When you invest your money with an investment firm, the expectation is that your broker will make sound investment decisions backed up by thorough research and that your money will grow. Unfortunately, in far too many cases, broker misconduct leads to substantial losses for their clients. If investment fraud caused you to lose money, you may be able to pursue damages.
At Meyer Wilson, our team of experienced investment fraud lawyers in Washington has been helping people recover money lost due to investment fraud for years. We will work tirelessly to ensure you recover your losses so that you can move forward with your life. Get in touch with us today to schedule your free consultation with a member of our legal team.
Investment Fraud Cases Handled by Our Firm
There are many different types of investment misconduct. In the 25+ years our firm has been operating, we have seen every type of investment fraud case imaginable. Some of the cases we most frequently handle include:
- Unauthorized trading
- Asset allocation misconduct
- Broker negligence
- Breach of fiduciary duty
- Failure to supervise
Unauthorized Trading
Before making trades with the money invested by a client, an investment broker must first secure authorization. This authorization can take different forms. A client can authorize a trade directly or provide approval for a range of trades that meet certain criteria set out in the terms of their investment contract.
If your broker makes trades with your money that fall outside of their authority, you can hold them responsible for any financial losses you incur.
Asset Allocation Misconduct
Your financial advisor must consider your level of risk tolerance when deciding how to best distribute your investment into different asset types. One of the main determiners of an investor’s risk tolerance is their age. Some of the asset types your broker may choose to invest your money in include:
- Cash
- Bonds
- Foreign currency
- Stocks
- Real estate
- Natural resources
In most cases, younger investors are able to safely take on more risk than older investors. These investors can absorb any short-term losses that may occur as the market will rebalance over time, and they will likely recover any losses they suffer. For these investors, grouping their money into only a few asset classes may be the best strategy.
In contrast, older investors need to have their investments spread across a wide range of asset types to increase the stability of their investments and increase the odds of year-over-year positive returns. Because of their age, these investors can not afford to wait for the market to rebound if they suffer a down year.
If your broker invested your money among asset types without considering your risk tolerance level, you can take legal action against them.
Broker Negligence
When handling a client’s money, investment brokers must take care to act in their best interests. If your broker acts in a negligent manner and fails to ensure that they are investing your money in a suitable manner, an experienced securities fraud lawyer can help you file a lawsuit to recover damages for any money you lost.
Breach of Fiduciary Duty
Brokerage firms are required to take a variety of steps to ensure they are handling their clients’ money appropriately. Investment advisors are held to a high standard of fiduciary responsibility due to the fact that they often handle the majority of their clients’ savings, and the mishandling of these investments can lead to financial ruin for investors.
The law requires investment advisors to review any investment opportunities they suggest to their clients thoroughly. Furthermore, they must weigh the risks, perform due diligence, provide detailed and accurate information to the client, and ensure the investment aligns with the strategy they have created for the client.
Failure to Supervise
Your broker is not the only one who can be held liable if you suffer losses caused by investment fraud. Investment firms have a legal duty to adequately supervise the activities of their employees to make sure they are complying with all rules and regulations and treating the investments of their clients in an ethical, responsible, and legal manner.
If the financial firm in which you have invested your money fails to supervise its brokers properly, an experienced investment fraud attorney in Spokane, WA, can help you pursue a claim against both the broker and the brokerage firm.
We Have Recovered Over
$350 Million for Our Clients Nationwide.
Determining Whether You Were the Victim of Investment Fraud
After losing a significant portion of your investment, you may suspect that fraud is the cause. While your losses may be due to investment fraud, a variety of other factors, including other illegal activity, unforeseeable events, and natural market volatility, can also be to blame.
For help determining whether investment fraud played a role, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provides this checklist of investment fraud red flags for you to review. If anything on this list seems similar to your situation, it may be time to pursue legal action with help from an experienced securities fraud attorney.
Why Choose Our Firm Over the Competition?
As a top investment fraud legal firm in the United States, the award-winning team at Meyer Wilson brings 75+ years of combined experience to the table. We have leveraged our experience to secure more than $350 million for those we represent. Some of the primary things that help us stand out from the competition include:
- Our use of state-of-the-art technology helps increase our chances of winning your case while improving your overall experience as a client.
- Our contingency fee-based payment system allows our clients to rest easy with the knowledge that they will only have to pay us for our services if we recover compensation on their behalf.
- Our focus on keeping our caseload small lets us provide all of our clients with the personalized attention needed for their case.
- Our preparation has us assuming your case will go to trial from day one so that we are ready if going to court proves necessary while having greater leverage during settlement negotiations.
Our lawyers are nationwide leaders in investment fraud cases.
Get Help from an Experienced Spokane Investment Fraud Attorney Today
After losing money because of investment fraud, one of the best things you can do to ensure you recover the compensation you need is to secure the services of an experienced attorney. At Meyer Wilson, we have a long history of helping our clients get the money they deserve and are ready and waiting to help you with your case.
Contact us today through this website or by giving us a call to schedule a free initial consultation.
Recovering Losses Caused by Investment Misconduct.