Securities Lawyers Blog

Broker Michael Gerken in Thrivent Investment Management INC. Firm Has Customer Complaint

August 20, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Michael Gerken (Gerken), currently associated with Thrivent Investment Management INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Gerken 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 $8,538.80 on May 12, 2026.

Client alleged unauthorized Qualified Charitable Distributions occurred due to handwriting of corrected dollar amount initials and date on corrected form not matching that of the owner. Client named two RRs in allegations. Firm\\u2019s investigation concluded RR had no knowledge of this client at the time of distribution request, nor did RR know that date and initials had been placed on the corrected form. Alleged activity occurred months prior to RR\\u2019s affiliation with the client. RRs current affiliation with the client is due to RR\\u2019s purchase of practice from other RR named in the complaint months after the date of the allegations.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Stephen Franko in Firm Independence Capital Co., INC.

August 20, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Stephen Franko (Franko), currently associated with Independence Capital Co., INC., has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory event, alleging that Franko recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $200,000.00 on May 14, 2026.

A customer claimed purchased $200,000 in GWG L-Bonds. The customer claims that Independence Capital allowed the transaction which the customer claims was unsuitable, despite his having served as Vice President of a credit union. Mr. Franko is not named as a respondent but the customer named him as his registered rep.

Broker Mark Kemp in Mcnally Financial Services Corporation Firm Has Customer Complaint

August 20, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $500,000.00 on April 14, 2026.

In 2021, [REDACTED] invested $1.3 million from a whistleblower settlement with McNally and Mark Kemp managed the account. Mr. Kemp was aware that [REDACTED] had difficulty finding work after his whistleblower case and planned to use the invested funds to retire on. The complaint alleges that Mr. Kemp invested the funds in illiquid, high-risk, and highly complex investment products that it claims Mr. Kemp did not understand and a large portion of the invested funds were lost due to a decrease in value of the investments.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Donna Crocker in Firm LPL Financial LLC

August 20, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $325,000.00 on May 15, 2026.

03/01/2023-03/02/2026 – Clients (non-LPL) allege that their advisor failed to update their accounts investment holdings to align with the risk tolerance agreed upon by the clients. Accordingly, the clients allege they are owed $325,000 in opportunity costs.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker James Whitson in Firm Emerson Equity LLC

August 20, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on April 30, 2026.

Breach of contract; negligence; negligent misrepresentation; fraud; breach of fiduciary duty; violations of California Corporations Code; violations of the Securities Exchange Act; violations of the California unfair competition law. Trades placed between 2016 and 2017

Broker Timothy Sherer in Emerson Equity LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

August 20, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $10,000,000.00 on May 19, 2026.

Compensatory damages, breach of written contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence and gross negligence, misrepresentations and omissions, violation of FINRA Rules, violation of California Securities Act and federal securities laws and violation of Regulation Best Interest Obligations. Investments purchased between 2018 and 2023\,

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Roger Ingwersen in Firm Aw Securities

August 20, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Roger Ingwersen (Ingwersen), currently associated with Aw Securities, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Ingwersen 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 $334,936.00 on May 14, 2026.

The customer alleges that respondents The Harvest Group Wealth Management, LLC, Roger H. Ingwersen, Laurie Ingwersen and Todd Ingwersen collectively engaged in unsuitable investment practices, misrepresentations, and failed to act on client instructions, resulting in avoidable losses. The respondents each deny all wrongdoing, and maintain that all actions were consistent with the clients' instructions and risk profiles, and attributes losses to market conditions rather than mismanagement. Customer dispute was resolved on May 7, 2026 via settlement. Respondents deny all allegations and did not admit liability. No findings were made by any regulatory body or arbitration panel.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker J Alexander in Firm Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC

August 20, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $5,000.00 on May 19, 2026.

The client alleged the advisor misrepresented, in September 2017 at the time of sale, how an annuity balance would behave upon the client beginning to take withdrawals from the annuity.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Ehud Gersten in Firm Concorde Investment Services, LLC

August 19, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $10,000,000.00 on May 19, 2026.

Compensatory damages, breach of written contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence and gross negligence, misrepresentations and omissions, violation of FINRA Rules, violation of California Securities Act and federal securities laws and violation of Regulation Best Interest Obligations. Investments purchased in 2022\,

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Alberto Leyba in Firm J.P. Morgan Securities LLC

August 19, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint with a damage request of $59,621.22 on May 27, 2026.

Customer alleges unsuitable recommendation and misrepresentation regarding a variable annuity. Activity dates 1/13/25\\u20131/28/25.\,