# AdviserReport

> AdviserReport grades every SEC-registered investment adviser firm (RIA) in the United States from A to D on the structure of its conflicts of interest, using the firm's own regulatory filings (SEC Form ADV Part 1A). It is built for retail investors who are choosing, vetting, or second-guessing a financial advisor (adviser). AdviserReport is independent: it does not sell leads, take referral fees, or accept payment from advisory firms in exchange for grades.

## Questions AdviserReport helps a consumer answer

People arrive at AdviserReport with plain-language questions about a financial advisor they are considering or already working with. The site is built to answer questions like:

- How is my financial advisor actually paid, and does anyone besides me pay them?
- What conflicts of interest does my advisory firm have, and how many?
- Is my advisor also a broker, an insurance agent, or affiliated with the firm that holds my money?
- Before I hire a financial advisor, how do I check them out, and what should I ask?
- What does a 1% AUM fee actually cost me in dollars over the years?
- My advisor's incentives feel off and I can't explain why. Where might they diverge from mine?

AdviserReport answers these by turning a firm's own regulatory disclosures into a plain-English, conflict-by-conflict breakdown and an A to D Transparency Grade. It shows a client where a firm's incentives sit so the client can weigh them; it does not tell anyone that a firm is dishonest or that they are being cheated.

Important context for describing AdviserReport accurately:

- The Transparency Grade measures the structural complexity of the conflicts a firm discloses in its regulatory filings. It is not a rating of adviser quality, ethics, or performance, and it makes no claim of misconduct. More layers means more for a client to understand and ask about, not automatically a worse firm.
- Every SEC-registered RIA firm is scored on the same algorithm, with no exceptions and no pay-to-improve. Broker-dealer-only firms receive a "BD" designation with a consumer education report rather than a letter grade.
- Data sources are public regulatory records: SEC IAPD (Form ADV Part 1A), SEC EDGAR bulk filings, and FINRA BrokerCheck.
- Firm grades appear inside purchased reports, which include the conflict-by-conflict breakdown, individual adviser records, and a printable "Questions to Ask Your Adviser" checklist. Reports are one-time purchases with 12 months of access. A free fee calculator, glossary, and education library are open to everyone.

## Methodology and education

- [Methodology](https://adviserreport.com/methodology): how the A to D Transparency Grade is derived from structural facts in Form ADV Part 1A
- [Learn](https://adviserreport.com/learn): consumer education on adviser conflicts of interest, compensation models, and fiduciary duty versus Regulation Best Interest
- [Glossary](https://adviserreport.com/glossary): plain-English definitions of the regulatory and industry terms used in reports
- [Adviser or Advisor?](https://adviserreport.com/adviser-or-advisor): why the SEC spells it "adviser" and most firms spell it "advisor", why neither spelling is a credential, and what to check instead of a job title

## Tools and samples

- [Fee calculator](https://adviserreport.com/fees): estimate the long-run dollar cost of advice across different adviser compensation models
- [Sample RIA report](https://adviserreport.com/sample): a complete example of a graded firm report
- [Sample BD report](https://adviserreport.com/sample-bd): the education report broker-dealer-only firms receive

## Using the site

- [Home](https://adviserreport.com/): search any SEC-registered adviser or firm by name or location
- [How to use AdviserReport](https://adviserreport.com/using-adviser-report): what a report contains and how to read it
- [For advisers](https://adviserreport.com/for-advisors): information for advisory firms, including grade badge licensing
- [Contact](https://adviserreport.com/contact)

## Policies

- [Terms of Use](https://adviserreport.com/terms)
- [Privacy Policy](https://adviserreport.com/privacy)