WiserAdvisor – Blog

Main Menu

  • Main
  • Financial Advisor Guide
  • Financial Planning
  • Retirement Planning
  • Education Planning
  • Investment Management
  • More
    • Personal Finance
    • Estate Planning
logo
I Want to Take Charge.
HELP ME FIND AND COMPARE TOP VETTED FINANCIAL ADVISORS IN MY AREA.

FINRA/SEC Registered Advisors

  Your Information is Safe and Secure

WiserAdvisor – Blog

  • Main
  • Financial Advisor Guide
  • Financial Planning
  • Retirement Planning
  • Education Planning
  • Investment Management
  • More
    • Personal Finance
    • Estate Planning
Financial Advisor Guide
Home›Financial Advisor Guide›How To Use BrokerCheck To Evaluate A Financial Advisor’s Credentials

How To Use BrokerCheck To Evaluate A Financial Advisor’s Credentials

By WiserAdvisor Insights
March 16, 2023
435
0

What is BrokerCheck?

BrokerCheck is a tool any investor can use to research a financial professional or firm. This tool enables individuals to complete a thorough background check on financial professionals like brokers, brokerage firms, financial advisors, investment advisors, advising firms, etc. The detailed information provided through the BrokerCheck tool includes their employment history, certifications, licenses, and active or past violations within the last ten years so that you can make an informed decision while hiring an advisor.

You can use the Brokercheck tool on the FINRA website. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) is a private corporation that regulates firms within its system and website. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) website is also beneficial in gathering details on investment advisors and firms.

What Information Does FINRA BrokerCheck Provide?

BrokerCheck provides the following:

  • Brief Overview: A brief overview of an advisor or broker’s employment information and credentials.
  • Qualifications: The advisor or broker’s qualifications including licensing, exams passed, and where the financial professional is registered.
  • Employment History: Mentions where the broker or advisor currently works and provides info regarding employment history for the previous ten years, including any work experience outside the brokerage industry.
  • Disclosure Notices: Information regarding whether the financial professional received disciplinary actions, consumer complaints, or if any criminal felonies were committed or charged. Some of this information can relate to ongoing legal proceedings or unresolved or unproven allegations. In addition, recently submitted comments on these issues provided by the broker or advisor may also be included.

Use the step-by-step guide below to begin using BrokerCheck to evaluate financial professionals:

Steps-by-Step Guide To Using BrokerCheck

1. Go to the FINRA BrokerCheck Website:

To begin accessing a BrokerCheck report for an individual or firm, visit the BrokerCheck website. Here you will enter information about the financial professional or firm.
https://brokercheck.finra.org/

FINRA BrokerCheck Website

 

2. Input the Broker’s Information

Once on the BrokerCheck website, insert the advisor name, firm name, or Central Registration Depository (CRD) number, which you can locate on the advisor’s profile on the WiserAdvisor directory. After inputting the information, click SEARCH.

Input The Broker’s Information

 

3. Review The Report

On the first page, you will receive a preview of the broker/advisor/firm’s report, including their name, firm name, disclosure information, years of experience, and more.

Review The Report

 

3a. To receive further detailed information on your advisor, select the “More Details” button to generate a report summary.

For further detailed information on your advisor, select the “More Details” button to generate a report summary

 

3b. If your advisor/firm is a broker, you will find detailed information regarding your advisor through BrokerCheck. You will know whether the professional/firm you searched for is a broker if “Broker Regulated by FINRA” is highlighted in dark blue as shown in the image below.

Broker Regulated by FINRA

3c. If your advisor/firm is not a broker, you will be redirected from the BrokerCheck website to the SEC website: https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/

BrokerCheck website to the SEC

 

4. View Report Summary

On the next page, you will find a detailed summary of the financial professional/firm’s BrokerCheck report. This summary will include information such as employment history, disclosures, years of experience, exams passed, examination results, licenses, and registration history.

View Report Summary

 

5. Download or Share Report

After reviewing the summarized information, if you wish to download or share your financial professional/firm’s complete detailed report, click the corresponding links in the top right corner.

Download or Share Report

 

Finding the right financial advisor or firm is critical for the success of your future financial plans. In order for you to reach your financial goals, it is recommended that you try to hire an advisor or firm that would work in your best interest and be trustworthy. Therefore, it is essential for you to spend time comparing and researching advisors in order to get a good sense of their credibility and performance.

Click here to read more about BrokerCheck.

 

Previous Article

Things to Consider When Deciding Between A ...

Next Article

What is Roth 401(k) Matching, And How ...

WiserAdvisor Insights

WiserAdvisor Insights

A team of dedicated writers, editors and finance specialists sharing their insights, expertise and industry knowledge to help individuals live their best financial life and reach their personal financial goals. We believe that there is no place for fear in anyone's financial future and that each individual should have easy access to credible financial advice.

Related articles More from author

  • Financial-Advisor
    Financial Advisor GuideFinancial Planning

    Why and When do you need a Financial Advisor?

    July 8, 2019
    By WiserAdvisor Insights
  • fiduciary financial advisor
    Financial Advisor Guide

    What Is A Fiduciary Financial Advisor?

    January 5, 2022
    By WiserAdvisor Insights
  • find the most suitable financial advisor for your unique financial requirements
    Financial Advisor Guide

    How to Find a Financial Advisor

    February 24, 2022
    By WiserAdvisor Insights
  • Robo-Advisor
    Financial Advisor Guide

    Robo-Advisors vs. Financial Advisors: Which option is the best for you?

    September 24, 2019
    By WiserAdvisor Insights
  • Financial-Advisor
    Financial Advisor Guide

    Does Your Advisor Need to Be Local in Times of Social Separation?

    November 1, 2020
    By William Hayslett
  • Reasons Why Financial Advisors Can Create a Good Financial Plan for You
    Financial Advisor Guide

    8 Reasons Why Financial Advisors Can Create a Good Financial Plan for You

    December 3, 2020
    By WiserAdvisor Insights

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You might be interested

  • Retirement planning
    Retirement Planning

    How to Plan for Retirement While Still Enjoying Today?

  • Roth-IRA-Vs-529-Plan
    Education Planning

    Roth IRA vs. 529 Plan for College Funding

  • Financial Independece
    Financial Planning

    10 Milestones to Financial Independence

Don't miss out! Get our Helpful Financial Tips Newsletter

  • Popular Posts

  • The benefits of working with a financial advisor - WA

    The benefits of working with a Financial Advisor

    By WiserAdvisor Insights
    July 16, 2019
  • Financial-Professional

    How to prepare for a meeting with your Financial Advisor

    By WiserAdvisor Insights
    July 8, 2019
  • retirement-accounts

    Choosing the Best Retirement Accounts

    By WiserAdvisor Insights
    July 8, 2019
  • Retirement-Planning

    Retirement Planning checklist

    By WiserAdvisor Insights
    July 8, 2019
  • Why investing for goals is the right way of investing

    Why Investing for goals is the right way of Investing?

    By WiserAdvisor Insights
    July 16, 2019
  • Portfolio diversification

    5 Dangers of Over-Diversifying your Portfolio

    By WiserAdvisor Insights
    July 26, 2019
  • Financial Planning for couple

    The Complete Guide on Financial Planning for Couples

    By WiserAdvisor Insights
    August 1, 2019
  • Roth-IRA

    Can You Open a Roth IRA After You Turn 60?

    By Jonathan Dash
    December 19, 2021

Categories

  • Business Finance (2)
  • Education Planning (29)
  • Estate Planning (20)
  • Financial Advisor (1)
  • Financial Advisor Guide (31)
  • Financial Planning (122)
  • Investment Management (67)
  • Personal Finance (11)
  • Portfolio Management (1)
  • Retirement (18)
  • Retirement Healthcare (1)
  • Retirement Planning (79)
  • Retirement Plans (1)
  • Uncategorized (2)

The blog articles on this website are provided for general educational and informational purposes only, and no content included is intended to be used as financial or legal advice.
A professional financial advisor should be consulted prior to making any investment decisions. Each person's financial situation is unique, and your advisor would be able to provide you with the financial information and advice related to your financial situation.

WiserAdvisor is America’s oldest and largest independent network of screened financial advisors. We make it easy and convenient for consumers to find and connect with advisors in their area. We have successfully helped over 100,000+ individuals find their best financial advisor since 1998 with no match fees, no commitments, no obligation, and complete confidentiality. WiserAdvisor has been featured in The Washington Post, The Washington Journal, ABC, CBS, Yahoo and has been seen in numerous other leading financial news and information websites.

Follow Us

  • Recent

  • Popular

  • What Is Roth 401(k) Match?

    What is Roth 401(k) Matching, And How Does It Work?

    By Jonathan Dash
    March 22, 2023
  • How To Use BrokerCheck To Evaluate A Financial Advisor’s Credentials

    By WiserAdvisor Insights
    March 16, 2023
  • Roth IRA and Traditional IRA

    Things to Consider When Deciding Between A Roth or Traditional Retirement Accounts

    By Jonathan Dash
    March 9, 2023
  • The benefits of working with a financial advisor - WA

    The benefits of working with a Financial Advisor

    By WiserAdvisor Insights
    July 16, 2019
  • Financial-Professional

    How to prepare for a meeting with your Financial Advisor

    By WiserAdvisor Insights
    July 8, 2019
  • retirement-accounts

    Choosing the Best Retirement Accounts

    By WiserAdvisor Insights
    July 8, 2019

Contact Us

Corporate Headquarters

12150 Monument Drive, Suite 700
Fairfax, VA, 22033

Business Hours

8:30 AM – 5:00 PM EST (Monday – Friday)

Email Address

wa.assistance@wiseradvisor.com

Phone Number

(703) 651-2060

Fax Number

(703) 259-4487

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2022 WiserAdvisor.com. All Rights Reserved.