The NASD securities broker database interface has been reworked and is much more usable for private investigators who are validating a license or developing background on a company or individual. The NASD describes itself as “the primary private-sector regulator of America’s securities industry.” In the past, a license lookup required the broker’s name and the brokerage, but now a search can be done by individual name only.

The National Association of Securities Dealers BrokerCheck is an online database of registered securities brokers and registered securities firms. The search mechanism isn’t as friendly as I would like, still with remnants of the former site. If you want to search last name only, select the basic search. This returns last names with that string of letters. The advanced search option allows you to search by partial first and last name, but you must enter letters into both fields, then select “begins with”, “sounds like” or “exact match”. Select “View Full PDF Report” in the left column to view details of disciplinary actions and disputes. The full report also lists employment, unemployment, non securities employment, military service and education for the past 10 years.

Detailed reports are also available on the firm name search but you have to request a NASD report if a firm’s registration was terminated before 1999. Call the NASD to get further details by phone.