According to FINRA, Efthimios George Petrou was fined $5,000, suspended for six months, and ordered to pay $96,306.65 in restitution for excessively and unsuitably trading in a retired customer's account. Petrou recommended margin trades that caused the customer to pay $88,348.13 in commissions and $7,958.52 in margin interest, totaling $96,306.65. This resulted in a cost-to-equity ratio of over 86%, meaning investments had to grow by 86% just to break even. The customer realized a loss of approximately $17,000. Excessive trading on margin magnifies both gains and losses while generating substantial fees that make profitability virtually impossible.