Find a Financial Professional

The directory lists five categories: financial planners, financial consultants, investment services, investment companies and stock brokers. Which regulator oversees a firm depends on the service it provides, so the category alone does not tell you who to check.

A financial planner helps organize goals such as retirement, cash flow, insurance, investing and taxes. "Financial planner" is a service description, not one universal license. A planner who gives investment advice may be an investment adviser, which the SEC defines as a person or firm "in the business of providing investment advice to others about the value of or about investing in securities". Investment advisers are generally registered with the SEC or with state securities authorities, and larger advisers are generally SEC-registered while smaller ones are generally state-regulated, with exceptions.

A stock broker, or broker-dealer, generally carries out securities transactions and may recommend investments. Investor.gov describes a typical broker as executing orders and generally charging transaction-based fees. Broker-dealers register with the SEC and must generally become FINRA members, and their representatives are registered through FINRA and applicable states.

Financial consultants, investment services and investment companies are labels that firms and public business data use for a wide range of work. A firm in one of these categories may provide advisory services, brokerage services or both, so the same checks apply: look the firm and the individual up in the record that matches the service.

A CFP® professional holds certification from CFP Board. The board's standards say a CFP® professional must act as a fiduciary when providing Financial Advice to a Client. That duty comes from the certification, so it does not extend to everyone who uses the title "financial planner."

Each result shows the firm name, category, address, phone, website and hours when available, taken from public business data. Placement in the results does not mean the firm is registered, certified or held to a fiduciary standard. Any Sponsored placement carries a clear label, and payment does not show quality.

The directory is organized by state, city and category.

Registration and license status can change, so check the record yourself and keep a dated copy of each result.

1. Write down the person's exact name, firm name, city and state, and search both the individual and the firm.
2. For an investment adviser, search SEC Investor.gov and open the record in the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database. It shows registration status, Form ADV, relationship summaries, employment history and disclosures. Confirm the jurisdiction and whether the record is current. The IAPD glossary entry explains what the database holds.
3. For a broker or registered representative, use FINRA BrokerCheck. Search the individual and the brokerage firm, then read the registrations, current employers, qualifications, employment history, customer disputes, regulatory events and other disclosures.
4. For a CFP® professional, use CFP Board's Let's Make a Plan search to confirm certification status, name, location and any public disciplinary information.
5. Compare the public record with what the professional tells you: legal name, firm, state, services, registration capacity, fees and disciplinary disclosures.

Ask for the documents that apply. An investment adviser can provide Form ADV Part 2 and a current relationship summary. A broker or a dual registrant can provide Form CRS, which sets out services and relationship type, fees and costs, conflicts of interest, standard of conduct, legal or disciplinary history and where to find more information. Form CRS is a summary, so it does not replace Form ADV, the advisory agreement or the brokerage agreement.

These questions come from the SEC's Investor.gov list and FINRA's Form CRS conversation starters:

• Are you registered with the SEC, a state, or FINRA?
• Which service are you providing, such as financial planning, investment advice or brokerage, and in what capacity are you acting?
• How are you paid, and what other costs can I incur, such as commissions, asset-based fees, hourly fees, flat fees, account fees and termination fees?
• Do you have conflicts of interest, and how are they disclosed and managed?
• Are you required to act as a fiduciary for this service?
• Have you or your firm ever been disciplined by any regulator?
• Who will work on my account?
• What happens if I end the relationship?

The CFPB advises consumers to ask how an adviser is paid and to request potential conflicts of interest in writing. Ask for all fees in writing before you agree to anything.

Choose your state, city and professional category to browse listings. If you are reading about borrowing against Bitcoin and other assets first, the ten-guide series covers it, and the guides index lists the rest. Firms that want to be listed can start at For Financial Firms, where claiming a listing, adding a firm and plans and pricing are laid out. Inversado is an independent financial education site and directory, and the disclaimer and advertising notice explain how it works. Questions go through the contact page.