Articles Tagged with Independent Financial Group

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Charles Weldon (Weldon), currently associated with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Weldon 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 $400,000.00 on May 16, 2025.

Allege representative violated rules and industry standards of conduct resulting in losses

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Elaine Hartman (Hartman), currently associated with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. Several of those complaints against Hartman  concern allegations of high frequency trading activity also referred to as churning or excessive trading among other securities laws violations.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a settled customer complaint with a damage request of $1,618,000.00 on December 14, 2023.

Statement of Claim contains allegations of breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, negligent supervision, breach of contract, churning, excessive trading, fraud and deceit, and unfair business practices/unfair competition.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Suzette Lawrence (Lawrence), currently associated with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include 2 customer complaints, alleging that Lawrence 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 $30,000.00 on January 24, 2024.

Client expressed frustration with losses in his investment advisory account. July 28, 2021, to December 21, 2023.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Charles Wareham (Wareham), currently associated with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Wareham 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 $5,000.01 on March 12, 2024.

Allege that investments were not suitable and were not in line with their investment objectives.

According to BrokerCheck records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker Stewart Ginn (Ginn), currently associated with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has been subject to at least 5 disclosable events. These events include 3 customer complaints, 2 regulatory events. Several of those complaints against Ginn  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 January 23, 2025.

On August 29, 2024, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (‘FINRA’) issued an Order Accepting Offer of Settlement accepting Ginn’s Offer of Settlement wherein, without admitting or denying the allegations, Ginn consented to the entry of findings and violations alleging that, among other things, from July 2020 and December 2022, Ginn violated the Best Interest Obligation under Rule 151-1(a) of the Exchange Act and violated FINRA Rule 2010 by excessively trading five customers’ accounts, including three customers who were retired seniors; engaging in frequent in-and-out trades in the customers’ accounts while charging high commissions on both buys and sells, resulting in the customers incurring realized losses of more than $2.22 million and Ginn and his firm generating more than $2.24 million in commissions; and improperly trading at least four of the customers’ accounts on discretion and frequently buying and selling securities in the accounts without obtaining customer authorization for each transaction; and\<char_lb_r>\, WHEREAS, pursuant to the Order Accepting Offer of Settlement, Ginn was suspended from association with any FINRA member firm in any capacity for a period of eighteen (18) months, fined $50,000, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $115,000 plus interest.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Charles Weldon (Weldon), currently associated with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Weldon 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 $500,000.01 on March 10, 2025.

Alleges representative of record utilized an unsuitable investment strategy and recommendations, resulting in losses. Alleges that there was a failure to adequately supervise the representative by the broker dealers involved.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Brett Hartvigson (Hartvigson), previously associated with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory event, alleging that Hartvigson 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 $499,000.00 on March 13, 2025.

Alleges investments were not suitable

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

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a pending customer complaint on May 02, 2024.

Customer alleges that an investment made in 2013 was unsuitable for the customer’s investment objectives and risk tolerance.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Darrell Delphen (Delphen), currently associated with Independent Financial Group, LLC, has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Delphen 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 $59,000.00 on May 24, 2024.

Alleges investment was not suitable

Currently financial advisor Ronald Appler (Appler), currently employed by brokerage firm Independent Financial Group, LLC has been subject to at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint. 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 final customer complaint with a damage request of $300,000.00 on June 07, 2024.

Clients allege that Financial Professional misrepresented investments in BDCs and REITs and that the investments were unsuitable.

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