How to verify a financial advisor in ten minutes

By the AdvisorCensus editors · 5 minute read · Updated September 24, 2026 · Leer en español

The short answer

Look the adviser and their firm up on the SEC's IAPD site (adviserinfo.sec.gov) and on FINRA BrokerCheck. Confirm the firm is registered, read any disclosures, and check how the firm is paid. It takes about ten minutes and uses only free public records.

Checking out an advisor before you hand over your savings isn't rude, and it isn't paranoid. It's normal, it's free, and most good advisors expect it. Here's a routine that takes about ten minutes using nothing but public records.

What you need

The adviser's full name, the name of their firm, and ideally the firm's CRD number (a unique ID regulators assign; it's on every AdvisorCensus firm page and on the firm's Form ADV).

The ten-minute check

Find the firm on IAPD (2 minutes). Search adviserinfo.sec.gov by firm name or CRD. Confirm it's registered, with the SEC or a state, and that the status isn't terminated.
Find the person (2 minutes). Search the adviser's name on IAPD and on FINRA BrokerCheck. Make sure they're currently registered with the firm they told you about. BrokerCheck also shows their employment history and whether they're a broker as well.
Read the disclosures (2 minutes). Check Item 11 for the firm and the disclosure section for the person. If anything is there, open the detail. Here's how to weigh it.
See how they're paid (2 minutes). Look at the firm's compensation arrangements, Item 5.E. Does it match what you were told? See fee-only, fee-based, and commissions.
Check any credentials (2 minutes). Designations like CFP or CFA are verified by the organizations that grant them, not by regulators. Each has a public lookup.

If you can't find them

Ask which firm they work for and search that. Someone giving investment advice for pay generally has to be registered or work for a registered firm. If neither the person nor the firm shows up anywhere, pause and ask why before going further.

Red flags worth noticing

The name on the business card doesn't match any registered firm.
Recent regulatory actions, or several similar complaints.
Pressure to decide quickly, or reluctance to put fees in writing.
Promises of guaranteed returns. No registered adviser can make those.

Doing it on AdvisorCensus

Search the firm by name or city. Its page lays out the registration, compensation, clients, and disclosure answers from the filing, with a direct link to the IAPD record for the full detail. It's a faster first look; IAPD and BrokerCheck are the official sources.

Common questions

What if I can't find the advisor on IAPD or BrokerCheck?

Ask them which firm they work for and search that. If neither the person nor the firm appears, ask why; anyone giving investment advice for pay is generally required to be registered or work for a registered firm.

Are certifications like CFP listed on IAPD?

Often. An investment adviser representative's IAPD report has a Professional Designations section that lists CFP, ChFC, PFS, CFA, or CIC when the designation was reported and verified at filing. It can be out of date, so confirm the credential with the issuer, for example the CFP Board's verification tool.

How often should I re-check an advisor?

Once a year is plenty for most people, or any time something changes, such as a move to a new firm.

Sources

Written from the public record and the regulators' own instructions. AdvisorCensus is a directory built from Form ADV filings; nothing here is investment advice. Spot something wrong? Tell us.