Securities Lawyers Blog

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Jay Geaslen in Firm Avantax Investment Services, Inc.

March 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

Currently financial advisor Jay Geaslen (Geaslen), currently employed by brokerage firm Avantax Investment Services, Inc. has been subject to at least 3 disclosable events. These events include 2 customer complaints, one regulatory. 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 September 30, 2024.

Claimants allege that they were recommended unsuitable investments, including leveraged structed notes and a non-traded REIT, and sustained losses as a result.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Ted Kirkpatrick in Firm Larson Financial Securities, LLC

March 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on September 27, 2024.

Customer alleges they believed they were purchasing a life insurance policy with a long-term care rider in March of 2017. However, after review in 2024, they learned that their policy did not have a long-term care rider. They are now seven years older and do not believe they will be able to afford the higher premiums. They are asking Edward Jones “to take responsibility for this”.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Donald Hancock in Firm Moloney Securities Co., Inc.

March 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Donald Hancock (Hancock), currently associated with Moloney Securities Co., Inc., has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory, alleging that Hancock 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 $359,325.61 on September 30, 2024.

Suitability/negligence. 2021

Broker Philip Benedict in LPL Financial LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

March 16, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on September 26, 2024.

Customer alleges representative failed to follow instructions regarding annuitization of his accounts. Time period: 2017-2023.

Broker Andrew Andreotta in Park Avenue Securities LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

March 15, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Andrew Andreotta (Andreotta), currently associated with Park Avenue Securities LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Andreotta 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 $50,000.00 on October 01, 2024.

Claimants allege funds from their securities account were used to pay the premiums on a fixed life insurance policy based on the RRs recommendation. Claimants allege the insurance policy was unsuitable and not represented properly.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Jason Kimber in Firm J.w. Cole Financial, Inc.

March 15, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Jason Kimber (Kimber), currently associated with J.w. Cole Financial, Inc., has at least 6 disclosable events. These events include 6 customer complaints, alleging that Kimber 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 $1,000,000.00 on October 03, 2024.

Customers allege that the Firm failed to detect an alleged fraud operated by a now deceased representative away from the Firm. The deceased representative, that is the subject of the complaint, was with the Firm for less than two months and Customers’ alleged purchases of the investments at issue occurred at various times while he was affiliated with differing firms. Customers allege that the Registered Representative was involved in the activities that occurred away from the Firm.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Kuldeep Madan in Firm MML Investors Services, LLC

March 15, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Kuldeep Madan (Madan), currently associated with MML Investors Services, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Madan 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 $1,000,000.00 on October 02, 2024.

The Plaintiffs allege that, beginning in 2022, the producer acted in concert with the Firm to induce the Plaintiffs into purchasing life insurance policies with death benefits exceeding seventeen million dollars by making misrepresentations regarding the risks and benefits of these policies and the associated premium financing. It is further alleged that this included the opening of an investment portfolio account to serve as collateral for the premium financing, and resulted in financial harm to the Plaintiffs.

Broker Samuel Sutterfield in Centaurus Financial, Inc. Firm Has Customer Complaint

March 15, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Samuel Sutterfield (Sutterfield), currently associated with Centaurus Financial, Inc., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Sutterfield 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 $74,071.63 on October 01, 2024.

Registered Representative’s former Broker Dealer Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC alleges that, the Registered Representative has failed to pay the remaining amount owed under the Promissory Note.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Lei Shen in Firm Emerson Equity LLC

March 15, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Lei Shen (Shen), currently associated with Emerson Equity LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Shen 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 $440,000.00 on October 01, 2024.

Alleges investment not suitable

Broker Otto Bohon in Centaurus Financial, Inc. Firm Has Customer Complaint

March 15, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Otto Bohon (Bohon), previously associated with Centaurus Financial, Inc., has at least 3 disclosable events. These events include 3 customer complaints, alleging that Bohon recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on October 01, 2024.

The customer alleges that during the period of 2012-2020, the Registered Representative recommended and misrepresented unsuitable, complex, high-risk, and illiquid investments and breached his fiduciary duty.