Karen Briggs: $259K Complaint Against Ex-LPL Advisor

A recent investor complaint against former Edmonds, Washington financial advisor Karen Briggs (CRD# 1100275) alleges that she recommended an unsuitable investment. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority records show that she was most recently registered as a broker with LPL Financial, doing business as Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialists.

Ms. Briggs’ BrokerCheck report discloses several investor complaints. The most recent, filed in March 2025, alleges that as a representative of LPL Financial, she recommended an unsuitable REIT investment. The pending complaint alleges damages of $259,000.

An earlier investor complaint, filed in 2020, alleged that as an LPL representative, she misrepresented unsuitable investments in REITs and a non-traded BDC. In 2022 the complaint reached a settlement of $35,000. In a statement included with the complaint’s disclosure, Ms. Briggs wrote that she denied the allegation of wrongdoing. “I recommended an appropriate allocation into diversified asset categories and the investments they now complain about were 100% in-line with their investment objectives and risk tolerance,” she wrote in part. “Although I was willing to assist LPL in defending the case and had documents supporting my position, LPL elected to settle the case for a modest cash settlement rather than incur additional legal costs in continuing to defend against these meritless claims.”

Ms. Briggs’ LinkedIn profile includes a section describing the services she offered as a Regional Vice President at Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialists. “[The firm] has given her practice and clients a level of nationwide support with a team of financial specialists that allows her to continue helping people make sound financial decisions, while still enjoying her entrepreneurial spirit,” it explains. “The firm incorporates advanced tax planning techniques to minimize income and estate taxes, and utilizes appropriate investment strategies in order to focus on capital preservation and multi-generational wealth management.”

According to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Karen Briggs holds 29 years of securities industry experience. Most recently based in Edmonds, Washington, she was registered with LPL Financial from 2013 until 2022, doing business as Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialists. Her past registrations include Securities Service Network, SagePoint Financial, National Planning Corporation, and Cadaret Grant & Company. Her credentials include the passage of five securities industry qualifying exams: the General Securities Representative Examination, or Series 7; the Securities Industry Essentials Examination, or SIE; the General Securities Principal Examination, or Series 24; the Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination, or Series 65; and the Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination, or Series 63. She is no longer registered as a broker or an investment advisor. (Information current as of April 5, 2025.)

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