Long time readers of this blog know that we have previously reported that brokerage firms have increasingly recommended that retail investors invest heavily in various types of oil & gas investments including private placements, master limited partnerships (MLPs), leveraged ETFs, mutual funds, and even individual stocks. See Overconcentrated in Oil…
The investor advocacy bar association PIABA (the Public Investors Arbitration Bar Association) has recently issued a report called “Major Investor Losses Due to Conflicted Advice: Brokerage Industry Advertising Creates the Illusion of Fiduciary Duty.” The PIABA report argues that the brokerage industry uses false advertising to convey to investors that…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) sanctioned three firms, H. Beck, Inc. (H. Beck), LaSalle St. Securities, LLC (LaSalle), and J.P. Turner & Company, LLC (JP Turner) – with fines of $425,000, $175,000 and $100,000, respectively concerning inadequate supervision of consolidated reports provided to customers. As a background, a consolidated…
The attorneys of Gana Weinstein LLP are investigating a series of actions by the Connecticut Department of Banking (the Commissioner) involving James Neilsen (Neilsen), Neilsen Financial Services (NFS), Ulysses Partners, LLC (Ulysses), and Catherine Sheridan (Sheridan) and allegations that Neilsen sold over $10,000,000 in unregistered securities offerings to customers. The…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) fined and suspended broker Douglas Dannhardt (Dannhardt) concerning allegations that between January 2010, and December 2011 Dannhardt engaged in several different violations of the industry’s rules including: 1( excessive and unsuitable trading in three IRA accounts (also known as churning); 2) improperly exercising discretion…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has filed a complaint against broker Vito Balsamo (Balsamo) concerning allegations that Balsamo engaged in private securities transactions – also known as “selling away” – in ownership interests in a limited liability company called V.W. Industries, LLC (VWI) without first receiving written approval from…
According to the BrokerCheck records kept by Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Brian Decker (Decker) has been the subject of at least 10 customer complaints and 2 judgments and liens over the course of his career. Customers have filed complaints against Decker alleging a litany of securities law violations…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently sanctioned and barred broker Paul Godlewski (Godlewski) concerning allegations Godlewski refused cooperate with requests made by FINRA in connection with an investigation into possible outside business activities. Such activities may, under certain circumstances also involve investment transactions referred to as “selling away” in…
The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP continue to report on investment losses suffered by investors in oil and gas investments that brokerage firms have increasingly recommended to retail investors in recent years. These investments include private placements, master limited partnerships (MLPs), leveraged ETFs, mutual funds, and even individual stocks.…
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in an acceptance, waiver, and consent action (AWC) Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC (Wells Fargo) broker Joseph DiRago Jr. (DiRago) concerning allegations that between June 2011, and October 2012, while registered with Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (Morgan Stanley), DiRago effected transactions exercising discretion without…