Brookstreet

Despite Her Involvement in Dozens of Securities Cases, Brokerage Firms Continue to Clear Trades of Newport Coast Securities Broker Bambi I. Holzer

Published on: January 10, 2013 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Three years after Forbes magazine wrote an article exposing broker Bambi Holzer as someone whose investment advice to clients had resulted in more than $12M in securities settlements, brokerage firms continue to clear her trades. Over the years there have been dozens of complaints filed against her for improper broker activities-more than nearly anyone that we here at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LTD, LLP have ever seen.

Holzer is currently a Newport Coast Securities broker, but her employment history with different broker-dealers within the industry has involved numerous financial firms. According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, she was previously registered with Wedbush Morgan Securities Inc., Brookstreet Securities Corporation, and Sequoia Equities Securities. Holzer also worked with UBS (UBS), where she and the firm were compelled to pay at least $11.4 million to settle securities claims that she had allegedly misrepresented variable annuities by misrepresenting that they came with guaranteed returns. Following her time there, Holzer went to go work at AG Edwards (AGE), where she was fired in 2003 for engaging in business practices allegedly not in line with the policies of the firm.

Later, while at Brookstreet, Holzer allegedly made misrepresentations during a 2005 presentation in Beverly Hills about how trusts had allowed a fictional couple to defer $732,000 in taxes and make $9 million. She would later say on her website that 500 people watched her that day. However, a court document says that there were actually just 33 people in attendance.

Also while at Brookstreet, NASD, FINRA’s predecessor suspended Holzer for 21 days and ordered her to pay a $100,000 fine for negligent misrepresentations she allegedly made about certain product features related to variable annuities when she worked at PaineWebber. And an example of one complaint still pending against Holzer is the FINRA arbitration claim filed in early 2010 by a Wedbush Morgan Securities customer who is contending that account mishandling, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract allegedly resulting in $824,000 in damages.

Holzer’s record on FINRA’s Central Registration Depository is 105 pages long, and the lawsuits and regulatory disciplinary actions against her span over 90 of these pages. Allegations include:

• Violations of the Illinois Securities Act • Negligent representations related to variable annuities
• Fraud • Misrepresentations of fees • Unsuitable investments
• Private placement-related fraud • Churning • Variable annuity-related fraud • Inadequate supervision • Elder abuse
• Negligent sale/recommendation of Provident Royalties, LLC • Negligent recommendation/sale of unsafe products, including the Behringer Harvard Security Trust

Many of the FINRA claims against Holzer involve private placement and variable annuity instruments. A lot of these arbitration cases have resulted in substantial settlements.

Beware of Your Broker, Forbes, March 25, 2009

FINRA Central Registration Depository

More Blog Posts:
Ernst &Young Auditor Suspended Over Part Played in Botched 2004 Audit of AA Investors Management LLC, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, January 7, 2013

SEC Roundup: Massachusetts Investment Adviser Gets $1.78M Judgment and Allianz to Pay $12.3M to Settle Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Lawsuit, Stockbroker Fraud Blog, January 7, 2013

Clearing House Association Wants Greater Protections for Clearing Members, Institutional Investor Securities Blog, December 31, 2012

Wedbush Hit with Nun’s Complaint over CMO’s – May Have More Than Brokers in Common with Brookstreet

Published on: July 18, 2007 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Last month, when Brookstreet Securities suffered a flame-out over high risk mortgage investments, its second in command, also the son of its founder, joined Wedbush Morgan and invited Brookstreet brokers to join him at that firm. Some thought it an odd fit, but the firms may have more in common than earlier believed.

Recently, a group on nuns, who claim they were led to believe they were making safe investments, apparently had their funds invested by Wedbush into mortgage-backed CMO securities which were just pools of mobile home loans. They soon lost $1 million, according to a complaint filed by The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in California against Wedbush Morgan in arbitration through the National Association of Securities Dealers.

Ed Wedbush, president of the firm that handled the nuns’ investments, said in an interview that the losses in this and other cases came on the riskier portions of mortgage investments and were the result of “clients being very aggressive and wanting high yields.” They should have understood, he said, that “high yield is high risk.” (The statement resembles another recently made by Oppenheimer & Company, which claimed an elderly widow “only has herself to blame” for losses in a joint account as her husband lay dying. Oppenheimer was subsequently fined $1 million and ordered to reimburse over a million to the widow by the state of Massachusetts.)

Some Brookstreet Brokers Become Wedbush Morgan Brokers

Published on: July 9, 2007 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

As we reported in June: Brookstreet Securities Corp. reported severe problems with CMO securities and soon announced its closing. Scott Brooks (son of Stan Brooks, founder of Brookstreet) left for Wedbush Morgan Securities Inc. of Los Angeles, inviting Brookstreet’s representatives to join him.

Brookstreet operated using independent contractors almost exclusively and Wedbush reportedly plans to sign the Brookstreet representatives to similar agreements. Wedbush Morgan had about 40 independent contractor reps of 260 total brokers, said Ed Wedbush, that firm’s CEO. About 100 of the 650 Brookstreet brokers have so-far followed Scott Brooks, according to Ed Wedbush. “We’re recruiting, like other firms, some of their brokers and bond traders,” he said.

Many Brookstreet reps don’t know much about Wedbush, said Larry Papike, a San Diego-based recruiter, “So I think brokers really started looking around for other solutions,” he said. Securities America Inc. and J.P. Turner & Co. have picked up a number of Brookstreet reps, Mr. Papike said.

Son of Brookstreet Founder Joins Wedbush Morgan and Invites Brookstreet Brokers to Join Him

Published on: June 25, 2007 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

First announced on this Blog last week was news of problems at Brookstreet Securities. Midweek, the firm then reported that “disaster” had struck because CMOs owned by the firm and its clients had been marked down in price and margin calls had caused the firm to reach the brink of failure. On Friday, Brookstreet closed for business.

Over the weekend we heard a rumor, not confirmed, that Scott Brooks, the son of Brookstreet founder Stanley Brooks, had joined Wedbush Morgan Securities of Los Angeles and invited the Brookstreet brokers to do the same. That rumor was confirmed today in news reports.

Brookstreet’s brokerage business was conducted through independent contractor brokers similar to giant Linsco Private Ledger and other firms. Before now, Wedbush Morgan did not have an independent contractor brokerage arm, as do other firms including Raymond James Financial, Inc.

Brookstreet Liquidates Portfolio after Margin Calls by Fidelity Unit

Published on: June 24, 2007 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Brookstreet Securities Corp. has liquidated securities following margin calls by National Fidelity Securities (NFS), a division of Fidelity Investments.

Earlier in the week, it was reported on this blog that Brookstreet informed its agents in an E-mail that “disaster” had struck the firm. NFS had marked down the value of collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) that the firm and its clients held and that the firm would likely fail without an infusion of capital. A copy of that E-mail can be found in an earlier Blog story.

Because of the markdowns of the CMOs, margin calls were issued leading to a liquidity crunch, according to a Brookstreet trader. When the margin calls were not satisfied, the securities were liquidated. On Friday, the firm announced that it had closed for business.

News Flash: Brookstreet Securities Closes its Doors

Published on: June 22, 2007 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Today was “Black Friday” for Brookstreet Securities, as it closed for business. The firm’s 650 independent contractor brokers have been terminated, says Stanley Brooks, President of the firm. Brookstreet clients are left in limbo, many with huge losses in their accounts.

As reported earlier this week, Brookstreet Securities Corp, based in Irvine, California, told its agents that “disaster” had struck and it was in eminent danger of folding. The e-mail communication (previously posted on this site) claimed this was as a result of mark-downs on collateralized mortgage obligation securities (CMOs) by Fidelity’s National Financial Services (NFS), which cleared trades and maintained accounts for Brookstreet.

Some of Brookstreet’s clients report that their accounts continued to fall in value this week. Yet, if they attempted to do anything NFS told them they must to talk to their (Brookstreet) broker, but their broker was not answering the phone. Meanwhile, Some of these clients’ margin accounts slipped into the “red”, meaning not only have these investors’ funds disappeared but NFS now claims the investors owe it money!

Will Brookstreet Securities Be Wiped Out by a CMO Debacle?

Published on: June 21, 2007 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Claims are being filed and steps are being taken toward a class action to assist investors recover their losses after Brookstreet Securities reportedly advised its 500 brokers via E-mail that “disaster” had struck which could soon close the firm! Text of the firm’s internal e-mail is as follows:

“Disaster, the firm may be forced to close…

“Today, the pricing system used by National Financial has reduced values in all Collateralized Mortgage Obligations. Many of those accounts were on margin and have suffered horrendous markdowns and unrealized as well as realized losses.