“Craig Scott Capital Financeville” is not a legitimate financial institution, platform, or registered entity of any kind. The phrase pairs the name of a defunct brokerage firm expelled by regulators with a generic blog label, and anyone encountering it today should treat it as a signal of confusion rather than credibility. The real Craig Scott Capital, LLC operated from 2012 to 2015 and was ultimately destroyed by findings of systemic excessive trading and supervisory failure .
The firm was founded by Craig Scott Taddonio and Brent Morgan Porges, who held roughly 80% and 20% ownership respectively . Craig Scott Capital received FINRA membership approval in January 2012 and began operations the following month out of Uniondale, New York . At its peak the firm employed approximately 35 to 40 registered representatives and operated on a senior-junior broker model . Junior brokers cold-called prospects to open accounts and make an initial trade, after which accounts were handed to senior brokers to encourage further trading .
The firm’s revenue depended almost entirely on customer commissions, a structural incentive that regulators later identified as central to its misconduct . Craig Scott Capital charged a flat $99 firm commission on every single trade, retained entirely by the company . Brokers could additionally set their own commissions or markups, initially up to 5% of the trade value, later reduced to 3.2% in May 2013 . This model rewarded transaction volume rather than client outcomes, and the firm’s leadership actively cultivated that volume.
FINRA’s Department of Enforcement filed a complaint in January 2016 alleging that for nearly three years the firm fostered what regulators described as a culture of aggressive, excessive trading . The complaint alleged that Craig Scott Capital, Taddonio, and Porges encouraged representatives to use upcoming earnings announcements as a catalyst for recommending hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of short-term trades . Taddonio personally provided brokers with lists of companies expected to announce earnings and promoted what was called the “earnings play” strategy . No one at the firm ever analyzed whether that strategy actually made money for customers .Quick Bio: Craig Scott Taddonio
Key context: Taddonio was the majority owner (~80%) of Craig Scott Capital and was permanently barred by FINRA for supervisory failures tied to excessive trading that generated nearly $6 million** for the firm while clients lost over **$9 million . FINRA’s BrokerCheck confirms the bar and shows he is not currently registered with any state or SRO .
If you need a bio table for a different subject or want to narrow the scope to only regulatory findings, let me know.
The financial damage to clients was severe and documented in regulatory filings. FINRA alleged that the firm and its brokers earned more than $5 million in commissions** while customers suffered **more than $9 million in losses in accounts where annualized turnover rates reached as high as over 200 and cost-to-equity ratios exceeded 800% . These figures describe accounts that would need to appreciate at extraordinary rates simply to break even after trading costs. The SEC later noted that a cost-to-equity ratio above 20% or a turnover rate of 6 generally indicates excessive trading has occurred . Craig Scott Capital’s accounts exceeded those benchmarks by multiples that regulators found impossible to ignore.
Taddonio’s supervisory failures were central to the case and ultimately led to his permanent removal from the industry. The SEC found that Taddonio reviewed account activity daily and received reports showing all 37 accounts at issue exceeded at least one excessive-trading benchmark . His only responses were commission reductions and letters sent to customers, measures that regulators determined were not reasonably designed to stop the trading . The SEC noted that of the 37 accounts, 12 had commission rates reduced to 2% or below, yet 10 of those continued to show high cost-to-equity ratios and turnover rates . Taddonio was permanently barred from associating with any broker-dealer in any capacity .
Craig Scott Capital ceased operations in December 2015, shortly before FINRA suspended the firm for failure to pay outstanding fees . The firm was subsequently expelled from FINRA membership . Customer arbitration claims continued for years afterward, with panels ordering the firm to pay compensatory damages in cases where it failed to appear . The firm’s collapse was not a sudden event but the predictable outcome of a business model that prioritized commissions over clients and a supervisor who ignored every warning sign.
The “Financeville” portion of the phrase has no connection to the brokerage firm whatsoever. A website at financeville.net states that its team created the site to provide information related to “financeville craigscottcapital” alongside general business and marketing content . The site describes itself as a blog offering answers to questions about finance, marketing, and business . No evidence suggests financeville.net is operated by Craig Scott Capital, Taddonio, Porges, or any successor entity, and the brokerage firm’s actual domain was craigscottcapital.com . The phrase appears to be a search artifact generated by that blog’s self-description, not a brand, subsidiary, or authorized platform.
This distinction carries practical weight for anyone who encounters the combined name. Craig Scott Capital has not existed as an operating broker-dealer since 2015, and its principal owner is permanently barred . Any current communication invoking the firm’s name to solicit investments, offer account services, or request funds should be treated as unconnected to the original company and therefore unverified. FINRA’s BrokerCheck system and the SEC’s registration databases remain the appropriate starting points for confirming whether any individual or firm offering financial services is actually registered and in good standing. The Craig Scott Capital record itself is a clear case study in why those checks matter: a firm can hold valid registrations while its internal practices inflict measurable harm on the customers it was licensed to serve.
“Craig Scott Capital Financeville” is not a real financial institution. The phrase appears to be a search artifact created by Financeville, a general blog that mentions the defunct brokerage Craig Scott Capital, LLC in its self-description, not an official name or active platform.
What was Craig Scott Capital and why was it expelled?
Craig Scott Capital, LLC was a broker-dealer based in Uniondale, New York, approved as a FINRA member in January 2012. FINRA filed a disciplinary complaint in January 2016 alleging the firm fostered a culture of excessive trading from its opening through at least December 2014. The firm promoted an “earnings play” strategy that involved frequent short-term trades generating commissions regardless of client outcomes. FINRA found that 37 accounts managed by the firm’s top brokers generated nearly $6 million for the firm while clients suffered net losses exceeding $9 million.
What happened to founder Craig Scott Taddonio?
Taddonio, who owned roughly 80% of the firm and served as CEO, was found to have ignored numerous red flags of excessive trading over an extended period. His only responses were commission reductions and activity letters, which regulators determined were ineffective. The SEC affirmed a bar prohibiting him from associating with any FINRA member firm in any capacity, and FINRA BrokerCheck confirms he is currently barred.
Is Financeville connected to the brokerage?
No. Financeville describes itself as a blog providing general information about finance, marketing, and business, and mentions “financeville craigscottcapital” only as part of its stated coverage topics. No evidence indicates the site is operated by Craig Scott Capital, Taddonio, or any successor entity. The firm’s actual domain was Craig Scott Capital’s original website, referenced in SEC filings.
What should you do if you encounter this name?
Craig Scott Capital ceased operations in December 2015 and was subsequently expelled from FINRA. Any current communication invoking the firm’s name to solicit investments or request funds should be treated as unconnected to the original company. Use FINRA’s BrokerCheck system or SEC registration databases to verify whether any individual or firm offering financial services is actually registered and in good standing.
