Find a financial adviser who is legally required to put you first.
Investment advisers are fiduciaries: the law requires them to put your interests ahead of their own. Brokers mainly have to make sure each sale is in your best interest at the time. Many professionals are both. Search every registered adviser in the country and see which is which.
Looking for a company instead? Search firms.
Why it matters
"Financial advisor" is not a legal title. Anyone can use it. What protects you is how the person is registered:
- Investment adviser: a fiduciary for the whole relationship, usually paid by you.
- Broker: must act in your best interest when recommending something, usually paid by commissions on what you buy.
- Both: can switch between the two roles. Ask which one applies.
Guides
- Adviser or broker? Why it matters who you hire
Two kinds of people call themselves financial advisors. Only one of them is required by law to put you first the whole time.
- Seven questions to ask before you hire anyone
A short checklist that gets straight answers about duty, pay, cost, and history.
- How to read a profile on this site
What each label means, where it comes from, and what it cannot tell you.
Data from the SEC's files dated Sept. 22, 2026. Updated daily.