"I've Lost Money! Do I Have A Case?"

With the roller coaster market of this week (mostly down), folks are checking their portfolios and finding its value is down, often significantly.  Even the fact that a loss is not a loss until you sell the position does not provide much comfort to folks seeing a dramatic decline in their portfolio value.  Many folks are now researching and learning about stockbroker fraud issues and asking, "Do I have a case?"

The answer is, "It depends."  Just because your portfolio is down or you have incurred realized losses does not mean that you've been the victim of fraudulent or otherwise illegal activity by your broker or investment adviser.  Brokers don't have a magical crystal ball that will ensure that their stock or mutual fund recommendations for you will only increase in value, and they don't make guarantees (legally at least) that you won't lose money.  But, brokers and advisers do have to follow certain industry rules and regulations, as well as federal and state laws.  If they've violated those, and that has damaged you in some way, you may have a valid claim against your brokerage or investment firm.

Look over at the right-hand side of the screen, and click on "Common Broker Misconduct."  Read more about typical stockbroker fraud claims that investors may experience, including churning, unsuitable recommendations, unauthorized trading, misrepresentation and omissions, sales of unregistered securities, etc.  If any of these sound familiar to your situation, contact Joel Beck at The Beck Law Firm, LLC for a complimentary consultation.