According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Ryan Tarjanyi (Tarjanyi), previously associated with Trustmont Financial Group, INC., has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory event, alleging that Tarjanyi recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.
FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on March 05, 2021.
Without admitting or denying the findings, Tarjanyi consented to the sanction and to the entry of findings that he provided inaccurate information regarding a customer’s execution of an annuity partial withdrawal form during on-the-record testimony taken by FINRA after it opened an examination of his sales practices. The findings stated that at that time, Tarjanyi’s member firm had reported that customers complained about him, alleging, among other things, forgery and falsification of information on an insurance application and annuity withdrawal forms.
FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $2,890.00 on September 03, 2020.
On July 12, 2018 BLC received a written complaint alleging that the client did not sign up for a Limited Convalescent Care Policy with BLC in July 2017 and ask to have the policy cancelled. BLC did not categorize this as a complaint and canceled the policy pursuant to the policyholder’s request. A document was requested in the course of a FINRA Cause Exam relating to the financial representative who sold the BLC policy to the client. As part to BLC’s investigation of the complaint, it was discovered the check used to fund the Limited Convalescent Care Policy was endorsed by a different client and a separate check related to another client was also inaccurately endorsed. The Special Investigative Unit (SIU) of BLC did a independent review of possible forgery and determined that the signatures appearing on the checks were not consistent with the client’s signatures on file. SIU reported this as possible fraud to the Ohio Department of Insurance. BLC determined this matter should be categorized as a customer complaint. The Client’s paid premium plus interest was refunded on May 28, 2020 in the amount of $3056.00. Although the Limited Convalescent Care Policy is not a Security it is reported as possible forgery.
When your financial advisor is providing advice they must adhere to the SEC’s Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) rule and standard of care. Reg BI replaced the former “suitability” rule and created a ‘best interest’ standard for brokerage firms and registered representatives. This standard applies when brokers make recommendations to retail customer for any securities transaction or investment strategy involving securities, including recommendations of types of 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.
Another aspect of the care obligation is focusing on the client’s specific needs which brokers must reasonably understand through obtaining information for the client’s investment profile. In completing a customer’s investment profile the advisor should include information such as the investor’s investment time horizon; liquidity needs; risk tolerance; experience with various investment vehicles; investment objectives and financial goals; assets and debts including outside investment accounts; marital status; tax information; age; and other relevant information that may be individual to the investor that the advisor would need to know to properly render advice or provide services. Reg BI is drawn from fiduciary principles that include an obligation to act in the retail investor’s best interest and the broker is prohibited from placing their own interests ahead of the investor’s interest. Reg BI comes with different core obligations that brokers must comply with. There is the duty of care obligation requiring financial advisors to form a reasonable belief that their investment advice and recommendations are in the retail investor’s best interest among other duties. In order to do that the broker must evaluate the potential risks, rewards, and costs associated with a product, account type, or series of transactions being recommended.
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. 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. In addition to specific investments being recommended, under Reg BI, a broker must also understand the type of account that their client would need in order to meet their care obligations. The SEC has stated that the type of securities account an investor has can greatly affect a customers’ costs and overall investment returns. Further, different account types can offer and support different features, products, securities, or services, and account type would not be appropriately applied in a one size fits all manner.
Tarjanyi has been in the securities industry for more than 8 years. Tarjanyi has been registered as a Broker with Trustmont Financial Group, INC. since 2018.
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.