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Massachusetts reportedly has begun an investigation concerning whether Wells Fargo Advisors engaged in unsuitable recommendations, inappropriate referrals, and other actions related to its sales of certain investment products to customers. Recently, Wells Fargo disclosed that it is evaluating whether its personnel and registered representatives may have made inappropriate recommendations and referrals concerning 401(K) rollovers and…

Strategic Realty Trust, Inc. (“SRT”), formerly known as TNP Strategic Retail Trust, Inc. is a non-traded REIT that owns a portfolio of shopping centers. SRT has reportedly recently been the subject of a tender offer under which a third-party investor known as MacKenzie Realty Capital has offered to purchase shares for just $3.81/share. According to…

As recently reported, on March 15, 2018, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) indicated that it would no longer allow oil and gas pipelines structured as Master Limited Partnerships (“MLPs”) to recover an income tax allowance for cost-of-service rates. The cost-of-service model particularly impacts those MLPs which operate interstate pipelines in the sector’s midstream. These…

Financial advisor Joseph C. Farah (CRD# 2978633), who was most recently affiliated with Gold Coast Securities, Inc. (CRD# 110925) (hereinafter, Gold Coast), has voluntarily consented to a bar from the securities industry pursuant to an Order Accepting Offer of Settlement (hereinafter, the Settlement) entered into on or about January 25, 2018. Without admitting or denying…

Financial advisor Mark Kaplan (CRD# 1978048), who was most recently affiliated with Vanderbilt Securities, LLC (CRD# 5953, hereinafter “Vanderbilt”), has voluntarily consented to a bar from the securities industry pursuant to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver & Consent (“AWC”) signed off on by FINRA Enforcement on March 7, 2018. Without admitting or denying any wrongdoing,…

Sierra Income Corporation (“SIC”) recently extended a tender offer to its shareholders, which terminated on December 22, 2017, offering to purchase shares for $7.89 a share. SIC is a publicly registered, non-traded business-development company (“BDC”). This non-traded BDC invests primarily in first lien senior secured debt, second lien secured debt, and certain subordinated debt of…

As recently reported, Brandon Curt Stimpson (CRD# 4299623) has been discharged from employment with broker-dealer Allegis Investment Services, LLC (CRD# 168577, hereinafter referred to as “Allegis”). According to FINRA BrokerCheck, Mr. Simpson’s affiliation with Allegis was terminated on or about December 13, 2017, in connection with allegations that he “[f]ailed to follow firm policies and…

Real estate investment firm MacKenzie Realty Capital (“MacKenzie”) is offering to purchase shares of The Parking REIT, Inc. (f/k/a MVP REIT II, Inc., hereinafter “The Parking REIT”) for $12.17 per share. The pricing of MacKenzie’s unsolicited tender offer suggests that investors who wish participate in order to generate liquidity will lose money on their investments…

On February 16, 2018, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) signed off on a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (“AWC”), pursuant to which financial advisor Darrell Walter Rideaux (CRD# 5211032), without admitting or denying any wrongdoing, voluntarily consented to a bar from working in the securities industry in any capacity. Based on publicly available…

Investors in Strategic Realty Trust, Inc. (“SRT”) may have arbitration claims to be pursued before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), if their SRT investment was recommended by a financial advisor who lacked a reasonable basis for the recommendation, or if the nature of the investment was misrepresented by the financial advisor. SRT, formerly known…