Financial Firms

Chinese Retiree Pursues Up To $500K From Cetera Over PB Investment Holdings Losses

Published on: August 23, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Retiree Suffers Significant Losses in PB Investment Holdings on Recommendation of Cetera Financial Advisor

A Chinese national has filed a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration claim over losses she suffered after a Cetera Investment Services advisor unsuitably recommended and sold a PB Investment Holdings annuity to her.

The Bermuda-based off-shore investment (affiliated with Northstar Bermuda) was touted as safe and low risk. That entity is in liquidation and has caused this claimant, who is a retiree, significant losses. She is now seeking six figures in damages from Cetera Financial.

Ex-SagePoint Financial Broker Grant Birkley Faces $2.3M of Investor Fraud Claims

Published on: August 20, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Barred SagePoint Financial Broker Accused of Selling Away

Grant Christopher Birkley, an ex-SagePoint Financial stockbroker, is named in two pending customer disputes. He is accused of selling investment products that were not approved by his firm.

SagePoint Financial fired him last August after he admitted to making referrals to an external manager without the broker-dealer’s approval. In June, FINRA barred Birkley indefinitely after he declined to provide documents and information related to the self-regulatory authority’s probe into his termination by SagePoint.

Customers of Ex-Aegis Capital Broker Scott Hananel Claim Investment Losses

Published on: August 19, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Former Melville, NJ Financial Advisor Has Been Named in Six Disputes

If you have suffered investment losses while working with ex-Aegis Capital stockbroker Scott Neil Hananel, contact Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm at investorlawyers.com) so that we can help you explore your legal options.

Hananel, who is no longer a registered financial advisor, has been named in six customer disputes over the years. A few of them are still pending. BrokerCheck notes the disputes on Hananel’s record:

$500K Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) Claim Brought Against Truist Investment Services by Venezuelan Investors

Published on: August 12, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Claimants are Older South American Investors Who Suffered Six-Figure Loss

Two investors have filed a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration claim against Truist Investment Services, Inc., which is the broker-dealer unit of SunTrust Investment Services. The claimants, who are related, are seeking up to $500K plus interest and costs after they suffered investment losses in Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda). A panel of arbitrators will hear their case in Boca Raton, Florida.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm at investorlawyers.com) is representing these South American investors in fighting to recover their losses sustained after their Truist broker unsuitably recommended and sold Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) products to them. If you too suffered similar losses, contact us today.

Inappropriate COVID-19 Loan Applications Led To FINRA Sanctions for Brokers From Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan Securities, and Merrill Lynch

Published on: August 9, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

COVID Relief Loans Involved Undisclosed Business Outside Their Brokerage Firms

According to InvestmentNews, ex-J.P. Morgan Securities broker Gloria Willis, former Merrill Lynch stockbroker Evelyn Batista, and ex-Wells Fargo financial advisor Kenric Sexton have either been barred or suspended from the securities industry.

These Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctions were imposed after the self-regulatory organization (SRO) found that all three of them either inappropriately or incorrectly applied for federal COVID-relief loan programs geared towards small businesses in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Another Ex-Worden Capital Management Broker, Joseph Todaro, is Accused of Excessive Trading

Published on: August 2, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Ex-Worden Capital Management Broker’s Customer is Seeking Over $200K in Damages

Joseph Paul Todaro, currently an SW Financial registered representative, is named in a customer dispute in which the claimant is reporting investment losses from excessive trading, failure to follow instructions, and poor services. The investor is seeking over $200K.

This is not the first customer of the Melville, New York-based broker to accuse Todaro of excessive trading. As a matter of fact, three other claims brought by his customers make similar allegations. Also, from 2018 to 2020, Todaro was a registered representative with Worden Capital Management, which last year was subject of a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) action related to the churning activities of its brokers.

Florida Retiree Files $500K REIT Arbitration Case Against Securities America

Published on: July 28, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Broker Alan Douglass Unsuitably Overconcentrated Investor’s Funds in Non-Publicly Traded Products

An investor based in Lutz, Florida has filed a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration claim against Securities America. This investor suffered losses in real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other non-publicly traded investments. The claimant, who is a retiree, suffered up to $500K in investment losses, which he is seeking in damages.

Securities America broker, Alan Duane Douglass, was this claimant’s financial advisor. He not only unsuitably recommended private placements and real estate investment trusts (REITs) to this customer but also, overconcentrated the customer’s portfolio with these risky investments.

South American Retirees File $5M Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) Investor Claim Against Raymond James & Associates

Published on: July 27, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Older Couple’s Broker Overconcentrated More Than $2.2M of Their Funds in Now Defunct Investment

An older retired couple from South America is pursuing a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration claim against Raymond James & Associates, Inc. after they suffered a seven-figure loss in Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda). Now, the senior investors are seeking up to $5M in damages, along with interest and costs.

Our Northstar (Bermuda) arbitration attorneys at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm at investorlawyers.com) are representing these South American nationals in their FINRA arbitration claim that they filed against this US-based broker-dealer. A panel of arbitrators will hear this investor case in Boca Raton, Florida.

UBS Financial Services Settles SEC Charges Over Exchange-Traded Products Compliance Lapses for $8M

Published on: July 26, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Customers Were Allegedly Unsuitably Sold Complex Exchange-Traded Products

UBS Financial Services (UBS) has agreed to a censure and will pay an $8M fine in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) civil case accusing the brokerage firm of failing to properly supervise its brokers.

UBS financial advisors sold complex exchange-traded products (ETPs) without fully comprehending all of the risks involved. The SEC has also ordered the firm to pay disgorgement plus interest of almost $113K.

NEXT Financial Group Reaches $750K Settlement Over Allegedly Unsuitable Short-Term Trading of Puerto Rico Bonds and Class A Mutual Funds

Published on: July 23, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Texas-Based Brokerage Firm Accused of Overconcentration & Supervisory Failures

NEXT Financial Group has arrived at a $750K settlement with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) to resolve claims that the Texas-based broker-dealer overconcentrated customer accounts in Puerto Rico municipal bonds and did not have the kind of supervisory system that could have identified unsuitable trades.

The self-regulatory organization (SRO) also contends that from January 2012 to February 2019 NEXT Financial Group did not set up, maintain, or enforce supervisory systems and written procedures that could have identified and stopped the short-term trading of Puerto Rico bonds and mutual funds when they were unsuitable for customers.