William J Griffin – and the firm that employs him or her – is regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).
If you are like most people, before you go out to dinner at a new restaurant, you probably take a quick look at the reviews. This makes sense; you are going to pay for an expensive dinner, and you need to be sure that you are getting a good value.
Yet, when choosing a financial advisor, many people fail to conduct this same level of due diligence. Before turning over access to your money, you need to be sure that you have found a financial advisor that you can trust. Here, our audit report, including details of allegations, complaints, and sanctions will help you decide whether or not to invest with William J Griffin.
The stock market is a device for transferring money from the impatient to the patient… Warren Buffet
BrokerComplaints.com is currently investigating allegations related to William J Griffin. We provide a free platform for investors to help them in their claims against negligent brokers and brokerage firms.
About William Griffin
William J Griffin is an Investment Adviser. William J Griffin’s Central Registration Depository (CRD) number is 1073584 and the FINRA Profile can be found at – https://brokercheck.finra.org/individual/summary/1073584.
Click here to download a Detailed Audit Report for William J Griffin.
William J Griffin has previously been reprimanded and has disclosures and/or client dispute(s) listed at FINRA BrokerCheck.
Accusations and Disclosures
You can find below, a quick snapshot of William J Griffin’s regulatory actions, arbitrations, and complaints.
DISCLOSURE 1 –
- Event Date: 4/17/2002
- Disclosure Type: Customer Dispute
- Disclosure Resolution: Denied
- Disclosure Detail :: Allegations: CLIENTS ALLEGED THAT BROKER PURCHASED STOCKS THAT WERE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THEIR INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES. DAMAGES ESTIMATED TO EXCEED $5000. TIME PERIOD: JULY 24, 2000 – APRIL 2002.
- Arbitration Docket Number:
- Broker Comment: PLEASE ARCHIVE. THIS MATTER IS OVER 24 MONTHS OLD.
DISCLOSURE 2 –
- Event Date: 1/26/1999
- Disclosure Type: Customer Dispute
- Disclosure Resolution: Settled
- Disclosure Detail :: Allegations: CLIENTS GENERALLY ALLEGE THAT PURCHASES OF BRAZOS SPORTSWEAR 10.50% AND GENEVA STEEL 11.125% BONDS IN THEIR ACCOUNT WERE INAPPROPRIATE INVESTMENTS. CLIENTS REQUESTED GRUNTAL TO ISSUE THEM A REFUND OF THE PURCHASE PRICES PAID FOR THE INVESTMENTS (APPROXIMATELY $66,326).
- Damage Amount Requested: $66,326.00
- Settlement Amount: $40,000.00
- Arbitration Docket Number:
- Broker Comment: GRUNTAL & CO., L.L.C. (\GRUNTAL\) AND MR. GRIFFIN SETTLED THE COMPLAINT FOR $40,OOO WITHOUT ADMITTING LIABILITY AND SOLELY TO AVOID THE INCONVENIENCE AND EXPENSE OF POTENTIAL LITIGATION. NOT PROVIDED
DISCLOSURE 3 –
- Event Date: 1/28/1992
- Disclosure Type: Employment Separation After Allegations
- Disclosure Resolution:
- Disclosure Detail :: Firm Name: NATIONS BANC SECURITIES CORP
- Termination Type: Permitted to Resign
- Allegations: Not Provided TERMINATED FOR FAILURE TO ENTER CUSTOMER ‘S ORDER INCURRING A LOSS OF $12,000.
- Broker Comment: TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT DID NOT ENTER AN ORDER FOR CUSTOMER RESULTING IN A $12,000. LOSS
DISCLOSURE 4 –
- Event Date: 12/1/1991
- Disclosure Type: Customer Dispute
- Disclosure Resolution: Settled
- Disclosure Detail :: Allegations: FAILURE TO ENTER CUSTOMER ORDER, RESULTING IN AN APPROXIMATE $12,000 LOSS TO THE FIRM.
- Damage Amount Requested: $12,000.00
- Settlement Amount: $12,000.00
- Arbitration Docket Number:
- Broker Comment: ON JAN.28, 1992, FOLLOWING MY REFUSAL TO EXCISE TIME AND PRICE DISCRETION ON BEHALF OF A CLIENT, I WAS PERMITTED TO RESIGN FROM C&S SECURITIESCORP.(NOW KNOWN AS NATIONAL BANC SECURTITIES CORP.) FOLLOWING THE FIRM’S SETTLEMENT WITH A CLIENT WHO ALLEGED THAT I HAD FAILED TO ENTER AN ORDER. THE CLIENT WAS A SUBSTANTIAL CLIENT OF THE BANK WHICH OWNED THE BROKERAGE FIRM; I WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SETTLEMENT DISCUSSIONS AND NEITHER WAS I ASKED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE SETTLEMENT. I DENY ANY WRONGDOING.
According to a study prepared for the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, 80 percent of American investors report that they have been solicited to participate in a fraud scheme, while 11 percent of American investors report that they personally lost money as a result of fraud.
FINRA notes that the rate of investment fraud is most likely much higher than it is reported. This is because many victims of financial advisor scams are too ashamed to come forward. Further, the study also found that a significant number of investors do not know how to spot common red flags of investment fraud. The least you should do is share your experience with other potential victims of investment scams.
Previous Associations
Under federal securities law and securities industry regulations, registered investment firms have a legal duty to supervise their financial advisors. Section 15(b)(4)(E) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 makes a securities firm liable for the conduct of representatives.
- OPPENHEIMER & CO. INC. (CRD#: 249) :: 9/3/2008 – 11/20/2012 :: RED BANK, NJ
- UBS FINANCIAL SERVICES INC. (CRD#: 8174) :: 7/14/2000 – 9/29/2008 :: BOCA RATON, FL
- GRUNTAL & CO., L.L.C. (CRD#: 372) :: 3/20/1992 – 7/24/2000 :: NEW YORK, NY
- NATIONSBANC SECURITIES OF GEORGIA, INC. (CRD#: 315) :: 7/25/1988 – 1/29/1992
- FIRST INTERREGIONAL EQUITY CORP. (CRD#: 7486) :: 11/24/1982 – 8/19/1988
The duty to supervise securities representatives is a strong legal requirement. Registered investment firms must take many different steps to ensure that they are protecting their customers from irresponsible and criminal financial advisors.
Legit or Not?
Unfortunately, stockbroker fraud is more common than many investors would like to think. And yes, stockbrokers (including William J Griffin, but not limited to) can (and do) steal money from their clients. While it’s rare that a broker will literally steal his client’s money (though that does happen), typically the “theft” of investment funds comes in the form of other fraudulent violations of securities law and FINRA rules which leads to significant investment losses.
Sometimes investment losses occur because advisors, stockbrokers, and even brokerage firms, commit fraud. Massimo Vignelli
Investors generally understand that there are risks associated with buying and selling securities. The market can go up, and the market can go down. No matter how skilled of an investor you are, there are always risks. With that being said, sometimes investment losses cannot be blamed on simple back luck.
There are 10 major types of complaints we receive against Investment Brokers –
- Outright Theft (Conversion of Funds)
- Unauthorized Trading
- Misrepresentation or Omission of Material Facts
- Excessive Trading (Churning)
- Lack of Diversification
- Unsuitable Investment Recommendations
- Failure to Disclose a Personal Conflict of Interest
- Front Running of Transactions
- Breakpoint Sale Violations
- Negligent Portfolio Management
Do your due diligence before investing. Public records are available for everybody to review and decide on the safest bet.
How to Protect Yourself
We, as citizens, place a great deal of trust in the financial advisors who are tasked with helping us achieve and maintain financial security. Most of the time financial advisors and stockbrokers are honest folks who work diligently in their client’s best interests. However, on occasion financial advisors and the brokerage firms who employ them mess up and cause serious financial harm to their clients. Sometimes these losses are caused by simple negligence. Other times fraud or other serious misconduct is to blame.
Here are 5 signs that your broker needs to be reported –
- Breach of Fiduciary Duty: Under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, certain investment professionals, known as registered investment advisors (RIAs), owe fiduciary obligations to their customers. Your investment broker must always look out for your best interests. If you lost money because of your broker’s breach of fiduciary duty, you may be entitled to compensation for the full value of your damages.
- Unsuitable Investments: Many financial advisors are not fiduciaries. Instead, they are held to the suitability standard. These stockbrokers and financial advisors can only sell and recommend financial products that are appropriate for a customer’s unique investment profile. If you lost money in unsuitable investments, you should consider reporting them.
- Material Misrepresentations or Omissions: Brokers have a duty to make fair and honest representations to their clients. If they fail to do so, and an investor loses money due to a misrepresentation or a material omission, the broker may be liable for the investor’s losses.
- Lack of Diversification: Brokers must also act with the appropriate level of professional skill. Pushing a customer into over-concentrated investments is highly risky. Brokers can be held liable for losses sustained because of an investor’s inappropriate lack of diversification.
- Excessive Trading (Churning): Stockbrokers and financial advisors must have a well-grounded, reasonable basis to execute all trades. Unfortunately, there are cases in which brokers will frequently trade on a customer’s account, simply to increase their own fees. This unlawful practice is known as churning.
- Unauthorized Trading: Brokers must have the proper legal authority to make transactions on behalf of a client. If you lost money because your broker made trades that you never approved of, you may have been the victim of unauthorized trading. You should consult with an experienced attorney.
Report William Griffin
In order to prevail in an investment fraud lawsuit or FINRA arbitration cases, you must be able to assert a viable ‘cause of action’.
William J Griffin – and the firm that employs this broker – is regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). FINRA provides an online form to allow investors to file a formal complaint against their financial advisor, stockbroker, or brokerage firm.
Click here to go to FINRA’s Online Complaint Form →
This form will ask you for specific information related to your complaint. Be prepared by gathering the following:
- Name and symbol for the investment product in question.
- The CRD number (1073584) for the broker – William J Griffin
- Your complete contact information.
Remember, it is advised to report your broker to FINRA, only after you have exhausted all of your other remedies and carefully prepared a compelling complaint. Once you file a complaint against your broker at FINRA, your case will be bound by FINRA’s rules and the arbitration panel’s eventual decision. The time clock will start, and your complaint will be served on your broker or broker-dealer.