CACI 4105 Duties of Stockbroker—Speculative Securities
California Civil Jury Instructions CACI
4105 Duties of Stockbroker—Speculative Securities
Stockbrokers who trade in speculative securities and advise clients have a fiduciary duty to those clients:
1.To make sure that the client understands the investment risks in light of the client’s financial situation;
2.To inform the client that speculative investments are not suitable if the stockbroker believes that the client is unable to bear the financial risks involved; and
3.Not to solicit the client’s purchase of speculative securities that the stockbroker considers to be beyond the client’s risk threshold.
If these duties are met and the client still insists on purchasing speculative securities, the stockbroker may advise the client about various speculative securities and purchase speculative securities that the client selects.
New June 2006; Revised May 2020
https://crowdsourcelawyers.com/judicial-council-california-civil-jury-instructions-caci
Directions for Use
This instruction should be read after CACI No. 4101, Failure to Use Reasonable Care—Essential Factual Elements.
Sources and Authority
•“[T]he stockbroker has a fiduciary duty (1) to ascertain that the investor understands the investment risks in the light of his or her actual financial situation; (2) to inform the customer that no speculative investments are suitable if the customer persists in wanting to engage in such speculative transactions without the stockbroker’s being persuaded that the customer is able to bear the financial risks involved; and (3) to refrain completely from soliciting the customer’s purchase of any speculative securities which the stockbroker considers to be beyond the customer’s risk threshold. As long as these duties are met, if the customer nevertheless insists on purchasing speculative securities, the stockbroker is not barred from advising the customer about various speculative securities and purchasing for the customer those securities which the customer selects.” (Duffy v. Cavalier (1989) 215 Cal.App.3d 1517, 1532 [264 Cal.Rptr. 740], internal citations and footnote omitted.)
•“[T]he relationship between any stockbroker and his or her customer is fiduciary in nature, imposing on the former the duty to act in the highest good faith toward the customer.” (Duffy, supra, 215 Cal.App.3d at p. 1534, internal citations omitted.)
•“A stockbroker’s fiduciary duty requires more than merely carrying out the stated objectives of the customer; at least where there is evidence, as there certainly was here, that the stockbroker’s recommendations were invariably followed, the stockbroker must ‘determine the customer’s actual financial situation and needs.’ If it would be improper and unsuitable to carry out the speculative objectives expressed by the customer, there is a further obligation on the part of the stockbroker ‘to make this known to [the customer], and [to] refrain from acting except upon [the customer’s] express orders.’ Under such circumstances, although the stockbroker can advise the customer about the speculative options available, he or she should not solicit the customer’s purchase of any such speculative securities that would be beyond the customer’s ‘risk threshold.’ ” (Duffy, supra, 215 Cal.App.3d at p. 1538, internal citations omitted.)