The study on "How Widespread and Predictable is Stock Broker Misconduct?" by SLCG, past customer complaints against individual brokers can serve as predictors of future complaints. McCann, Qin, and Yan's research shows that incorporating the complaint histories of co-workers greatly enhances the ability to predict complaints against brokers with no previous complaints. They also established that customer complaints that were denied, rather than just settlements and awards, are valuable for anticipating future investor harm.

Egan, Matvos and Seru's results confirm that, rather than weeding bad brokers out of the industry, the regulatory environment and labor market sifts bad brokers down the quality ladder over time into brokerage firms who employ brokers with disproportionately higher numbers of customer complaints. These high-risk brokerage firms have loose hiring practices and lax compliance ethics and specialize in preying on unsophisticated investors.

Dimmock et al. [2016], in a related study, discover that financial fraud exhibits contagious behavior. They reveal that a broker's likelihood of engaging in financial fraud is notably affected by the propensity of their colleagues to commit fraud, even after adjusting for firm culture, branch environment, market conditions, and state regulatory oversight.

Mathias Schulzs 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. 16.98% 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 Mathias Schulz 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

SLCG Economic Consulting, LLC ("SLCG") provides finance, economics, and investment management consulting services. Our clientele includes law firms, banks, brokerage firms, and individuals embroiled in complex litigation, for whom we offer expert witness services. Our team consists of highly qualified professionals holding PhD and MA-level degrees, with extensive experience across academia, industry, and government. We have provided expert testimony in state and federal courts, and in arbitration forums.

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