We exist to give every investor the independent, objective information they deserve before trusting someone with their financial future.
We empower investors with accurate, independent ratings of every SEC-registered Registered Investment Advisor in the United States, built entirely on publicly available data. Most investors have no idea whether their financial advisor is legally required to act in their best interest, whether they have a history of disciplinary actions, or whether hidden commission arrangements are driving their recommendations. We fix that.
Our independent AFI Score gives every investor a clear, objective picture of any advisor in seconds. We believe the financial advisory industry serves people best when there is full transparency and accountability. Our independent ratings create exactly that a permanent, public record that rewards trustworthy advisors and holds others accountable.
AdvisorForInvestors is the only independent rating platform dedicated entirely to evaluating Registered Investment Advisors. We publish our ratings publicly and for free, so every investor has access to the same quality information previously available only to financial professionals.
Every rating comes from SEC ADV filings and FINRA BrokerCheck fully public, fully verifiable. No guesswork, no opinions. Just the facts regulators require RIAs to disclose. Our ratings are updated monthly so the information you see is always current.
Our search tools let you find and evaluate any SEC-registered RIA by name, state, or zip code, completely free. Every profile shows the firm's AFI Score, fee structure, disciplinary history, and years in operation the information that matters most when choosing who to trust with your money.
We help investors understand the difference between fee-only and commission-based advisors, what fiduciary duty really means, and what red flags to watch for when evaluating any financial professional. An informed investor is a protected investor.
When you find an RIA you want to learn more about, our platform lets you request a direct introduction. You stay in control of the conversation at every step, and we never share your information with multiple firms simultaneously without your explicit consent.
The AFI Score is a proprietary composite index calculated through the application of a standardized quantitative methodology to publicly available SEC ADV filings and FINRA BrokerCheck data. Every RIA receives a score from 0 to 100, which determines their rating tier. There is no partial credit and we do not grade on a curve.
We evaluate whether the firm is fee-only, fee-based, or commission-based. Fee-only advisors have the fewest conflicts of interest and score highest on this criterion, which carries the most weight in our methodology.
We review all regulatory disclosures, enforcement actions, and disciplinary proceedings as reported in SEC Form ADV and FINRA BrokerCheck. A clean record scores the full weight of this criterion.
We assess the completeness and specificity of Form ADV Part 2 disclosures. Firms that fully and clearly disclose their fees, conflicts of interest, and business practices score higher on this criterion.
Longevity and stability are meaningful signals in the investment advisory industry. Firms with longer continuous registration histories score higher, reflecting demonstrated commitment to their clients and the profession.
We evaluate the ratio of assets under management to number of clients, assessing whether the firm primarily serves institutional or ultra-high-net-worth clients or is accessible to everyday investors.
We review all material conflicts of interest disclosed in SEC filings, including third-party compensation arrangements, affiliated business relationships, and proprietary product recommendations.
Everything we do flows from these core principles
Built by people who believe investors deserve better information, better tools, and a platform that is always on their side.
Alexander Brown is the founder and CEO of AdvisorForInvestors. He holds his Series 7, Series 63, and Series 65 licenses, as well as his CFP designation through the CFP Board. He serves as an advisor and board director across public, private, and nonprofit organizations and has spent his career working inside the financial services industry, giving him a direct view of the information gap that exists between investors and the professionals they trust with their money.
After being recruited out of college by one of the largest financial services companies in the nation, Alexander built his career through leadership, mentorship, and client service. Over time, he recognized a fundamental problem: investors had no independent, objective way to evaluate the firms advising them. That recognition became the foundation for AdvisorForInvestors.
Born and raised in Surprise, Arizona, Alexander studied Business at Arizona State University. He credits the values instilled by his parents and grandparents, honesty, hard work, dedication, and service, as the principles that shape everything AdvisorForInvestors stands for.
James oversees all financial operations at AdvisorForInvestors, bringing over two decades of corporate finance expertise across financial technology and data services organizations.
Sarah leads all technology development and platform infrastructure, overseeing the systems that power our rating database, SEC data ingestion pipeline, and consumer-facing platform.
David leads brand, consumer marketing, and growth strategy with over fifteen years of experience in digital marketing and consumer financial services.
Tim is AdvisorForInvestors' AI-powered virtual assistant, available around the clock to help investors navigate the platform and get answers about the RIA industry.
For all Registered Investment Advisor inquiries, email ria@advisorforinvestors.com or call 1-623-252-4703
For all media inquiries, please email media@advisorforinvestors.com
For all consumer inquiries, please email info@advisorforinvestors.com
Over 16,858+ Registered Investment Advisors independently rated. Based on public SEC data. Updated every month. Always free for investors.