Luis Alvira Audit (2023) – A Scam or Legit Broker?

Luis Alvira  – 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 Luis Alvira.

BrokerComplaints.com is currently investigating allegations related to Luis Alvira. We provide a free platform for investors to help them in their claims against negligent brokers and brokerage firms.

About Luis Alvira

Luis Alvira is an Investment Adviser. Luis Alvira’s Central Registration Depository (CRD) number is 2714996 and the FINRA Profile can be found at – https://brokercheck.finra.org/individual/summary/2714996.

Click here to download a Detailed Audit Report for Luis Alvira.

Luis Alvira 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 Luis Alvira’s regulatory actions, arbitrations, and complaints.

DISCLOSURE 1 – 

• Event Date: 11/13/2015
• Disclosure Type: Regulatory
• Disclosure Resolution: Final
• Disclosure Detail :: DocketNumberFDA: 2012034821902
• DocketNumberAAO: 2012034821902
• Initiated By: FINRA
• Allegations: Without admitting or denying the findings, Alvira consented to the sanctions and to the entry of findings that a member firm, through Alvira and another Managing Director at the firm, permitted one of its customers to circumvent the various options exchanges Professional Customer Order designation rules. The findings stated they did so by failing to aggregate orders that were placed in multiple accounts under the same common beneficial ownership of the customer, which resulted in the accounts as not being properly designated as Professional Customer. As a result, the customer avoided paying higher options exchange fees, and avoided receiving lower exchange priority of execution. Based upon approved documents, all of which were on file at the firm, the firm, Alvira and another Managing Director, as principals, knew or should have known that the common beneficial owners controlled the master/sub-accounts. As such, for the purpose of the Professional Customer designation, the accounts were required to be aggregated. The findings also stated that in the third quarter of 2011, the sub-accounts placed more than 390 orders in listed options per day on average during one or more months during this period. As such, all orders for these accounts were required to be represented as Professional Customer during the fourth quarter of 2011. Although the firm’s own reports flagged two sub-accounts as Professional Customer in September 2011 because they each individually exceeded the average of over 390 orders in September, the firm and Alvira failed to designate any of the orders in the accounts of the common beneficial owners as Professional Customer. As a result, there were 97,940 orders that were entered that were incorrectly designated as Customer instead of Professional Customer, which resulted in a total of 23,292 executions involving a total of 296,296 contracts. These contracts therefore received priority of execution and did not pay higher fees to the various options exchanges where the executions took place.
• Resolution: Acceptance, Waiver & Consent(AWC)
• Sanction Details :: Sanctions: Civil and Administrative Penalty(ies)/Fine(s)
• Sanction Details :: Amount: $15,000.00 Sanctions: Suspension
• Sanction Details :: Registration Capacities Affected: Any principal capacity
• Duration: One week
• Start Date: 11/16/2015
• End Date: 11/22/2015
• Regulator Statement: Fine paid in full on December 9, 2015.

DISCLOSURE 2 – 

• Event Date: 1/5/2010
• Disclosure Type: Employment Separation After Allegations
• Disclosure Resolution:
• Disclosure Detail :: Firm Name: IRON CAPITAL SECURITIES
• Termination Type: Discharged
• Allegations: IMPROPER USE OF PERSONAL EMAIL ACCOUNT (NOT AUTHORIZED BY IRON CAPITAL SECURITIES) IN ATTEMPT TO DIVERT FUNDS (BELONGING TO IRON CAPITAL SECURITIES) FROM ANOTHER MEMBER FIRM. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH WSPS BY REMOVING IRON CAPITAL SECURITIES’ BOOKS AND RECORDS FROM FIRM’S SF OFFICE. AMENDING FORM BD WITHOUT MANAGEMENT APPROVAL.
• Broker Comment: THE FIRM’S DISCLOSURE ON ALVIRA’S U5 WAS RETALIATORY FOR BRINGING TO THE ATTENTION OF FINRA, VIOLATIVE ACTS BY THE MAJORITY OWNER OF IRON CAPITAL . IN JANUARY 2011, FINRA COMPLETED AN INQUIRY INTO THE CIRCUMSTANCES DISCLOSED ON MY U5. THE FINRA INQUIRY WAS COMPLETED WITH NO ACTION TAKEN.IN DECEMBER 2009 I HELPED THE FIRM’S CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER INVESTIGATE THE FIRM’S MAJORITY SHAREHOLDER. BOTH THE CCO AND I WERE TERMINATED. UPDATE- 2014-THE MAJORITY HOLDER WAS SUSPENDED AND FINED BY FINRA-OHO FOR ACTIONS THAT OCCURRED IN 2009.

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.

• FOOTHILL SECURITIES, INC. (CRD#: 1027) :: 3/2/2016 – 8/12/2016 :: Santa Clara, CA
• LIVEVOL SECURITIES, INC. (CRD#: 23670) :: 7/16/2010 – 10/6/2015 :: SAN FRANCISCO, CA
• IRON CAPITAL SECURITIES, LLC (CRD#: 147779) :: 12/5/2008 – 1/5/2010 :: SAN FRANCISCO, CA
• EUROPEAN AMERICAN EQUITIES, INC. (CRD#: 45097) :: 11/15/2007 – 12/31/2008 :: NEW YORK, NY
• DILLON SCOTT SECURITIES, INC. (CRD#: 118755) :: 3/19/2008 – 7/2/2008 :: SAN FRANCISCO, CA
• URCHIN CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC (CRD#: 45691) :: 12/19/2005 – 1/14/2008 :: SAN FRANCISCO, CA
• M. S. HOWELLS & CO. (CRD#: 104100) :: 5/3/2004 – 4/7/2005 :: SCOTTSDALE, AZ
• TERRA NOVA TRADING, L.L.C. (CRD#: 37761) :: 1/12/2004 – 5/4/2004 :: NEW YORK, NY
• PRESIDIO CAPITAL ADVISORS, LLC (CRD#: 116284) :: 11/7/2003 – 1/2/2004 :: SAN FRANCISCO, CA
• BLACKBEARD SECURITIES, LLC (CRD#: 46748) :: 4/11/2002 – 9/26/2003 :: SAN FRANCISCO, CA
• MR. STOCK, INC. (CRD#: 33150) :: 6/21/1996 – 11/16/2001 :: SAN FRANCISCO, CA

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 Luis Alvira, 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.

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 Luis Alvira

In order to prevail in an investment fraud lawsuit or FINRA arbitration cases, you must be able to assert a viable ‘cause of action’.

Luis Alvira – 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 (2714996) for the broker – Luis Alvira
• 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.

The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the source BrokerComplaints.com and do not necessarily reflect the official position of ‘Ripoff Repairs LLC,’ which shall not be held liable for any inaccuracies presented. The information provided within this article is for general informational purposes only. While we try to keep the information up-to-date and correct, there are no representations or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability of the information in this article for any purpose.

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