Articles Tagged with Center Street Securities

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker James Jones (Jones), previously associated with Center Street Securities, INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Jones 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 August 28, 2023.

Client alleges registered representative recommended an unsuitable investment.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Jeffrey Kennedy (Kennedy), previously associated with Center Street Securities, INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Kennedy 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 $99,999.00 on September 12, 2023.

Client alleges registered representative recommended and sold an unsuitable investment.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Seth Stewart (Stewart), previously associated with Center Street Securities, INC., has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include 2 customer complaints, alleging that Stewart 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 October 30, 2023.

Clients allege registered representative recommended an unsuitable investment.

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint on June 20, 2023.

Client alleges that that he was recommended unsuitable alternative investments.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Stephen Kiszlowski (Kiszlowski), previously associated with Center Street Securities, INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Kiszlowski 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 $60,200.00 on June 16, 2024.

GWG bond was no suitable for the customer

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Michael Corrada (Corrada), previously associated with Center Street Securities, Inc., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Corrada 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 January 23, 2025.

The claimant alleges unsuitable investments.

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on November 13, 2024.

The claimant alleges unsuitable investments.

shutterstock_113872627-300x300The attorneys at Gana Weinstein LLP are investigating BrokerCheck records reports that Seth Stewart, currently employed by Brookstone Financial and formerly employed by Center Street Securities, Inc. (Center Street), has been subject to at least two customer complaints during his career. According to records kept by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Stewart’s customer complaints allege that Stewart recommended unsuitable investments in illiquid alternative investments – a high risk investment category.

In February 2020, a customer complained that Stewart violated the securities laws by alleging that Stewart engaged in unsuitable investment advice. The claim alleges $200,000 in damages and is currently pending.

In December 2019, a customer complained that Stewart violated the securities laws by alleging that Stewart was unaware that certain investments he made were illiquid. The claim alleges $100,000 in damages and is currently pending.

DDPs include products such as non-traded REITs, oil and gas offerings, equipment leasing products, and other alternative investments.  These alternative investments virtually never profit investors and are almost always unsuitable for investors because of their high fee and cost structure.  Brokers selling these products are paid additional commission in order to hype these inferior quality investments providing a perverse incentives to create an artificial market for the investments.

Several studies have confirmed that Non-traded REITs underperform publicly traded REITs with some showing that Non-Traded REITs cannot even beat safe benchmarks, like U.S. treasury bonds.  Brokers selling these products must disclose to the investor that non-traded REITs provide lower investment returns than treasuries while being high risk and illiquid – but almost never do.  Because investors are not compensated with additional return in exchange for higher risk and illiquidity, these kinds of alternative investment products are rarely, if ever, appropriate for investors.

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shutterstock_132317306-300x200Advisor Roy Williams (Williams), currently employed by brokerage firm Center Street Securities, Inc. (Center Street Securities) but doing business as Williams Financial Group has been subject to at least seven customer complaints and one regulatory action during the course of his career.  According to a BrokerCheck report the most recent customer complaints since 2017 concern 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.

In May 2020a customer complained that Williams violated the securities laws by alleging that Williams made unsuitable investments and failed to conduct due diligence on the investments made. The claim involves alternative investments, alleges $100,000 damages, and is currently pending.

DDPs include products such as non-traded REITs, oil and gas offerings, equipment leasing products, and other alternative investments.  These alternative investments virtually never profit investors and are almost always unsuitable for investors because of their high fee and cost structure.  Brokers selling these products are paid additional commission in order to hype these inferior quality investments providing a perverse incentives to create an artificial market for the investments.

Several studies have confirmed that Non-traded REITs underperform publicly traded REITs with some showing that Non-Traded REITs cannot even beat safe benchmarks, like U.S. treasury bonds.  Brokers selling these products must disclose to the investor that non-traded REITs provide lower investment returns than treasuries while being high risk and illiquid – but almost never do.  Because investors are not compensated with additional return in exchange for higher risk and illiquidity, these kinds of alternative investment products are rarely, if ever, appropriate for investors.  Continue Reading

shutterstock_160304408-300x199According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) advisor Sean Kelly (Kelly), in October 2018, was accused by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of stealing more than $1 million from his clients.

According to the SEC, Sean Kelly used his companies, Lion’s Share Financial of East Cobb, Inc., Lion’s Share & Associates, Inc., and Lionsshare Tax Services, LLC, (Lion Share) to raise at least $1 million from 12 investors, including elderly retirees.  Kelley is accused of promising that he would invest investor funds in a variety of investment products including private placements and real estate funds.  However, the SEC determined that Kelly just spent the money on his own personal expenses including Super Bowl tickets, luxury vacations, and cash withdrawals. Apparently, even after he received an SEC subpoena Kelly continued to just steal money from investors.  Instead, the SEC alleged that Kelly continued to dodge the agency and did not show up for his scheduled testimony after informing the SEC’s staff that he would show up and “come clean.”  In a separate action, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia filed criminal charges against Kelly and arrested him.

The providing of loans or selling of notes and other investments outside of a brokerage firm constitutes impermissible private securities transactions – a practice known in the industry as “selling away”.

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