Do you have a claim against Ameritas Investment?

Important Information You Should Know:

Ameritas Investment Corp. is a securities brokerage firm which is licensed by FINRA.
 Firms licensed through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, formerly the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), must comply with securities regulations and federal and state securities laws.  When these firms violate regulations or laws they can face actions by regulators or by federal or state criminal prosecutors.

Very few “securities police” have the impossible duty to attempt to govern billions of dollars
in transactions each year, handled by hundreds of thousands of salespersons nationwide at thousands of securities firms.  Approximately 660,000 registered salespersons at 5,300 securities firms handle hundreds of millions of transactions annually for over 60 million investors.  It is impossible for securities regulators to police this activity.

Securities regulators and officials do not often recover losses for victims of securities fraud.  Just as police give tickets and motorists usually hire attorneys to recover damages, victims of securities fraud hire attorneys to recover their losses. As well, claims against brokerage firms including Ameritas Investment, can be for securities fraud, or for breach of duty, breach of contract, negligence and other claims not covered by securities regulations or statutes.

Claims against brokerage firms are almost always determined in securities arbitration.  
When an account is opened at securities firms including Ameritas Investment,  investors sign documents which include agreements to arbitrate any dispute. The U.S. Supreme Court decided in 1987 that securities arbitration agreements are enforceable.  Arbitration is a private proceeding which takes the place of court actions.  Appeals of arbitration decisions to court are very limited and usually unsuccessful.

Investors represented by an attorney in securities arbitration are much more successful.  Statistics prove that investors who file claims with the assistance of an attorney recover twice as often as those not represented.  Only a small percentage of lawyers have ever represented an investor in arbitration and very few law firms nationwide have extensive experience with securities arbitration cases.

To learn whether you can recover losses through a claim against Ameritas Investment Corp.
Contact Shepherd, Smith & Edwards law firm for a free consultation with an attorney.

About Shepherd, Smith & Edwards Law Firm:

Our law firm represents institutional and individual investors nationwide who have lost a substantial portion of their retirement or other assets.  Our attorneys and staff have more than 100 years of combined experience in the securities industry and in securities law. Several of our lawyers and staff members served for years as a Vice President or Compliance Officer of major brokerage firms.

Each lawyer and staff person at our firm is devoted to assisting investors to recover losses caused by unsuitability, over-concentration, fraud, misrepresentation, self-dealing, unauthorized trades or other wrongful acts, whether intentional or negligent.  We have handled thousands of cases against hundreds of large and small investment firms, including claims against firms such as Ameritas Investment Corp.

Additional Information
Reporting Source: Regulator
Initiated By: TEXAS
Principal Sanction(s)/Relief
Sought:
Reprimand
Other Sanction(s)/Relief
Sought:
UNDERTAKING & FINE
Date Initiated: 09/17/2003
Docket/Case Number: SSB DKT NO 03-39;ORDER NO CAF-1536
Principal Product Type: No Product
Other Product Type(s):
Allegations: AMERITAS INVESTMENT CORPORATION ("RESPONDENT") FAILED TO
DISCLOSE ROBERT KURTIS MAUSS', (WHO WAS REGISTERED WITH THE
SECURITIES COMMISSIONER AS AN AGENT OF RESPONDENT),
EMPLOYMENT OR OTHERWISE AFFILIATION WITH DEALERS IN VIATICAL
SETTLEMENT CONTRACTS AND MEDIUM TERM NOTES, FAILED TO
DISCLOSE MAUSS' DISCHARGE FOR VIOLATION OF RESPONDENT'S RULES
FOLLOWING AN INTERNAL REVIEW, RESPONDENT FAILED TO DISCLOSE
THE INTERNAL REVIEW AND MAUSS' UNAUTHORIZED SALES OF VIATICAL
SETTLEMENT CONTRACTS AND MEDIUM TERM NOTES, RESPONDENT
REPRESENTED TO THE SECURITIES COMMISSIONER ON THE 1999 FORM
U-4 AND AMENDED FORMS U-4 THAT THEY HAD TAKEN APPROPRIATE
STEPS TO VERIFY THE COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION
CONTAINED THEREIN AT A TIME WHEN THE 1999 U-4 AND AMENDED
FORMS U-4 CONTAINED INCOMPLETE INFORMATION AND RESPONDENT
KNEW OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT SUCH INCOMPLETE INFORMATION
WAS CONTAINED THEREIN, RESPONDENT FAILED TO REGISTER ITS
BRANCH OFFICE WITH THE SECURITIES COMMISSIONER.
Current Status: Final
Resolution Date: 09/17/2003
Sanctions Ordered: Monetary/Fine $25,000.00
Other Sanctions Ordered: REPRIMANDED & UNDERTAKING CONTAINED IN THE ORDER.
Sanction Details: RESPONDENT PAID AN ADMINISTRATIVE FINE OF $25,000 WHICH WAS
PAID CONTEMPORANEOUSLY WITH THE DELIVERY OF THE ORDER.