[Post updated March 2021] When this post was first written in 2011, Ameriprise had just released its annual report, which showed its securities broker dealer subsidiary, Securities America, was hemorrhaging cash. Securities America’s capital had dropped by a whopping 86% in just one year as the company defended itself against investor lawsuits. The company’s actual […]
Bad Day for Wedbush Securities – Stockbroker Fraud Post
We first began writing about Wedbush Securities in 2011. Back then, a headline indicating that Wedbush was ordered to pay $3.5 million to one of its own former employees. The amount alone was enough to warrant some investigation. It turns out that Wedbush has a long and sordid history with regulators. One that continues through […]
Wells Fargo Pays Millions To Settle Elder Fraud Allegations
Wells Fargo Advisors has repeatedly been caught pushing unsuitable investments on their clients. One would think that after all the scandals that have engulfed the beleaguered bank, senior management would start taking their customers more seriously. Our first post on Wells Fargo selling unsuitable investments was in 2011. It’s now 2021 and we are still […]
JPMorgan Securities Fined for Unsuitable Investments, Misconduct
JP Morgan Securities – Big Doesn’t Mean Better JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the United States and the 7th largest in the world. With assets of $2.86 trillion, it certainly is big. It also claims to be one of the oldest financial institutions in the country. But that doesn’t mean its brokerage arm […]
Can David Lerner Associates Survive?
My first encounter with David Lerner Associates came in July 2011. That month I spoke with a pleasant woman who had invested heavily with a David Lerner Associates broker in an Apple REIT (real estate investment trust). She was calling for advice on whether she accept their offer to buy back her REIT investment. “At […]
NASAA Takes Aim At REIT Sales
The North American Securities Administrators Association has once again taken aim at REIT sales practices. According to the Wall Street Journal, the group wants to push legislation that would limit the percentage of an individual ‘s net worth that could be invested in nontraded REITs. The REIT concentration limit proposal “would add a uniform concentration […]
Morgan Stanley Loses $4.5mm Stockbroker Fraud Arbitration
Morgan Stanley & Co. suffered a $4.5 million arbitration loss before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) after a customer complained that the brokerage firm had committed fraud. The customer, Banamex, claimed Morgan Stanley improperly pledged the assets of a wealthy family. Banamex acted as the family’s trustee. The family’s trust claimed the trustee never […]
Massachusetts Targets REITs… Again
We have written many posts about REITs – Real Estate Investment Trusts. They can be great investments but many have liquidity problems. Stockbrokers often recommend them to the wrong customers as well. In May, Massachusetts Secretary of State William Gavin announced that five brokerage firms had agreed to pay restitution of $6.1 million to settle […]
Securities America Fined For Improper Supervision – Stockbroker Fraud Post
Securities America is a large broker dealer headquartered in La Vista Nebraska. Licensed in all 50 states and in business for over 3 decades, the firm is well established in the industry. Lately, however, it has attracted some negative attention for its business practices. Some say the company has allowed or ignored fraud by some […]
Stockbroker Fraud – Another Broker Dealer In Dire Straits
Stockbroker fraud is a hot topic these days. Thousands of investors make claims each year about investment scams and Ponzi schemes. In many cases, when the dust settles, the only “deep pocket” is the brokerage firm that facilitated the sale of the investment. Other times, registered reps simply don’t take the time to know their […]
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