Investment attorneys are interested in speaking with clients of William Tatro in connection with investment losses they suffered under his advisement. Complaints have been registered against Tatro stating that he recommended to his clients unsuitable, illiquid, high commission investments. These investments had a higher degree of risk than many clients would have accepted, and in some cases resulted in massive losses. Many clients lost a significant amount of their life savings. These recommendations were in violation of Financial Industry Regulatory Authority regulations which state that recommendations must be suitable for the client and in keeping with their investment goals. A broker may not, for example, recommend very risky investments to an individual who can’t afford to sustain the losses, such as a retiree.
Another type of investment that is usually unsuitable for retirement accounts are annuities investments. Annuities restrict the availability of funds and are high commission investments. Complaints against Tatro allege that he repeatedly sold leveraged inverse Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) to clients for whom the investments were unsuitable. REITs are high-commission variable annuities. FINRA issued a warning which stated that leveraged inverse ETFs are unsuitable for ordinary investors and that these investments should be held for a short time period only. Despite FINRA’s warning, Tatro allegedly recommended these investments and held the investments long-term. Many investors have stated that this was the case for their accounts and that they sustained substantial losses as a result.
In the claim of Mid-Lakes Management Corp. vs. Eagle Steward Wealth Management LLC, one arbitrator stated that, “There was no evidence that Mr. Tatro properly investigated leveraged inverse funds. In fact, it is highly unlikely that Mr. Tatro could have done so, for such research would have demonstrated that holding leveraged inverse funds for a lengthy period of time dramatically increased risk of the claimant.” In resolving the claim, $530,449 in damages was awarded to the claimant.
Tatro already has more than 60 complaints against him and $3 million has been awarded to his clients so far. Other claims are pending and Tatro has clients all over the United States that could potentially have valid complaints that could end in the recovery of investment losses. If you have suffered losses because of the recommendations of William Tatro, you may have a valid securities arbitration claim. To find out more about your legal rights and options, contact an investment attorney at The Law Office of Christopher J. Gray at (866) 966-9598 for a no-cost, confidential consultation.