Merrill Lynch Advisor John O’Shaughnessey Receives Investor Complaint

Macon, Georgia financial advisor John O’Shaughnessey (CRD# 1739562) recently received an investor complaint alleging that his conduct resulted in losses exceeding $300,000. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority records show that he is a broker and an investment advisor with Merrill Lynch, and that he is also known as William O’Shaughnessey III. 

Mr. O’Shaughnessey’s BrokerCheck report discloses four investor complaints. The most recent, filed in September 2022, alleges that as a representative of Merrill Lynch, he failed to follow instructions in June 2022. The pending complaint alleges damages of $394,534.

A second investor complaint, filed 2008, alleged he failed to follow instructions as a representative of Merrill Lynch. The complaint reached a settlement of $247,589.

A third investor complaint, filed in 2008, alleged that as a representative of Merrill Lynch, he misrepresented material facts regarding auction rate securities. The complaint settled with the firm’s repurchase of the securities at par value, for $225,000.

A fourth investor complaint, filed in 2005, alleged that he misrepresented municipal bonds as non-callable. The complaint reached a settlement of $2,500.

According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, William O’Shaughnessey holds 35 years of securities industry experience. Based in Macon, Georgia, he has been a broker and an investment advisor with Merrill Lynch since 1987 and 1997, respectively. His credentials include the passage of four securities industry qualifying exams: the General Securities Representative Examination, or Series 7; the Securities Industry Essentials Examination, or SIE; the Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination, or Series 63; and the Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination, or Series 65. He is licensed in Alabama, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. (Information current as of October 19, 2022.)

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