Sonn Law Group Investigating Claims Involving Former Merrill Lynch Broker Joel Blum

Sonn Law Group is investigating claims regarding Joel Eziekel Blum (CRD #4905379, Goshen, New York). Blum recently submitted an AWC in which he was fined $10,000 and suspended from association with any FINRA member in any capacity for 20 days. See FINRA Case #2014040186601. Blum was associated with Merrill Lynch from May 2008 until his termination in February 2014. Blum has been associated with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc., since February 2014. The Form U-5 filed by Merrill Lynch to terminate Blum’s registration states that he was discharged for “conduct including failure to contact clients in advance of entering orders in non-discretionary accounts and mismarking order tickets as unsolicited.”

FINRA found that Blum executed discretionary transactions in customer accounts without written authorization to do so. In addition, Blum mismarked order tickets in connection with these transactions, inaccurately indicating that the trades were unsolicited, according to FINRA. In entering into the AWC, Blum neither admitted or denied FINRA’s findings.

Pursuant to FINRA Rules, member firms are responsible for supervising a broker’s activities during the time the broker is registered with the firm. Therefore, Ameriprise or Merrill Lynch may be liable for investment or other losses suffered by Blum’s customers.

If you were a client of Ameriprise, Merrill Lynch, or Blum, and have suffered investment losses or financial irregularities, please contact Sonn Law Group to explore your legal options. Sonn Law Group is a nationally recognized law firm representing individuals, trusts, corporations and institutions in claims against brokerage firms, banks and insurance companies. To learn more, please call us at 844-689-5754 or complete our “contact form.”