How AdvisorIQ works
A clearer way to research financial advisors
AdvisorIQ turns public regulatory records into a search and comparison tool. It is built for people who want to understand the basics before talking to an advisor, without joining a lead list or trusting a paid directory.
What a financial advisor can do
A financial advisor may help with investment management, retirement planning, tax-aware planning, estate coordination, education funding, insurance questions, charitable giving, or business owner planning. Not every advisor does every one of those things.
The useful first question is practical: does this advisor work with people like me, on problems like mine, in a way I can understand and afford?
Where the information comes from
AdvisorIQ uses public data from the SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure system, often called IAPD. Firm records are based on Form ADV filings. Advisor records include public registration information connected to those firms.
Each advisor and firm profile includes a direct IAPD link. Use it to verify the record, read the official filing, and check for updates. Public filings can lag, and a firm-level fact may not describe every advisor at that firm.
How to use AdvisorIQ
- 1
Search broadly
Start with a city, state, fee model, firm size, years registered, designations, client count, or disclosure filter. You do not need to know an advisor's name.
- 2
Read the record
Open an advisor or firm profile to see public registration details, affiliated firm information, reported clients, fees, and disclosures.
- 3
Verify the source
Use the IAPD button on each profile to open the official SEC record. AdvisorIQ is a research layer, not the legal source of record.
- 4
Save and compare
Save advisors you want to revisit, then compare them side by side. This helps turn a long search into a focused shortlist.
- 5
Prepare questions
Use the public record to ask better first-meeting questions about fees, services, clients served, disclosures, custody, and who would work with you.
Common terms, in plain English
- RIA
- Registered Investment Adviser. A firm or person registered to give investment advice for compensation.
- SEC
- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. It oversees many investment advisers and publishes adviser records.
- IAPD
- Investment Adviser Public Disclosure. This is the SEC site where public adviser and firm records can be verified.
- CRD
- Central Registration Depository number. It is a public identifier used for adviser and firm records.
- Form ADV
- The regulatory filing investment adviser firms use to describe their business, fees, ownership, clients, and disciplinary history.
- AUM
- Assets under management. This is the amount of client money a firm reports managing. Bigger is not automatically better.
- Disclosures
- Reported regulatory, legal, or disciplinary events. A disclosure is not the whole story, but it is always worth reading.
- Designations
- Professional credentials such as CFP, CFA, CPA, ChFC, or AIF. Each has different training, exams, and standards.
What AdvisorIQ does not do
AdvisorIQ does not recommend, rank, endorse, or certify advisors. Advisors do not pay for placement, ranking, visibility, or profile access. The search results are meant to help you inspect public facts and decide who deserves a closer look.
A good match is personal. Proximity, services, fees, client focus, communication style, and trust all matter. Public records can narrow the field, but they cannot replace a careful conversation.
Why this site exists
Many advisor directories show only advertisers, lead buyers, or firms that opt in. That makes it hard to know what is missing. AdvisorIQ starts from public regulatory data so the first step is wider and more transparent.
The goal is simple: help people find a reasonable shortlist, understand what they are reading, and verify the facts before sharing personal financial details.