A fiduciary standard means that your financial advisor is putting your interests first. This way of conduct is entirely different than how most so-called “financial advisors” work today. More than 90 percent of financial advisors are paid (fully or partially) by commissions; this means that they have incentives to promote products and services that maximize their income. Also, these other advisors often work for large financial services firms, known as Broker-Dealers. The loyalty of these advisors is to their employer, not their client.

fi•du•ci•ar•y – A Financial Advisor held to a Fiduciary Standard occupies a position of special trust and confidence when working with a client. As a fiduciary, the Financial Advisor is required to act with undivided loyalty to the client. This includes disclosure of how the Financial Advisor is to be compensated and any corresponding conflicts of interest.

A Financial Advisor held to a Fiduciary Standard must receive compensation only from their clients, must disclose any possible conflicts of interest, and must be loyal to the best interests of their clients.

• Compensation – As a fiduciary, the Financial Advisor is compensated solely by their clients, and do not receive any outside inducements for recommending investments or financial products. This is the true definition of being a “Fee-Only Advisor.”
• Loyalty – An advisor who is loyal to only his or her clients will not be swayed by outside forces to recommend investments with higher commissions or payouts.
• Disclosure – People must understand how their financial advisor is being compensated and whether or not any potential conflicts may impede an advisor’s ability to provide truly independent advice. Disclosure must be made before a client works with an advisor or implements any of his or her advice.

Federal and state law requires that Registered Investment Advisors - like Crew Capital Management - are held to a Fiduciary Standard. This law requires that an advisor act solely in the best interest of the client, even if that interest is in conflict with the advisor’s financial interest. Investment Advisors must disclose any conflict, or potential conflict, to the client prior to and throughout a business engagement. Investment Advisors must adopt a Code of Ethics and fully disclose how they are compensated.

Unfortunately, only a small proportion of “financial advisors” are federally or state-registered Investment Advisors. Most so-called financial advisors are considered “Broker-Dealers” by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). They are held to a lower standard of diligence on behalf of their clients. In fact, they are required by federal law to act in the best interest of their employer, not in the best interest of their clients.

Because broker-dealers are not necessarily acting in your best interest, the SEC requires them to add the following disclosure to your client agreement. Read this disclosure, and decide if this is the type of relationship you want to dictate your financial security:

“Your account is a brokerage account and not an advisory account. Our interests may not always be the same as yours. Please ask us questions to make sure you understand your rights and our obligations to you, including the extent of our obligations to disclose conflicts of interest and to act in your best interest. We are paid both by you and, sometimes, by people who compensate us based on what you buy. Therefore, our profits, and our salespersons’ compensation, may vary by product and over time.”

If this disclaimer appears in agreements you are signing, you should ask questions of your advisor. Obtain complete disclosure about how he or she is compensated, and where his or her loyalties lie. Then decide if the relationship is in your best interest.

One of the best ways to judge if your financial advisor is held to a Fiduciary standard is to find out how he or she is compensated.

Fee-Only Compensation –
This model minimizes conflicts of interest. It is the required form of compensation for all members of NAPFA. A Fee-Only financial advisor charges clients directly for his or her advice and/or ongoing management. No other financial reward is provided, directly or indirectly, by any other institution. Fee-Only financial advisors are selling only one thing: their knowledge. Some advisors charge an hourly rate, and others charge a flat fee or an annual retainer. Some charge an annual percentage, based on the assets they manage for you. Regardless, the form of compensation you are being charged will be disclosed upfront and clearly. At Crew Capital, fee-only compensation is the only way we do business.

Fee-Based Compensation –
This popular form of compensation is often confused with Fee-Only, but it is very different. Fee-Based advisors earn some of their compensation from fees paid by their client. But they may also receive compensation in the form of commissions or discounts from financial products they are licensed to sell. Furthermore, they are not required to inform their clients in detail how their compensation is accrued. The Fee-Based model creates many potential conflicts of interest, because the advisor’s income is affected by the financial products that the client selects.

Commissions –
An advisor who is compensated solely through commissions faces immense conflicts of interest. This type of advisor is not paid unless a client buys (or sells) a financial product. A commission-based advisor earns money on each transaction—and thus has a great incentive to encourage transactions that might not be in the interest of the client. Indeed, many commission-based advisors are well-trained and well-intentioned. But the inherent potential conflict is great.