CURRAN’S SECURITIES DIVISION ISSUES ORDER
AGAINST UNREGISTERED FINANCIAL ADVISER

Attorney General J. Joseph Curran, Jr. announced today that his Office’s Securities Division issued a Summary Order to Cease and Desist and an Order to Show Cause against Steven D. Yarn of Randallstown and several affiliated entities located in Owings Mills. The Summary Order charges Yarn and his companies, GOOD Investing, Inc., dba Get Out of Debt Investing, Inc.; GOOD Investment Services, Inc., dba S. Dean Yarn & Company Investment Advisors, Inc.; and S. Dean Yarn & Company, with acting as unregistered investment advisers, using fraudulent statements to market their services, and breaching their fiduciary duty to clients.

According to the Summary Order, although neither are registered as investment advisers, Yarn through his company, GOOD Investing, Inc., continues to offer financial planning and investment advisory services to Maryland residents. The Summary Order further alleges that at financial planning seminars conducted at several Maryland locations, including the Largo-Kettering Public Library in Prince George’s County, Yarn used misleading marketing materials and misrepresented to the public that he was a financial adviser and a stockbroker. In addition, the Order alleges that Yarn breached his fiduciary duty to an elderly client, who is since deceased, by soliciting her to invest $120,000 in his company, GOOD Investing, Inc.

"We brought this case to stop Mr. Yarn from acting unlawfully as an investment adviser and from using misleading statements to solicit investors," said Attorney General Curran. "We are concerned that Mr. Yarn is using these misrepresentations as a means of obtaining new clients."

Curran reminded investors to call the Securities Division at 410-576-6360 before they invest to find out whether their investment adviser, broker and securities are registered, or whether there have been any complaints filed against them. Even when an investment program looks reasonable, and friends and family trust the promoter, it’s better to take a few minutes to verify the status of the promoters.

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