Resource Center

Stories

The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast.

These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need.

Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:



Search results for "Trading Commission" ...

  • Dark Markets

    The Wall Street Journal’s coverage of financial markets in 2012 performed a rare and extraordinary service: It exposed evidence of hidden manipulation by corporate executives and professional traders that the markets’ official government watchdogs were utterly unaware of. Reflecting potential widespread harm to millions of ordinary investors, federal prosecutors and securities regulators raced to follow the Journal stories with major investigations. A team of reporters spent six months creating a database examining how more than 20,000 corporate executives traded their own companies’ stocks over the course of eight years. What the team found was disturbing: More than 1,000 executives had generated big profits, or avoided big losses, by trading their company stock in the days ahead of corporate news announcements that led to big moves in the shares. The Journal also exposed a regulatory loophole that had helped the executives take advantage of inside knowledge ahead of other investors. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office and the Securities and Exchange Commission all launched investigations the day the Journal article appeared.

    Tags: Financial markets; corporate executives; stocks; Federal Bureau of Investigation

    By Susan Pulliam; Rob Barry; Jean Eaglesham; Jason Zweig; Tom McGinty; Michael Siconolfi; Scott Patterson; Jenny Strasburg; Max Colchester; David Enrich

    Wall Street Journal (New York)

    2012

  • Scam-At-Home

    A number of online scams are offering work at home opportunities to consumers. In this economic recession, many people are looking for ways to make money and these scams seem to be the perfect way. Some of the major scams are mystery shopping, stuffing envelopes, and rebate processing. The investigation into this story discovered these scams among the many and along the way found the scammers who were running these operations.

    Tags: Internet; employment; finances; con job; credit; wealth; debt; website; Better Business Bureau; Federal Trade Commission

    By Jim Avila; Ann Varney; Ruth Reiss; Bram Harris; Carla Delandri; David Sloan

    ABC News

    2009

  • Carilion Concerns

    The Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital is under investigation by several agencies for how the quality of care to patients. A suicide in the emergency department raised questions about the acre, and it was determined that the hospital is not in full compliance with Medicare regulations.

    Tags: Health and Human Services; Centers for Medicare and Medicaid; health care; Federal Trade Commission;

    By Mollie Halpern; Ryan Anderson; Melissa Preas; Jerry Caldwell

    WSLS-TV (Roanoke, Va.)

    2008

  • Dark Market

    "The story examined 30 percent of the commodity futures markets for oil that trade without regulation. We examined how these markets may have played a role in bumping up the price of oil over the summer of 2008."

    Tags: gasoline; Intercontinental Exchange; ICE; Trading Commission; barrel; premium price;

    By Armen Keteyian; Laura Strickler; Ariel Bashi; Keith Summa;

    CBS News

    2008

  • Protect Yourself Online

    Package of stories: "Protect Yourself Online", "7 Online Blunders", "ID Leaks", and "Security Software." These stories investigate the current state of Internet safety, including its impact on the public, as well as highlighting the newest threats and what is being done to fight them. The package of articles found that American consumers lose about $8.5 billion to e-mail scams, that such scams remain a serious threat, and analyzed recent ID breaches.

    Tags: online security; ID breaches; e-mail scams; consumer affairs; consumer advocacy

    By Jeff Fox, Donna Tapellini, Paul Reynolds, Anthony Giorgianni, Andrea Rock and Bob Tiernan

    Consumer Reports

    2008

  • From the Inside Out

    Dateline NBC goes undercover to investigate the infomercial industry, which, while "long a target of criticism and government intervention, generates an estimated $90 billion a year in sales." The Dateline team created a pill that would have no effect on skin, but which they wished to sell as "purported to erase lines and wrinkles from the skin." They found a producer, and actresses and a doctor were hired to give false testimonials for the infomercial, which never aired. Experts told dateline that such an infomercial had a potential profit of $10 million before the Federal Trade Commission made contact to check on the product's effectiveness.

    Tags: Moisturol; infomercials; consumer fraud; Federal Trade Commission; Nestle's Quik

    By David Corvo; Liz Cole; Marc Rosenwasser; Allan Maraynes; John Larson; Shane Bishop; David Ketterling; Jessica De Vera; Jennifer Hoffman

    NBC News Dateline

    2006

  • Some Hub funds' redemptions consistent with market timing, says experts

    This story details how Boston-area mutual fund companies violated their prospectuses by engaging in market timing--a way to take advantage of "stale" prices.

    Tags: stock market; trading; mutual fund; improper trading; Boston; Hub fund; U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission; market timing; scandal

    By Edward Mason

    Boston Business

    2004

  • Spyware Cures May Cause More Harm Than Good

    The CNET News.com investigation found that spyware programs sometimes cause the same problems they say they are erasing. Spyware or adware can weave itself into computers, cause problems and be extremely difficult to remove.

    Tags: On-line; spyware; computer; software; web; spam; advertising; The Center for Democracy & Technology; Federal Trade Commission; privacy; adware; SpyBan; Trojan horse; NicTech; PC; internet

    By John Borland;Jeff Pelline

    CNETNEWS.Com (San Francisco)

    2004

  • Mutual Fraud

    With the help of one whistleblower, the New York State Attorney's office began to investigate one of the largest financial scandals on Wall Street. The scandal involves mutual fund traders who buy and sell mutual funds after the closing price is set at the New York Stock Exchange at four o'clock in the afternoon. The plan, called "late trading," allowed traders to get the four o'clock price hours later if they knew whether the market would go up or down the next day.

    Tags: Wall Street; market timing; mutual funds; whistleblowers; Securities and Exchange Commission; investment; late trading; Janus; Invesco; Bank of America

    By Bob Simon;Peter Klein;Trisha Sowells;Dan Glucksman

    CBS News 60 Minutes

    2004

  • Open Secrets Series

    This series is a year long investigation than led to a dozen harmful activities on Wall Street. Among other stories, there is a secret investment pool for the rich, providing them with coveted inside information on stocks. Another story disclosed the way brokerage firms routinely pass market information to favored clients who pay high commissions.

    Tags: Wall Street investigations; Wall Street Journal; investments; stocks; brokerage firms; market information; trade; corporate boards; investors; mutual-funds

    By Susan Pulliman;Ianthe Jeanne Dugan;Ann Davis;George Anders;Jonathan Weil;Ken Brown;Christopher Oster;Ruth Simon;Monica Langley;Susanne Craig;Aaron Luchetti;Randall Smith

    Wall Street Journal (New York)

    2004