Articles Tagged with Kovack Securities Inc.

Previously financial advisor Douglas Studer (Studer), previously employed by brokerage firm Kovack Securities INC. 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 settled customer complaint with a damage request of $90,000.00 on August 11, 2022.

Claimant alleges breach of fiduciary duty, failure to supervise, overconcentration, and unsuitability regarding the sale of REITs.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Maile Foster (Foster), currently associated with Kovack Securities INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Foster 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 $198,000.00 on August 29, 2022.

Claimant alleges that representative recommended unsuitable investments and failed to properly service the accounts resulting in a tax issue and lost opportunity costs.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Darwin Dees (Dees), currently associated with Kovack Securities INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Dees 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 $16,508.63 on September 17, 2025.

Client expressed dissatisfaction with the management of her account.

Previously financial advisor Christopher Hartman (Hartman), previously employed by brokerage firm Kovack Securities INC. has been subject to at least 3 disclosable events. These events include 3 customer complaints. 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 settled customer complaint on February 04, 2023.

Claimants allege that they were recommended unsuitable REITs.

Currently financial advisor Keith Kelt (Kelt), currently employed by brokerage firm Kovack Securities INC. 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 settled customer complaint on February 02, 2023.

Clients allege that their purchase of REITs in 2013 & 2016 were unsuitable.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Michael Haddigan (Haddigan), currently associated with Kovack Securities INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Haddigan 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 $75,000.00 on February 21, 2023.

Claimant alleges that he was sold unsuitable investments.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Allen Soulek (Soulek), previously associated with Kovack Securities INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Soulek 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 $72,021.78 on July 10, 2023.

Client alleges that RR did not transfer the full amount of shares into her deceased mother’s new account in 2021 as requested due to a stock split, which resulted in an estate battle and additional costs.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Edward Barfield (Barfield), currently associated with Kovack Securities INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Barfield 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 $292,000.00 on February 08, 2024.

Client alleges that Representative made an unsuitable recommendation of a fixed whole life insurance product in 2020 and that the representative created a tax liability in the transferring of her IRA account to a revocable living trust account.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Frank Lumpuy (Lumpuy), previously associated with Kovack Securities INC., has at least 2 disclosable events. These events include one customer complaint, one regulatory event, alleging that Lumpuy recommended unsuitable investments in different investment products including debt securities among other allegations and complaints.

FINRA BrokerCheck shows a final customer complaint on May 05, 2025.

Without admitting or denying the findings, Lumpuy consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that he engaged in an OBA without providing his member firm with complete and accurate written notice of his activities. The findings stated that Lumpuy disclosed to his firm that he was a passive investor in two companies that were formed for the purpose of real estate investment. However, without providing any notice to or receiving approval from the firm, Lumpuy worked as an owner-manager for these companies. Ln this role, Lumpuy managed real estate rental properties, negotiated leases, signed annual corporate filings, and facilitated communications between the companies’ members, counsel, and investors. Lumpuy also inaccurately affirmed on multiple annual compliance questionnaires that he was fully in compliance with the firm’s policies and procedures. Moreover, on one occasion, the firm specifically asked Lumpuy to disclose whether any firm customers were also investors in the companies. Lumpuy failed to disclose that one of his firm customers had been an investor in the companies since approximately two years before he disclosed that he was a passive investor.

According to records kept by The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) financial Broker Michael Milne (Milne), previously associated with Kovack Securities INC., has at least one disclosable event. These events include one customer complaint, alleging that Milne 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 $11,000.00 on April 18, 2025.

Client alleges a breach of fiduciary duty, mismanagement and that investments made were not in line with stated risk tolerance.

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