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Broker David Kangas in Wealthforge Securities, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker David Kangas (Kangas), currently associated with Wealthforge Securities, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Kangas recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on October 21, 2025.

From investment activity in September 2021, claimant alleges fraud, lack of suitability, misrepresentations/omissions, negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of contract

Financial Advisors providing advice to retail investors are required to adhere to the SEC’s Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI).  Reg BI applies a ‘best interest’ standard for broker-dealers and their associated people. This standard applies when a registered representative is providing investment advice through making recommendations customers and covers securities transaction, investment strategies, and recommendations concerning advice on opening of an account or accounts. This standard applies when a registered representative is providing investment advice through making recommendations customers and covers securities transaction, investment strategies, and recommendations concerning advice on opening of an account or accounts.

The care obligation also requires the broker to address the client’s specific needs through obtaining specific investment profile information on the client.  The associated person typically will ask the customer for information such as the investor’s risk tolerance or ability to withstand account value declines or increases; experience with investments available; investment objectives and goals; investment time horizon; liquidity needs; assets such as investment accounts held at other financial institutions; tax information; their age and retirement plans; and other information that a customer may want to provide to the advisor to help them to properly address the services needed. The SEC has stated that Reg BI is drawn from fiduciary principles that are common to both brokers and investment advisors including an obligation to act in the investor’s best interest and prohibiting an advisor from placing their own interests ahead of the investor’s. There are different sub-parts of the Reg BI rule that financial professionals must comply with when providing advice.  Among those is the duty of care obligation that mandates associated persons to evaluate investment options, review and be knowledgeable the risks and rewards of the investment or service, compare alternative investment products, and ensure that the overall investment strategy aligns with the client’s goals and is in their best interests.

Next, the broker must understand the investor’s investment background and profile.  A customer’s profile includes information that describes the investor’s financial situation and needs.  Information here will include their outside securities accounts and investments; relevant assets and debts; tax bracket; age; liquidity needs; risk tolerance; investment time horizon; experience with investing; investment objectives; and any other relevant information that the investor may choose to disclose pertinent to their situation. Finally, the advisor must use their knowledge of the first two elements to consider reasonably available investment option alternatives and come to the conclusion that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the recommendation or advice being provided is in the retail investor’s best interest. Finally, an advisor must also analyze the specific account features offered and determine whether their client can benefit from them in order to meet their care obligations.  While securities and investments come with costs that must be considered, the type of securities account also has changes the cost equation for the investor and can change the retail customers’ future investment returns.  The associated person must consider the different types of securities accounts for their client and determine whether or not the cost or features are reasonably needed for the client or if the customer’s current account costs and features are superior to solutions available to the advisor.  In any event, the type of account and services recommended must be in the investor’s best interest.

Kangas entered the securities industry in 2016. Kangas has been registered as a Broker with Wealthforge Securities, LLC since 2019.

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.

 

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