Verify the advisor and the firm before you say yes.
Use public records and the advisor's own documents to confirm identity, registration, disclosures, fees, conflicts, and where your assets would be held. Do not rely on a polished website or an introduction alone.
Compare what you hear with what the records show.
Check what the advisor told you against the person's record, the firm's filings, your agreement, and the custodian's information. A mismatch does not always prove wrongdoing, but it is a reason to stop and ask for a documented explanation.
Impersonation scams can copy the name and registration details of a real professional. Use independently located contact information and official databases instead of relying only on links or phone numbers supplied in an unsolicited message.
Identify the exact person and firm
Names, brands, affiliates, and legal entities can differ. Establish which individual and entity would actually provide the service and sign the agreement.
Ask for the individual’s full legal name and CRD number, plus the firm’s legal name and CRD or SEC number. Then confirm the office location, business email domain, and current firm shown in public records. Search alternate spellings if needed.
Questions to resolve before moving on
- Does the person’s current firm match the firm making the proposal?
- Is the individual registered in your state for the role being discussed?
- Does the agreement name the same legal entity you searched?
- Are you speaking with the real professional rather than an impersonator?
Why search both the person and the firm?
Individual records show employment, registrations, exams, and certain disclosure events. Firm records describe ownership, services, fees, conflicts, disciplinary history, and business practices. One does not replace the other.
Check registration in the right database
The appropriate source depends on whether the person or firm provides investment advice, brokerage services, insurance, or another professional service.
Search investment adviser firms and representatives. Review registration, Form ADV filings, employment, and disclosed events.
Open IAPD ↗ Brokerage services FINRA BrokerCheckSearch brokers and brokerage firms. Review employment, licenses, exams, customer disputes, and regulatory or disciplinary events.
Open BrokerCheck ↗ State oversight Your state securities regulatorUse the state regulator for questions about state registration, licensing, or records not clear in a national search.
Find your regulator ↗Review both records. A professional may be permitted to provide advisory services in one capacity and brokerage services in another. Ask which capacity applies to each recommendation and transaction.
Read the documents, not only the summary
Public databases and required disclosures help you understand services, costs, incentives, and events that deserve follow-up.
Business and regulatory facts
Review ownership, assets under management, client types, affiliations, custody answers, and disciplinary disclosures. Confirm that the firm’s size and business match its description to you.
Firm brochure and individual supplement
Read services, fees, methods, conflicts, other business activities, disciplinary information, and the background of the individual advising you.
Relationship summary
Use this short document to frame questions about services, fees, conflicts, standards of conduct, and disciplinary history. Treat it as a starting point, not the whole review.
The terms that govern you
Compare the final agreement, fee schedule, termination terms, authority, and scope with the proposal and public filings. Ask for changes or explanations before signing.
Does a disclosure automatically disqualify an advisor?
Not necessarily. Consider the nature, age, pattern, resolution, surrounding facts, and the advisor’s explanation. Multiple events, incomplete explanations, or a story that conflicts with the record deserve additional caution. You decide what is acceptable for your situation.
What if the advisor says the record is wrong or outdated?
Ask for documentation and contact the regulator or source using independently located information. Do not rely only on a verbal explanation. A professional can explain context, but should not ask you to ignore an official record without support.
Confirm credentials and other professional claims
Registration, licenses, and voluntary credentials are different. Verify each claim with the organization that issues or regulates it.
Use the CFP Board verification tool to check current certification and public disciplinary history reported by CFP Board.
Use the applicable state insurance department to confirm license status, lines of authority, and available enforcement information.
Verify through the relevant state board of accountancy or state bar. An investment registration does not confirm a separate legal or accounting credential.
Ask what training, experience, and recent work support the specialty. A course, designation, or marketing phrase is not the same as demonstrated experience with your type of event.
A credential may reflect education and ethical requirements. A license or registration may authorize a regulated activity. Neither, by itself, tells you whether the person has handled your situation well.
Confirm custody, authority, and communication channels
Before moving money, know where assets will be held, what authority the advisor receives, and how instructions are authenticated.
Who actually holds the assets?
Confirm the custodian independently and understand which statements come directly from it. The name on the account should match the intended ownership.
What can the advisor do without asking?
Read the agreement for trading discretion, fee deduction, account access, money movement, and any power of attorney. Ask how each authority can be changed or revoked.
How are requests verified?
Use multi-factor authentication. Never share passwords or one-time codes. Confirm unusual wire or distribution requests through a known phone number and established process.
Which source controls?
Compare custodian statements with advisor reports. Save agreements, disclosures, invoices, and material instructions in a secure location you control.
A legitimate deadline may exist, but it does not require bypassing identity checks, written disclosures, custodian controls, or independent confirmation of payment instructions.
Save a record of what you checked
Save enough information to remember what you checked and to notice later changes. Do not upload sensitive documents to Capivise.
What verification can and cannot tell you
Does a clean public record prove the advisor is right for me?
No. Public records are an important screen, not a prediction of competence, fit, service quality, or future conduct. Continue with references, document review, interviews, and your own judgment.
Will the advisor know I searched for them?
Public IAPD and BrokerCheck research does not require you to notify the professional. If you contact a regulator, credentialing body, firm, or reference, that interaction may be handled differently.
Does Capivise replace my own verification?
No. Capivise may review selected information for network operations, but you remain responsible for independently researching, interviewing, and choosing any professional you engage.
This educational guide links to official regulator and credentialing sources. It is not legal, investment, tax, compliance, or background-investigation advice, and public records may be incomplete or updated after your review.