*According to third-party, independent Violation Tracker, 8 of the top 10 violators are financial firms that have been fined over $160 BILLION since 2000. The Corporate Research Project even publishes corporate rap sheet on the company. If you can’t trust these firms, whom can you trust? We suggest you look for an independent financial advisor who:
- Is independent and not tied to any particular family of funds or investment products.
- Operates under a fiduciary rather than a suitability standard which means they act in the best interests of their clients.
- Receives no income or commissions from the purchase or sale of investment products to reduce conflicts of interest.
- Receives income only from client fees so their incentive is to serve their client.
- Is a registered investment advisor preferably with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which is not to say that the SEC approves of or recommends the advisor. It just means the advisor is subject to their examination and oversight. This link will show our registration status at SEC.gov and allow you to see our latest forms and brochures filed with the SEC.
- Does not actually have custody of any of your money. Rather, your money is held by a trusted third-party, such as Charles Schwab.
- Has never been fined!
At Red Tortoise, we meet all of these criteria. Trusting your advisor is only a first step. You should understand their investment philosophy and process. Their fees should be low or at least reasonable.
If you are looking for an experienced investment advisor you can trust with competitive fees, we encourage you to explore our website. If you like what you see, send us an email or to call us at 833-666-1200.