• BrokerCheck
• The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) requires that we notify you, in writing, about the availability of an investor brochure that includes information describing the FINRA public disclosure program, BrokerCheck. To obtain a brochure or more information about BrokerCheck, please call the FINRA Hotline at (800) 289-9999. To get information on a firm or broker, go to www.finra.org, click on FINRA BrokerCheck, and follow the instructions.

• Business Continuity Plan
• Business Continuity Plan Protected Investors of America’s (PIA) policy will respond to a Significant Business Disruption (SBD) by safeguarding employees’ lives and PIA property. PIA will make a financial and operational assessment, quickly enable and resume operations, protect the firm’s books and records, and enable our existing customers to transact business. If PIA’s management determines that PIA is unable to continue business, we will assure customers prompt access to their funds and securities.
  
  Significant Business Disruptions (SBDs): Our plan anticipates two kinds of SBDs: internal and external. Internal SBDs affect only our firm’s ability to communicate and do business (such as might result from a fire in our building.) External SBDs prevent the operation of the securities markets or a number of firms (such as might result from a terrorist attack, a city flood, or a wide-scale, regional disruption [such as an earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area]). Our response to an external SBD relies more heavily on other organizations and systems, especially on the capabilities of National Financial Services, LLC (our clearing broker) and the investment companies that carry our customer cash and securities. Our response depends heavily upon availability of telecommunications and Internet services.
  Business Description: PIA is an introducing firm and does not perform any type of clearing function for itself or others. Furthermore, PIA does not hold customer funds or securities; we accept and enter orders. Resumption of telecommunication and Internet availability (critical to our ability to accept and enter orders) as well as providing access to client cash and securities are the main priority of our Business Continuity Plan.
  
  Alternate Communication between the Firm and Clients: Clients will continue to contact their registered representatives directly in the event of a business disruption in the PIA Home Office. Alternatively, if a registered representative’s location experiences a business disruption, clients should contact the PIA Home Office directly. The Home Office can be reached at 415-398-4363 or 800-786-2559. Only in the event that no one can be reached at the registered representative’s phone or either Home Office phone, clients may try reaching Key Home Office Employees at these private numbers:
  

  Hard line	Cellular
  925-757-1755	925-584-4767
  415-399-0432	415-335-1093
  707-782-9242	415-730-7302

  Clients may also refer to our website www.protectedinvestors.com for updated contact information.
  
  Customer Access to Funds and Securities: Our clearing firm, National Financial Services, LLC provides a phone line for clients to access cash and securities in the event PIA is unable to conduct business such that PIA has ceased operations: 617-563-5977. If PIA is available for operation; any calls made to this number will be redirected to PIA. For client accounts that are held directly with a mutual fund company or insurance company, clients may access their accounts directly by using the phone number provided on account statements by those companies.
  
  Relocation: In the event PIA staff/employees/management are unable to access our building(s), systems and records, staff/employees/management will relocate to available branch offices that house our independent registered representatives. These branch offices are located all around the San Francisco Bay Area. Key Management Employees are also equipped to continue business with pre-installed software on home and laptop computers, high-speed Internet connections, back up data and phone service from the home. Phone service will be forwarded to those locations. Should an event disrupt business region-wide, Key Management Employees will relocate out of the affected area with laptop computers, backup data, cell phones & high speed Internet connections.
  
  Clients may request an updated copy of this summary in writing at any time by sending their request to the PIA Home Office: 235 Montgomery St. #1050, San Francisco CA 94104.

• Privacy Policy
• Protected Investors of America (PIA) respects your privacy. PIA’s physical, electronic and procedural safeguards protect nonpublic personal and financial information (name, address, social security number, telephone number, email address, date of birth, income, employment, tax bracket, net worth, etc.) gathered from applications, forms, conversation, consumer reporting and electronic communication such as email. No customer information is sold to third parties. PIA restricts access to private information, and only shares private information with employees and third parties who “need to know” (in order to provide your services) and to non-affiliated parties as permitted or required by law. While PIA Representatives and Investment Advisory Associates may offer non-PIA services, PIA prohibits using non-public information for non-PIA purposes. At termination of PIA-Associate relationships, both may retain customer non-public information.
  
  Protect yourself when using a computer to access Internet sites that contain sensitive information. Use only a computer with up-to-date anti-virus and anti-spyware programs and avoid wireless networks and public computers.