Options trading is the product at issue in a pending claim that names Kevin Forrest of Morgan Stanley. Forrest (CRD 5873266) is the broker on the disclosure. The claim is an unproven allegation, and no arbitrator has ruled on it.
Morgan Stanley is the firm named in a pending customer arbitration against Maria Balkunas that seeks $1,251,843. Balkunas (CRD 5663648) is the broker on the disclosure. The claim's allegations are unproven, and no arbitrator has ruled on them.
The claimants filed the claim on June 24, 2026, under docket 26-01409. BrokerCheck shows it as pending. According to the disclosure, they alleged misrepresentation and failure to follow instructions, among other things.
They also alleged improper handling of account transfer requests. The disclosure places the activity at issue from June 2021 to December 2023. Maria Balkunas has the right to answer each allegation in the arbitration.
Most transfers between brokerage firms run through an automated industry system. The customer signs a transfer form at the new firm. The old firm then has a short window to validate the request before the assets move.
Assets usually move in kind, though some must go as cash. Delays can happen when an account holds products the new firm cannot carry, such as certain proprietary funds or annuities. For anyone reading the claim against Maria Balkunas, the transfer form and the old firm's final statement are the papers that show timing.
A broker who receives a clear instruction from a customer has to carry it out or promptly explain why not. Instructions can include a sell order, a request to stop trading or a transfer.
Claims of this kind often turn on proof, such as emails, call notes and the timing of trades against the request. In our cases, a client's own notes from phone calls often carry real weight. Arbitrators in a case like the Maria Balkunas claim weigh that proof against each side's account.
Claims by investors against brokers and their firms are almost always decided in FINRA arbitration, since the customer agreement sends them there instead of to court. A case begins when the investor files a statement of claim with FINRA. The broker and the firm then file answers. The parties then choose a panel of one or three arbitrators by ranking and striking names on lists FINRA sends them. During discovery the parties trade account records, emails and other documents. Many claims settle before a hearing is held. Those that do not are decided by the panel in a written award. FINRA makes arbitration awards public. A settlement is not published as an award, so its amount appears only on the broker's BrokerCheck report.
Every FINRA member firm must supervise its brokers. Investors with questions about an account Maria Balkunas handled can call Soreide Law Group at (888) 760-6552. You can also reach us online. Our attorneys represent investors in FINRA arbitration nationwide. We take these cases on a contingency fee basis. You can read more about how FINRA arbitration works.
This post summarizes public FINRA records, including BrokerCheck, as of November 11, 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.
Options trading is the product at issue in a pending claim that names Kevin Forrest of Morgan Stanley. Forrest (CRD 5873266) is the broker on the disclosure. The claim is an unproven allegation, and no arbitrator has ruled on it.
Morgan Stanley is the firm named in a pending customer arbitration against Maria Balkunas that seeks $1,251,843. Balkunas (CRD 5663648) is the broker on the disclosure. The claim's allegations are unproven, and no arbitrator has ruled on them.
March 2025 brought settlements in the newest customer disputes on Raul Benitez's BrokerCheck report, both at Truist Investment Services. Benitez (CRD 4457185) also has earlier settled disputes that name Suntrust Investment Services.
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