Securities Lawyers Blog
According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Charles Malico (Malico), previously associated with Network 1 Financial Securities INC., has been subject to at least 3 disclosable events. These events include 2 customer complaints, one regulatory event. Several of those complaints against Malico concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.
FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on October 11, 2022.
Without admitting or denying the findings, Malico consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he willfully violated the Best Interest Obligation under Rule 15l-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Regulation Best Interest or Reg BI) by recommending a series of transactions in a retail customer’s account that was excessive in light of the customer’s investment profile. The findings stated that the trades that Malico recommended in the customer’s account resulted in an annualized cost-to-equity ratio exceeding 158 percent – meaning that the customer’s account would have had to grow by more than 158 percent annually just to break even. Malico’s recommendations caused the customer to pay more than $54,000 in commissions and other trading costs, and made it virtually impossible for the customer to realize a profit. In fact, the customer lost more than $17,500 as a result of Malico’s recommendations.