Investor Lawyers Blog
Securities arbitration lawyers are currently investigating claims on behalf of investors who purchased risky non-traded REITs through Ameriprise Financial. Reportedly, Ameriprise Financial was one of the biggest non-traded real estate investment trust sellers and, in some cases, may not have properly advised customers as to the risks associated with non-traded REITs.
Many full-service brokerage firms recommended the purchase of REITs to investors, marketing them as safe, low-risk investments. Stock fraud lawyers say that some customers placed a substantial portion of their assets into a single non-traded REIT at the recommendation of a full-service brokerage firm representative, causing an over-concentration of their portfolio that was unsuitable. As a result, securities arbitration lawyers say many investors may have a valid securities arbitration claim that could lead to the recovery of some of their losses.
Some non-traded REITs may have carried a high commission which motivated brokers to recommend the product to investors despite the investment’s unsuitability. The commissions and fees associated with non-traded REITs are sometimes 15 percent or more. Non-traded REITs, like the ones sold by Ameriprise, carry a relatively high distributions of income, making them attractive to investors. However, non-traded REITs are inherently risky and illiquid, which limits access of funds to those investors. However, in many instances non-traded REITs have made distributions to investors that greatly exceeded the actual cash flows from their operations and actually represented returns of principal rather than income.
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority rules have established that firms have an obligation to fully disclose all the risks of a given investment when making recommendations, and those recommendations must be suitable for the individual investor receiving the recommendation given their age, investment objectives and risk tolerance. Furthermore, brokerage firms must, before approving an investment’s sale to a customer, conduct a reasonable investigation of the securities and issuer.
If you suffered significant losses as a result of the recommendation of Amerirprise to invest in a non-traded REIT, you may have a valid securities arbitration claim. To find out more about your legal rights and options, contact a stock fraud lawyer at Law Office of Christopher J. Gray, P.C. at (866) 966-9598 for a no-cost, confidential consultation.