Arete Wealth Management

Broker Kenneth New in Arete Wealth Management, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

March 8, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on November 18, 2024.

Clients allege sale of unsuitable investments.

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Brittani Schaefer in Firm Arete Wealth Management, LLC

March 5, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Brittani Schaefer (Schaefer), previously associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include 2 customer complaints, alleging that Schaefer 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 $1,200,000.00 on January 30, 2025.

Unsuitable recommendations

Broker Kenneth New in Arete Wealth Management, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

February 26, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on November 18, 2024.

Clients allege sale of unsuitable investments.

Broker Micah Rayner in Arete Wealth Management, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

February 23, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Micah Rayner (Rayner), currently associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least 12 disclosable events. These events include 12 customer complaints, alleging that Rayner 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 $100,000.00 on December 02, 2024.

Client alleges unsuitable investment recommendation.

Broker Jason Lamb in Arete Wealth Management, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

February 23, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Jason Lamb (Lamb), currently associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least 10 disclosable events. These events include 10 customer complaints, alleging that Lamb 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 $100,000.00 on December 02, 2024.

Client alleges unsuitable investment recommendation.

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

February 23, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Michael Romano (Romano), previously associated with Arete Wealth Management, LLC, has at least 16 disclosable events. These events include 16 customer complaints, alleging that Romano 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 $100,000.00 on December 02, 2024.

Client alleges unsuitable investment recommendation.

Broker Unbo Chung in Arete Wealth Management, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

February 14, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP are currently investigating claims that Broker Unbo Chung (Chung) has been accused by investors of engaging in fraudulent misappropriation of their funds. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), it appears that Chung was employed by Arete Wealth Management, LLC at the time of the activity. If you have been a victim of Chung’s alleged misconduct our firm may be able to assist you in recovering funds.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on January 17, 2025.

The controversy pertains to releases the SEC feels are misleading. These releases were not created, approved or disseminated by me or the firm.

Broker Jeffrey Larson in Arete Wealth Management, LLC Firm Has Customer Complaint

February 14, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

The law offices of Gana Weinstein LLP are currently investigating claims that Broker Jeffrey Larson (Larson) has been accused by investors of engaging in fraudulent misappropriation of their funds. According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), it appears that Larson was employed by Arete Wealth Management, LLC at the time of the activity. If you have been a victim of Larson’s alleged misconduct our firm may be able to assist you in recovering funds.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on January 17, 2025.

Jeff Larson violated Exchange Act Sections 15(a) and 10(b) [15 U.S.C, 78o(a) and 78j(b)] and Rule 10b-5 thereunder [17 C.F.R. 275.10b-5]; violated Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 (‘Securities Act’) [15 U.S.C. 77q(a)]; violated Advisers Act Sections 206(1) and 206(2) [15, U.S.C. 80b-6(1) and 80b-6(2)] or, in the alternative, aided and abetted, Arete Advisors’ violations of Advisers Act Sections 206(1) and 206(2) [15 U.S.C. 80b-6(1) and 80b-6(2)]; and aided and abetted Arete Wealth’s violations of Exchange Act Section 17(a) [15 U.S.C. 78q(a)] and Rule 17a-4, thereunder [17 C.F.R. 240.17a-4].

There are Recent Customer Complaints with Broker Unbo Chung in Firm Arete Wealth Management, LLC

February 4, 2025 | by Staff Attorney

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on November 18, 2024.

Clients allege sale of unsuitable investments.

Alvery Bartlett Subject to Multiple Customer Complaints Over Alternative Investments

June 16, 2018 | by Staff Attorney

Current Arete Wealth Management, LLC (Arete Wealth) broker Alvery Bartlett (Bartlett) has been subject to three customer complaints. According to a BrokerCheck report many of the complaints concern alternative investments, private placements, and direct participation products (DPPs) such as non-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs) and oil and gas programs. The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP have extensive experience handling investor losses caused by these types of products.

In March 2018 a customer filed a complaint alleging that the investments purchased between 2003 and 2011 were unsuitable and were misrepresented to him. The client also alleged that the firm failed to conduct adequate due diligence on the investments and failed to supervise the representative. The claim is currently pending and alleges damages of $6,637,918.

Our firm often handles cases involving direct participation products, Non-Traded REITs, oil and gas offerings, equipment leasing products, and other alternative investments. These products are almost always unsuitable for investors. In addition, the brokers who sell them are paid additional commission in order to hype inferior quality investments which provides a perverse incentives by brokers to create an artificial market for products that no honest advisor would sell.