Articles Posted in Alternative Investment

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Currently financial advisor Ethan Collins (Collins), currently employed by brokerage firm Hightower Securities, LLC has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements.  The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $50,000.00 on December 02, 2020.

Ethan Collins is not a respondent in this arbitration. He is identified as a relevant non-party in a FINRA arbitration alleging certain sales practice violations, including a violation of suitability obligations, in connection with a private placement investment made on or around March of 2017.

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Currently financial advisor William Faivus (Faivus), currently employed by brokerage firm World Equity Group, INC. has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements.  The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $150,000.00 on December 02, 2020.

Alleging unsuitable transactions in re: the purchase of certain REITs between November 2013 and June 2014

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Currently financial advisor Robert Patti (Patti), currently employed by brokerage firm LPL Financial LLC has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements.  The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $250,000.00 on November 27, 2020.

Products under DDPs include non-traded REITs, oil and gas offerings, equipment leasing investments, and a range of other alternative financial instruments. With high fees and costs, these alternative investments are usually inappropriate for investors and rarely provide meaningful returns. Brokers selling these products are paid additional commission in order to hype these inferior quality investments providing a perverse incentives to create an artificial market for the investments.

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Previously financial advisor Jay Riggs (Riggs), previously employed by brokerage firm Emerson Equity LLC has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements.  The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $1,000,000.00 on December 15, 2020.

Claimant alleges that Mr. Riggs recommended private placements and Non-Traded REITs that were not suitable.

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Currently financial advisor William Wolf (Wolf), currently employed by brokerage firm Hightower Securities, LLC has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements.  The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $50,000.00 on December 02, 2020.

William Wolf  is not a respondent in this arbitration. He is identified as a relevant non-party in a FINRA arbitration alleging certain sales practice violations, including a violation of suitability obligations, in connection with a private placement investment made on or around March of 2017.

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Currently financial advisor Nicholas Rhode (Rhode), currently employed by brokerage firm Baker Tilly Capital, LLC has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements.  The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $200,000.00 on October 06, 2025.

The claimant invested in a private placement 12/30/2020 and now claims that the firm failed to perform adequate due diligence of the private placement.

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Previously financial advisor Tracey Nguyen (Nguyen), previously employed by brokerage firm Baker Tilly Capital, LLC has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements.  The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $200,000.00 on October 06, 2025.

The claimant invested in a private placement 12/30/2020 and now claims that the firm failed to perform adequate due diligence of the private placement.

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Currently financial advisor Donna Timmerman (Timmerman), currently employed by brokerage firm Equitable Advisors, LLC has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements.  The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $5,000.00 on March 04, 2026.

Client alleges unsuitability and misrepresentation by the RR in connection with REITs purchased in 2017 and 2019.

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Currently financial advisor Robert Reese (Reese), currently employed by brokerage firm Innovation Partners LLC has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements.  The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $500,000.00 on March 08, 2026.

Client alleges Mr. Reese invested client’s funds in illiquid, private placements. Reese misrepresented the alternative investments incorporated less risk than the securities markets. These investments were concentrated in life insurance and real estate.

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Currently financial advisor Kenneth Kohn (Kohn), currently employed by brokerage firm Equitable Advisors, LLC has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. According to a BrokerCheck reports most of the recent customer complaints concern either corporate debt securities or alternative investments such as direct participation products (DPPs) like business development companies (BDCs), non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs), oil & gas programs, annuities, and private placements.  The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have represented hundreds of investors who suffered losses caused by these types of high risk, low reward products.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $5,000.00 on March 04, 2026.

Client alleges unsuitability and misrepresentation by the RR in connection with REITs purchased in 2017 and 2019.

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