Securities Lawyers Blog

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Mark Smith in Firm Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc

December 3, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Mark Smith (Smith), previously associated with Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc, has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory event, alleging that Smith recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $72,000.00 on March 22, 2022.

Claimants allege that representative approached her them about the potential to invest in a crypto deal. Claimants invested $77000 and was supposed to receive her funds back from rep by Feb 22, 2021. Claimants have only been able to retrieve $5,000 of their funds back from the representative.

Broker Frank Robertazzi in Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated Firm Has Customer Complaint

December 3, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Frank Robertazzi (Robertazzi), currently associated with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Robertazzi recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $6,000.00 on March 19, 2022.

The customer alleges misrepresentation and omission of material facts regarding a preferred stock purchase in January of 2022. The customer also alleges that the advisor did not have his best interest when recommending the preferred stocks.

Broker Brian Thomas in Cetera Advisors LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

December 3, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $14,000.00 on March 21, 2022.

Claimant alleges they were recommended unsuitable investments.

Broker Alejandro Rodriguez in J.P. Morgan Securities LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

December 3, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on March 21, 2022.

Claimant alleges misrepresentation and suitability regarding offshore annuity investment. Activity dates 08.08.07 – 05.05.17.

Broker Matthew Divirgilio in Cetera Advisors LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

December 3, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $14,000.00 on March 21, 2022.

Claimant alleges they were recommended unsuitable investments.

Broker Peter Malone in Spartan Capital Securities, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

December 3, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Peter Malone (Malone), currently associated with Spartan Capital Securities, LLC, has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. Several of those complaints against Malone concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $1,303,704.71 on March 21, 2022.

Churning, excessive commissions, unauthorized trading, unsuitability, negligence, breach of contract, fraud

Broker Christopher Garcia in LPL Financial LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

December 3, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $14,705.13 on March 18, 2022.

Brokers are required to adhere to the SEC’s Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) standard of care under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 which establishes a ‘best interest’ standard for broker-dealers and associated persons. This Reg BI standard of care applies to registered representatives making recommendations to customers in the purchase, sale, or exchange of securities or the implementation of investment strategies involving securities and non-securities. The rule also applies to the handling of opening accounts such as account transfers and types of accounts being recommended to be opened. This Reg BI standard of care applies to registered representatives making recommendations to customers in the purchase, sale, or exchange of securities or the implementation of investment strategies involving securities and non-securities. The rule also applies to the handling of opening accounts such as account transfers and types of accounts being recommended to be opened.

Broker Janna Rosenberg in Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated Firm Has Customer Complaint

December 3, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Janna Rosenberg (Rosenberg), currently associated with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Rosenberg recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $6,000.00 on March 19, 2022.

The customer alleges misrepresentation and omission of material facts regarding a preferred stock purchase in January of 2022. The customer also alleges that the advisor did not have his best interest when recommending the preferred stocks.

Broker Melinda Hannah in Edward Jones Firm Has Customer Complaint

December 3, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $80,000.00 on March 22, 2022.

Client alleges he lost money after the financial advisor recommended moving funds from cash to bonds as a safe investment.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Kenneth Ilgner in Firm MML Investors Services, LLC

December 3, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint on March 22, 2022.

The complainant alleges that the rep misinformed him about the variable annuity that he purchased (in 2021), stating that the rep told him at the time of sale that there would be no tax consequences when replacing his whole life insurance policy with this variable annuity. However, the complainant states that he has since received a 1099, which indicates that taxes are owed. He states that he wouldn’t have agreed to this transaction had he known there would be taxes and he wants the transaction reversed.