Securities Lawyers Blog
According to BrokerCheck records financial advisor Peter Bittermann (Bittermann), currently employed by Westminster Financial Securities, Inc. (Westminster Financial) has been subject to three customer complaints, one employment termination for cause, and one regulatory action. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), most of Bittermann’s customer complaints allege that Bittermann made unsuitable recommendations.
In July 2018 the Wisconsin Division of Securities alleged that Bittermann was delinquent on certain taxes causing his registration to be revoked.
In February 2011 RBC Capital Markets Corporation, LLC (RBC) terminated Bittermann over allegations that he sold a security without prior verbal knowledge and consent by the client.
In August 2009 a client complained that Bittermann misrepresented the risks of an investment and it was unsuitable causing $1,619,634 in damages. The claim was settled for $750,000.
Brokers are required under the securities laws to treat their clients fairly. This obligation includes the duties to disclose material risks of the investments they recommend and to present products, particularly complex or confusing products, in a fair and balanced manner that allows the client to evaluate the recommendation. Another important obligation advisors have is to make only suitable recommendations for investments to the client. There are many investments that are not appropriate for the majority of investors or for certain investors given their risk tolerance, age, and other factors. Advisors should not present these investment options to clients. There are two screens that advisors must employ to determine whether an investment is suitable for a client. First, there must be a reasonable basis for the recommendation – meaning that the product has been investigated and due diligence conducted into the investment’s features, benefits, risks, and other relevant factors. The advisor must conclude that the investment is suitable for at least some investors and some securities may be suitable for no one. Second, the broker then must match the investment as being appropriate for the customer’s specific investment needs and objectives such as the client’s retirement status, long or short term goals, age, disability, income needs, or any other relevant factor.
According to newsources, a study revealed that 7.3% of financial advisors had a customer complaint on their record when records from 2005 to 2015 were examined. Brokers must publicly disclose reportable events on their BrokerCheck reports that include customer complaints, IRS tax liens, judgments, investigations, terminations, and criminal cases. In addition, research has show a disturbing pattern with troublesome brokers where brokers with high numbers of customer complaints are not kicked out of the industry but instead these brokers are sifted to lower quality brokerage firms with loose hiring practices and higher rates of customer complaints. These lower quality firms may average brokers with five times as many complaints as the industry average.
Bittermann entered the securities industry in 2000. From July 2006 until February 2011 Bittermann was registered with RBC. Since March 2011 Bittermann has been registered with Westminster Financial out of the firm’s Dayton, Ohio office location.
Investors who have suffered losses are encouraged to contact us at (800) 810-4262 for consultation. At Gana Weinstein LLP, our attorneys are experienced representing investors who have suffered securities losses due to the mishandling of their accounts. Claims may be brought in securities arbitration before FINRA. Our consultations are free of charge and the firm is only compensated if you recover.