If you have suffered investment losses in oil and gas bonds and stocks or other energy investments, you may be able to recover compensation.
For many years, brokers and investment advisors sold energy company bonds and other energy-related investments as safe, secure, and income generating investments for investors. In particular, brokers and investment advisors sold oil and gas bonds and stocks, master limited partnerships (MLPs) and exchange traded funds (ETFs) that invested in MLPs to seniors interested in generating income during their retirement years.
However, over the past few months as the price of oil has dropped, many investors have experienced substantial losses.
At Maddox Hargett & Caruso, P.C. , we represent individual and institutional investors who have suffered losses in oil, gas, and other energy bonds and stocks. If your broker or advisor is at fault, we can win appropriate compensation. The following are just some of the more common examples of issues leading to compensable energy investment losses:
Fraud and Investment Scams
Many oil and gas bonds and stocks and other energy investments are heavily marketed to individuals – and often to senior citizens. In many cases, brokers and advisors have promised significant yields with little risk based upon the stability of the energy companies backing the bonds. In many cases, these promises are either fraudulent or part of an outright investment scam.
However, recent events have shown that the energy sector is not immune to market volatility, and many investors in energy bonds have suffered significant losses. Yet, fraudsters, scam artists, and self-interested brokers continue to peddle these bonds as “low-risk, high-reward” investments.
Negligence
In some cases, brokers and advisors have led investors off course not intentionally, but as a result of negligence. The energy market is extraordinarily complex, and brokers and advisors who recommend bonds and other securities must make sure that they are knowledgeable about the risks involved. If you suffered losses in energy bonds or other energy investments, your broker or advisor may be to blame – and may be liable for the damage to your portfolio.
Over-Concentration
In some instances, brokers and investment advisors have recommended that individual investors – many of them retirees who rely on modest investment income to pay their bills – pour nearly their entire investment portfolios into oil and gas bonds and other energy-sector investments. This is a risky, even reckless, practice that puts investors at the mercy of the energy market.
Unsuitability
Even if an investor’s portfolio is not over-concentrated in the energy market, energy bonds still may not be suitable investments based upon the investor’s financial needs and investment goals. Brokers and investment advisors are required to recommend “suitable” investments based on these factors, as well as each individual investor’s personal tolerance for risk. With the volatility of the energy market, oil, gas, and other energy investments will not be suitable for many investors’ short- or long-term investment strategies.
Have You Lost Money in Energy Bonds?
With the volatility of the energy market – and the oil sector, in particular – many investors are continuing to suffer substantial losses in energy and oil-related bonds and stocks, MLPs and other investments. If you have suffered unexpected and unexplained losses in energy investments, it is important to seek legal help right away. At Maddox Hargett & Caruso, P.C., we offer free consultations to all harmed investors, and we do not charge any fees unless we win your case.
To find out if you may be entitled to recover your investment losses, please contact Mark Maddox for your free consultation. Call 317-598-2040 to discuss your situation today.