Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, completely free for consumers. You can search our full database, view profiles, and contact advisors at no charge, no account required.

All advisor data is sourced from the SEC's Investment Adviser Registration Depository (IARD) and FINRA's BrokerCheck database. These are official, public regulatory databases. We do not create or fabricate any advisor information.

We refresh our database regularly from the SEC and FINRA APIs. Because these are large regulatory databases, some information may lag by a few days or weeks. For the most current status, always verify directly at adviserinfo.sec.gov or brokercheck.finra.org.

Advisor listings are based on public regulatory registrations. If you are registered with the SEC or FINRA, your information will appear in our database. To remove or update your core regulatory data, you would need to update your registration through the official FINRA WebCRD system. You can claim your profile on AdvisorFinders to control the additional information displayed, such as your bio and contact details.

A fiduciary is legally required to act in your best interest at all times. This is the highest standard of care in financial advising. By contrast, brokers operating under a 'suitability' standard only need to recommend products that are suitable, not necessarily the best option for you. Always ask any potential advisor: 'Are you a fiduciary at all times, for all services you provide?'

CFP® stands for Certified Financial Planner. It's the most widely recognized credential for personal financial planning. CFP® professionals must complete a rigorous education program, pass a comprehensive exam, accumulate thousands of hours of experience, and commit to ongoing ethics standards. CFP® professionals are also required to act as fiduciaries when providing financial planning services.

A Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) is registered with the SEC or state regulators and is legally held to a fiduciary standard. A broker (also called a broker-dealer or registered representative) is registered with FINRA and operates under a suitability standard. Many professionals hold both registrations, which can create potential conflicts of interest that you should discuss openly.

It depends on the fee model. Fee-only advisors typically charge 0.5%–1% of assets under management (AUM) per year, $150–$400/hour, or flat fees of $1,500–$5,000 for a one-time financial plan. Fee-based advisors charge fees plus earn commissions on products. Commission-only advisors are paid solely through product sales. Always ask for a clear fee disclosure before engaging any advisor.

Not necessarily. Many advisors have minimum asset requirements (often $250,000–$500,000 for AUM-based models), but many fee-only advisors charge hourly or flat fees with no minimum. If you have less than $100,000 to invest, consider starting with a robo-advisor for portfolio management while consulting a fee-only planner for a one-time plan.

Find your listing using the search tool, then click 'Claim Profile' on your advisor page. You'll be prompted to verify your identity and choose a plan. Free profiles allow you to add contact info and a bio. Paid plans offer featured placement in search results.

The Professional plan ($79/month) includes a verified badge, enhanced profile with bio and contact details, and priority support. The Featured plan ($199/month) includes everything in Professional plus pinned placement at the top of search results in your area, highlighted gold border on your listing, and a dedicated landing page.

When a consumer fills out the contact form on your profile, their message is captured in our system and forwarded to you. You respond directly, we don't take a cut of any engagement or charge per lead on paid plans.