Securities Lawyers Blog
According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Anthony Megaro (Megaro), currently associated with Nationwide Planning Associates INC., has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory event, alleging that Megaro recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.
FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on October 27, 2025.
The RR entered into a Stipulation with the New York State Department of Financial Services for failure to comply with Guardian Life’s policies and procedures related to document integrity and authenticity.
FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $375,000.00 on December 22, 2021.
Plaintiffs allege they were unaware that defendant, [REDACTED], was added as a beneficiary to their Mother’s IRA. Upon their mother’s passing in January 2021, they identified an IRA Beneficiary Designation Form dated and signed June 2, 2014, which listed each of the Plaintiffs and added the defendant as an equal beneficiary. Although the form is dated June 2, 2014, it was not submitted to the Firm until January 2021. Plaintiffs are questioning the authenticity of their mother’s signature on the form. In addition, Plaintiffs allege their names were forged on applications for Variable Deferred Annuities with Transamerica, and that said applications were submitted without their knowledge or consent.
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. Reg BI applies when brokers recommend a retail investor engage in securities transaction or an investment strategy involving one or more securities. Reg BI also applies to financial advice concerning the transfer of funds and opening 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.
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. 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.
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. 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. Brokerage firms and advisors must also understand the features and limitations of various account types as part of meeting Reg BI’s care obligations. Firms typically offer a variety of account options and services with different trading costs, services, such as account and activity monitoring. An advisor’s recommendation as to what type of securities account to open can alter the customers’ overall costs and investment returns. The advisor must determine that the client can benefit from the type of account being recommended to be opened and in the investor’s best interest taking into account the costs, benefits, and needs of the client.
Megaro entered the securities industry in 1989. Megaro has been registered as a Broker with Nationwide Planning Associates INC. since 2022.
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.