Our firm is investigating Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated financial advisor and stockbroker Peter Christopher Economos (CRD# 6596680) of Walnut Creek, California for potential investment-related misconduct.
Peter Christopher Economos Financial Advisor’s Career History
Peter Christopher Economos is currently registered with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (CRD# 7691), where he has been registered as a broker since March 18, 2016 and as an investment adviser representative since May 5, 2016. BrokerCheck lists his Merrill Lynch branch office at 1331 N. California Blvd., Walnut Creek, California 94596.
BrokerCheck reports no prior securities firm registrations for Economos. His employment history lists Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated as his financial advisor employer since December 2015 and Bank of America, N.A. as a financial advisor employer since October 2016, both in Walnut Creek, California.
Economos is registered with six self-regulatory organizations and licensed in 32 U.S. states and territories. BrokerCheck also reports that he has passed the Series 7, Series 66, and Securities Industry Essentials examinations.
Peter Christopher Economos Fraud Allegations and Investor Complaints Explained
FINRA BrokerCheck reports one disclosure event involving Peter Christopher Economos: a customer dispute that was closed with a denied disposition. The complaint alleged that, while Economos was associated with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, he failed to follow customer instructions from April 2020 through March 2026. BrokerCheck identifies the product type as “Other: Real Estate Investment Trust (REITS).”
Denied Customer Complaint Alleging Failure to Follow Instructions
The customer complaint was received on March 4, 2026. BrokerCheck lists alleged damages as $0.00 and states that damages were not specified. The disclosure indicates that the complaint was written, was not an arbitration, CFTC reparation, or civil litigation, and was denied on May 11, 2026.
For context, the FINRA BrokerCheck disclosure lists the following details:
- Disclosure type: Customer Dispute — Closed-No Action / Withdrawn / Dismissed / Denied
- Reporting source: Broker
- Employing firm when alleged activity occurred: Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
- Allegation: Customer alleged that the financial advisor failed to follow instructions from April 2020 through March 2026
- Product type: Other: Real Estate Investment Trust (REITS)
- Alleged damages: $0.00
- Damage explanation: Damages not specified
- Date complaint received: March 4, 2026
- Complaint pending: No
- Status: Denied
- Status date: May 11, 2026
- Arbitration/CFTC reparation/civil litigation: No
- Disposition: Denied; no settlement amount or individual contribution amount is reported
The disclosure-events matrix in the BrokerCheck report shows zero pending customer disputes and one final customer dispute disclosure. Because the complaint was denied, the allegations should not be treated as findings that Economos or Merrill Lynch violated securities laws or FINRA rules.
Robert Wayne Pearce Is Committed to Recovering Your Investment Losses
To obtain a copy of Peter Christopher Economos’s FINRA BrokerCheck report, visit this link.
FINRA Rule 2010 requires brokers to observe high standards of commercial honor and just and equitable principles of trade. In the context of the denied complaint against Peter Christopher Economos, Rule 2010 may be relevant because the allegation involved whether customer instructions were properly followed over a multi-year period involving REIT investments. If proven, a failure to follow customer instructions could raise fair-dealing concerns, but BrokerCheck states that the complaint was denied.
FINRA Rule 2090, the Know Your Customer rule, may also be relevant because the complaint concerns instructions connected to a customer’s account and REIT-related holdings. Rule 2090 generally requires reasonable diligence to know and retain essential facts about the customer and the authority of each person acting on the account. In this context, an analysis could focus on whether the advisor understood, documented, and acted consistently with the customer’s instructions and account-related circumstances.
FINRA Rule 2111, the suitability rule, may be relevant because BrokerCheck identifies the product type as a Real Estate Investment Trust, or REIT. REITs can involve liquidity, valuation, concentration, income, and risk considerations that may be important to a customer’s investment profile. Although the disclosed complaint focuses on alleged failure to follow instructions rather than a direct suitability allegation, any review of REIT-related advice may examine whether the investment or account strategy matched the customer’s objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon, and liquidity needs.
For over 45 years, Robert Wayne Pearce has helped investors recover losses caused by broker fraud, negligence, and unsuitable recommendations. His firm, The Law Offices of Robert Wayne Pearce, P.A., represents clients nationwide on a no-recovery, no-fee basis. Call (800) 732-2889 or email pearce@rwpearce.com for a free case review with an experienced securities attorney.