Arete Wealth Management

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Ronan Cox in Firm Arete Wealth Management, LLC

May 20, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on March 05, 2026.

Client alleges, inter alia, that the recommendation to invest in an alternative investment fund was unsuitable 2008 damages unspecified

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Richard Brown in Firm Arete Wealth Management, LLC

May 15, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Richard Brown (Brown), currently associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Brown 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 $1,500,000.00 on March 24, 2026.

Customer alleges that in 2021 the registered representative was involved in the sale of premium-financed indexed universal life insurance policies. The customer claims the illustrations and projections provided were misleading and that certain risks were not adequately disclosed.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Shaun Stein in Firm Arete Wealth Management, LLC

May 12, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Shaun Stein (Stein), currently associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Stein 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 $94,246.40 on April 13, 2026.

Client alleges unsuitable investment.

Broker Raymond Lent in Arete Wealth Management, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

April 13, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Raymond Lent (Lent), currently associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Lent 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 $75,000.00 on November 14, 2025.

Claimants claim Mr. Lent improperly supervised or failed to establish, maintain, and enforce adequate supervisory and written compliance procedures and policies related to the operations of Respondent Portsmouth and its registered representatives and agents.

Broker Robert Fratesi in Arete Wealth Management, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

January 27, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Robert Fratesi (Fratesi), previously associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Fratesi 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 August 23, 2021.

Client alleges unsuitable investment recommendations in August 2016.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Michael Haffling in Firm Arete Wealth Management, LLC

January 24, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Michael Haffling (Haffling), previously associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least 7 disclosable events. These events include 7 customer complaints, alleging that Haffling 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 $730,000.00 on September 14, 2021.

SALE OF UNSUITABLE, ILLIQUID, HIGH-RISK AND HIGH COMMISSION INVESTMENTS TO CLAIMANTS IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL AND IRA ACCOUNTS.

Broker Michael Napolitano in Arete Wealth Management, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

January 16, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Michael Napolitano (Napolitano), currently associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Napolitano 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 $350,000.00 on November 29, 2021.

Misrepresentation and failure to conduct reasonable due diligence.

Broker Michael Dandrea in Arete Wealth Management, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

January 5, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Michael Dandrea (Dandrea), currently associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. Several of those complaints against Dandrea 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 $1,440,000.00 on November 05, 2025.

Claim of excessive trading

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Avi Bialo in Firm Arete Wealth Management, LLC

January 2, 2026 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Avi Bialo (Bialo), currently associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Bialo 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 $105,000.00 on November 25, 2025.

Client alleges registered representative recommended an unsuitable investment.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Lawrence Hardee in Firm Arete Wealth Management, LLC

December 27, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Lawrence Hardee (Hardee), currently associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Hardee 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 $430,000.00 on January 13, 2022.

Unsuitable, high risk , illiquid. Failed to do reasonable due diligence