If you are reading this article, we are guessing you had a bad experience recently in either a securities-backed line of credit (“SBL”) or margin account that suffered margin calls and was liquidated without notice, causing you to realize losses.
Ordinarily, investors with margin calls receive 3 to 5 days to meet them; and if that happened, the value of the securities in your account might have increased within that period and the firm might have erased the margin call and might not have liquidated your account.
If you are an investor who has experienced margin calls in the past, and that is your only complaint then, read no further because when you signed the account agreement with the brokerage firm you chose to do business with, you probably gave it the right to liquidate all of the securities in your account at any time without notice.
On the other hand, if you are an investor with little experience or one with a modest financial condition who was talked into opening a securities-backed line of credit account without being advised of the true nature, mechanics, and/or risks of opening such an account, then you should call us now!
Alternatively, if you are an investor who needed to withdraw money for a house or to pay for your taxes or child’s education but was talked into holding a risky or concentrated portfolio of stocks and/or junk bonds in a pledged collateral account for a credit-line or a margin account, then we can probably help you recover your investment losses as well.
The key to a successful recovery of your investment loss is not to focus on the brokerage firm’s liquidation of the securities in your account without notice.
Instead, the focus on your case should be on what you were told and whether the recommendation was suitable for you before you opened the account and suffered the liquidation.
Should either one of those leveraged accounts have been recommended at all by a financial advisor in the first place?
Should the broker-dealer have even allowed you to open one of those type of accounts based upon your investment profile and financial condition?
Did the financial advisor misrepresent the nature, mechanics, and/or risks of the securities backed line of credit and/or margin account?
Once the accounts were opened, did the financial advisor make unsuitable securities recommendations to purchase especially volatile securities in that account?
Did the financial advisor recommend that you over-concentrate your investment portfolio in stocks in any particular sector (such as the oil and gas, hospitality, gaming, air travel, and/or cruise industry) in the leveraged account?
Those are the facts and circumstances that probably caused losses but may give you an opportunity to recover all or some of your losses from your stockbrokerage firm. The leverage and liquidation to meet margin calls with or without notice probably only magnified and accelerated the inevitable losses.
Your stockbroker had a duty to not only understand but explain the nature, mechanics and all of the risks associated with those investments before he/she sold them to you!
Your stockbroker also had a duty to make sure they were suitable investments before they were recommended in light of your risk tolerance and financial condition and not over-concentrate investments in volatile emerging market stocks or any industry in your portfolio.
Leveraged investments are not suitable for clients with conservative and moderate risk tolerance. All securities-backed lines of credit and margin accounts employ leverage, and leverage is a “speculative” investment strategy.
Individuals close to retirement who are depending upon income from their investment portfolio cannot afford to speculate in leveraged accounts.
If your financial advisor misrepresented the nature, mechanics, and/or risks of those accounts; or the investments or the risks were not fully explained; or you were over-concentrated (more than 10%) in any investment sector; or if it was not in your best interest (or unsuitable); and your investments were liquidated with or without notice due to margin calls, you may have the right to bring an arbitration claim against your financial advisor and/or the brokerage firm who employed him.
One thing is certain, there is no way you will recover your losses in any SBL or margin account case without some legal action.
At The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A., we represent investors in investment disputes for misrepresented and unsuitable investments in FINRA arbitration and mediation proceedings.
The claims we file are for fraud and misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, failure to supervise, and unsuitable recommendations in violation of SEC and FINRA rules and industry standards.
Attorney Pearce and his staff represent investors across the United States on a CONTINGENCY FEE basis which means you pay nothing – NO FEES-NO COSTS – unless we put money in your pocket after receiving a settlement or FINRA arbitration award.
Se habla españolCONTACT US FOR A FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION WITH EXPERIENCED SBL AND MARGIN ACCOUNT INVESTMENT FINRA ARBITRATIONS ATTORNEYS
The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A. have highly experienced lawyers who have successfully handled many SBL and margin account “blow-out” cases and other securities law matters and investment disputes in FINRA arbitration proceedings, and who work tirelessly to secure the best possible result for you and your case.
For dedicated representation by an attorney with over 40 years of experience and success in SBL and margin investment cases and all kinds of securities law and investment disputes, contact the firm by phone at 561-338-0037, toll-free at 800-732-2889, or via e-mail.
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