Securities Lawyers Blog

Broker Stephen Sylvester in LPL Financial LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

June 17, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Stephen Sylvester (Sylvester), previously associated with LPL Financial LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Sylvester 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 $36,000.00 on January 12, 2021.

Customer brought forth a mediation claim alleging the RR did not take into consideration her liquidity concerns in general or properly illustrate a balanced view of asset classes through his use of a financial planning software program. The customer also alleges failure to complete a formal risk assessment and disregard for her social security concerns. The alleged activity occurred between the dates of January 2019 – November 2021.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Matthew Hyson in Firm Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC

June 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Matthew Hyson (Hyson), currently associated with Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Hyson 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 $10,000.00 on September 09, 2019.

The customer alleges misrepresentation from October 2018 until September 2019.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Adam Beck in Firm Royal Alliance Associates, INC.

June 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Adam Beck (Beck), previously associated with Royal Alliance Associates, INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Beck 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 $500,000.00 on September 09, 2019.

Client alleges that the exchange of a variable universal life policy to a variable annuity was unsuitable.

Broker Robert Dunbar in MML Investors Services, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

June 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Robert Dunbar (Dunbar), previously associated with MML Investors Services, LLC, has at least 4 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, 3 regulatory events, alleging that Dunbar 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 $2,528,328.00 on June 10, 2020.

Customer alleges that RR Dunbar misrepresented and/or omitted material facts relating to the sale of a life insurance policy.

Broker Dennis Ayre in Hilltop Securities INC. Firm Has Customer Complaint

June 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Dennis Ayre (Ayre), previously associated with Hilltop Securities INC., has at least 13 disclosable events. These events include 11 customer complaints, 2 regulatory events, alleging that Ayre recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on June 12, 2023.

Respondent Ayre failed to comply with an arbitration award or settlement agreement or to satisfactorily respond to a FINRA request to provide information concerning the status of compliance.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Johnny Ceballos in Firm LPL Financial LLC

June 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Johnny Ceballos (Ceballos), currently associated with LPL Financial LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Ceballos 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 $284,942.00 on September 09, 2020.

CUSTOMER ALLEGES UNSUITABILITY IN DISCRETIONARY ADVISORY ACCOUNT. TIME PERIOD: 7/2017-9/2020

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Patrick Sizemore in Firm Vanguard Marketing Corporation

June 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Patrick Sizemore (Sizemore), previously associated with Vanguard Marketing Corporation, has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include 2 customer complaints, alleging that Sizemore recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint on January 11, 2023.

Client alleges that the advisor did not follow her instructions to convert her Traditional IRA to her Roth IRA for tax year 2023. The conversion took place in tax year 2022 which caused the client to be placed in a higher tax bracket and resulted in additional IRS tax liabilities. The activity dates leading to the allegation were December 28, 2022, through December 30, 2022.

Broker Erik Larsen in Cetera Investment Services LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

June 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Erik Larsen (Larsen), currently associated with Cetera Investment Services LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Larsen 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 $182,000.00 on September 09, 2020.

CLAIMANT ALLEGES UNSUITABLE INVESTMENT RECOMMENDATIONS.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Jose Garcia Talavera in Firm UBS Financial Services Incorporated of Puerto Rico

June 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Jose Garcia Talavera (Garcia Talavera), previously associated with UBS Financial Services Incorporated of Puerto Rico, has at least 49 disclosable events. These events include 49 customer complaints, alleging that Garcia Talavera recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint on January 20, 2020.

Time frame: Unspecified\<char_lb_r>\, \<char_lb_r>\, Allegations: Claimants allege their investments in Puerto Rico closed-end funds were unsuitable, over-concentrated, and misrepresented as safe investments.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Shlomo Strugano in Firm First Allied Securities, INC.

June 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Shlomo Strugano (Strugano), previously associated with First Allied Securities, INC., has at least 5 disclosable events. These events include 4 customer complaints, one regulatory event, alleging that Strugano 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 $750,000.00 on June 17, 2020.

Claimant alleges former financial adviser recommended unsuitable alternative investments and misappropriated money through an outside power of attorney entity. Claimant’s alleges unsuitability, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, misrepresentation and elder abuse.