ETF losses

Massachusetts Charges Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments Over Investors’ $2.3M in ETF Losses

Published on: March 3, 2022 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Brokers Allegedly Involved Were Also Harvest Group Wealth Management Investment Advisers

Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin has filed a complaint against Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments (PKS Investments), accusing the broker-dealer of failing to supervise its financial advisors. These advisors who were dually registered through another financial firm allegedly sold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that were unsuitable for customers.

This other firm was Waltham-based investment advisor Harvest Group Wealth Management. As a result, the state securities regulator contends that investors suffered $2.3M in losses.

Sanctuary Wealth To Pay $530K Over Alleged Supervisory Failures Involving Exchange-Traded Fund Sales

Published on: July 26, 2021 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Sanctuary Wealth Ordered To Pay Over $370K in Restitution to ETF Customers

Independent broker-dealer Sanctuary Wealth, formerly David A. Noyes & Co., has been censured by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). It must now pay a $160K fine and over $370K in restitution for its failure to supervise certain financial products, including leveraged and inverse exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and its brokers’ external activities.

According to the self-regulatory organization (SRO), going as far back as 2014 through the end of 2018 the brokerage firm failed to address in a “reasonable” manner the “unique features and risks” involving selling inverse and leveraged ETFs, which Sanctuary was required to do according to FINRA’s Rule 2111 regarding suitability.

Ex-American Northcoast Securities Broker Dominic Tropiano Allegedly Defrauded ETF Investors

Published on: September 9, 2020 | by Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP

Barred Ohio Stockbroker Accused of Over 500 Unsuitable Exchange Traded Fund Transactions

Dominic Anthony Tropiano, a former registered broker in Ohio, is now facing US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) fraud charges. The regulator contends that Tropiano placed more than 500 unsuitable and unauthorized trades in 40 customer accounts belonging to retail customers, including elderly investors.

These transactions and investment strategies involved leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs), which are complex, very risky securities. As a result, customers allegedly lost over $1M. Meanwhile, Tropiano earned at least $115K in bonuses and commissions.