Eva Fernandez: Merrill Advisor Faced Denied Complaint

A recent, denied investor complaint against Virginia Beach, Florida financial advisor Eva Fernandez (CRD# 6289901) alleged that she made unauthorized trades. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority records show that she is registered as a broker and an investment advisor with Merrill Lynch, having previously been registered with First Command Financial Planning.

Ms. Fernandez’s BrokerCheck report discloses one investor complaint. Filed in October 2025, it alleged that as a representative of Merrill Lynch, she made unauthorized trades. The complaint alleged unspecified damages of at least $5,000 and was denied by the firm.

Investors should be aware that FINRA rules, as well as other securities industry regulations, prohibit representatives like Ms. Fernandez from effecting securities transactions without the permission or authorization of their customers. FINRA Rule 3260, for instance, outlines specific conditions under which brokers can make discretionary trades—that is, the execution of transactions without prior consultation with the customer. As FINRA explains in its investor resources, discretion “generally means the broker can decide at any time how much of a stock, bond or other security to buy or sell, and at what price, without customer input.” Rule 3260 prohibits brokers from exercising discretionary authority without the customer’s prior written authorization and the firm’s acceptance of the account, in writing, as discretionary. The firm’s acceptance must be “evidenced in writing by the member or the partner, officer or manager, duly designated by the member.” Representatives who engage in discretionary trading without proper authorization, or against a firm’s rules governing discretionary trading, may be held liable for damages or even subject to disciplinary action by FINRA and/or the Securities and Exchange Commission.

According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Eva Fernandez holds six years of securities industry experience. Based in Virginia Beach, Florida, she has been registered as a broker and an investment advisor with Merrill Lynch since 2019. Her past registrations include First Command Financial Planning and Wells Fargo Advisors. Her credentials include the passage of four securities industry qualifying exams: the Securities Industry Essentials Examination, or SIE; the Uniform Combined State Law Examination, or Series 66; the General Securities Representative Examination, or Series 7TO; and the Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Representative Examination, or Series 6. She holds 55 state licenses. (Information current as of November 16, 2025.)

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