Florida FINRA Arbitration Panel Orders Charles Schwab to Pay $3.8 Million to Investors
From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law
A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration panel has ordered Charles Schwab & Co. to pay approximately $3.8 million to 13 investors after finding liability related to investment recommendations involving structured products and complex exchange traded funds, according to ThinkAdvisor.
The arbitration panel convened in Jacksonville, Florida. As ThinkAdvisor reports, the award requires Schwab to pay $3,223,666 in compensatory damages, $532,455 in prejudgment interest, and $77,509 in costs.
The claimants asserted several causes of action, including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, professional negligence, and unjust enrichment. According to the arbitration award cited by ThinkAdvisor, the investors alleged that Schwab substantially concentrated their accounts in unsuitable investments.
The disputed holdings included complex structured products, nontraditional and leveraged exchange traded funds, and proprietary exchange traded funds. The claimants argued that these investment strategies did not align with their financial circumstances and risk tolerance.
The claimants also alleged that Schwab knew or should have known that the investments and strategies used in their accounts were misrepresented, according to the arbitration award cited by ThinkAdvisor.
Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.
Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, finra arbitration, charles schwab, securities law, investor disputes, securities arbitration





