In their study "How Widespread and Predictable is Stock Broker Misconduct?" researchers at SLCG discovered that past customer complaints against individual brokers can indicate the likelihood of future complaints. McCann, Qin, and Yan also found that incorporating co-workers' complaint histories notably enhances the predictive accuracy for brokers without prior complaints. Furthermore, they determined that customer complaints that were denied - beyond just settlements and awards - are valuable in forecasting potential investor harm.

In their study, Egan, Matvos, and Seru confirm that the regulatory and labor market mechanisms do not effectively filter out poor brokers from the industry. Instead, they steer these brokers over time towards brokerage firms that employ individuals with a disproportionately high incidence of customer complaints. These firms are characterized by lax hiring practices and relaxed compliance ethics, targeting less sophisticated investors.

According to Dimmock et al. [2016], in a related investigation, financial fraud exhibits a contagious nature. Their findings indicate that a broker's likelihood of perpetrating financial fraud is strongly influenced by the propensity of their colleagues to commit fraud, independent of factors such as firm culture, branch atmosphere, market conditions, and state regulatory policies.

John Hammond Urners current employer, is one of the 30 highest risk brokerage firms measured by the percent of brokers at the firm who have customer complaints disclosed on their BrokerCheck reports. 15.51% of 's brokers have customer complaints compared to only 2.71% of all brokers who have complaints.

If you have questions about this post, about and/or John Hammond Urner or about the management of your accounts, please contact SLCG for an initial consultation or email us at BrokerInquiry@SLCG.com.

SLCG Economic Consulting, LLC

For almost a quarter of a century, SLCG Economic Consulting, LLC ("SLCG") has been delivering consulting services to individuals, businesses, and both state and federal agencies, primarily focusing on finance and economics. The team at SLCG comprises experts with extensive academic and governmental backgrounds who actively engage in research that is often suitable for publication.

SLCG is a wholly owned subsidiary of McCann Yan Holdings, Inc., a Virginia incorporated company based in Northern Virginia.