A 2010 customer complaint at Eagle Strategies over a 457(b) rollover names Eric Heiting (CRD 3052881). The complaint centered on a retirement plan move and its tax effect, and it ended in a settlement.
Kenneth Bonal (CRD 3125844) is the registered representative in a pending customer claim at Arete Wealth Management over alternative investments. No arbitrator has ruled, and the allegation is unproven.
The client filed the claim on September 14, 2026, under FINRA docket 26-02046, and seeks $500,000. BrokerCheck lists the product as Alternative Investment (other).
According to the disclosure, the client alleges that Kenneth Bonal sold unsuitable investments. The claim is pending.
Alternative investments sit outside ordinary stocks, bonds and mutual funds. The label covers private placements, non-traded real estate programs, managed futures and private funds, among others.
These products often share traits. They can be hard to sell, carry layered fees and depend on a sponsor's projections. Pricing can lag, so an account statement may show an old value. BrokerCheck uses a catch-all category for such products, and the Kenneth Bonal disclosure falls under it.
Suitability has more than one layer. A broker must have a reasonable basis to think a product fits at least some investors. The broker must then decide whether it fits this customer, given age, income, goals and risk tolerance.
The SEC's best interest rule adds a duty to weigh cost and reasonably available alternatives. Concentration counts too, since too much in one illiquid product can be unsuitable on its own. In our experience, the investor's own account records matter as much as the product. The same questions apply to any claim of this kind, including the one naming Kenneth Bonal.
Most disputes between investors and brokerage firms go to FINRA arbitration, not court, because the account agreement requires it. The investor starts by filing a statement of claim. The firm and the broker respond with written answers. Next, the parties pick a panel of one or three arbitrators from lists FINRA provides. Discovery follows, and each side exchanges account statements, notes and other documents. A large share of cases resolve in settlement. The cases that go forward end with a hearing and a written award from the panel. FINRA publishes awards, but a settlement amount appears only on the broker's BrokerCheck report.
FINRA member firms must supervise the activities of their brokers. If you have questions about an account that Kenneth Bonal handled, call Soreide Law Group at (888) 760-6552. You can also reach us online to speak with a securities attorney. FINRA arbitration is a national forum, so we represent investors in FINRA arbitration across the country. We handle these claims on a contingency fee basis. Learn how FINRA arbitration works.
This post summarizes public FINRA records, including BrokerCheck, as of October 31, 2026. Allegations in customer complaints and arbitrations are claims, not findings. Pending claims remain open and undecided. A settlement is also not an admission of wrongdoing. FINRA may also update or correct these records after that date.
A 2010 customer complaint at Eagle Strategies over a 457(b) rollover names Eric Heiting (CRD 3052881). The complaint centered on a retirement plan move and its tax effect, and it ended in a settlement.
In a pending arbitration naming Salvatore Bonomo (CRD 5733048), a Merrill Lynch client seeks $500,000. The claim is an unproven allegation, and no arbitrator has ruled on it.
A Morgan Stanley client has a pending FINRA arbitration naming Dejan Bucevski (CRD 5702545) over private placement investments. The allegations are unproven, and no arbitrator has ruled.
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