Disclosures

Please download a copy of our Disclosure brochure, which includes details you need to know before hiring any financial advisor.

Form ADV is a document that Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs) are required to file with either their state or with the SEC. It’s broken down into two parts.

ADV Part I includes: Identifying information about the firm, How many clients they have, the total amount of assets they manage, Whether or not they’re a broker-dealer or a registered representative of a broker-dealer (That is, are they paid commission to recommend certain investments?), and A whole list of other (less interesting) tidbits.

ADV Part II includes (among other things): What type of services they offer, How they charge their clients (hourly fees, percentage of assets under management, fixed fees, commissions, etc.), What type of analysis they perform when selecting securities for a client, and The RIA’s education and career background.

Finding an Advisor’s Form ADV There are two ways to get a copy of an RIA’s Form ADV: Look it up online on the IAPD website., or Ask for it –they’re required to give it to you. If you look it up online, you can search by the name of the firm or by the name of the advisor.

Why Use BrokerCheck? BrokerCheck is a free tool to research the background and experience of financial brokers, advisers, and firms.