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Registered Investment Advisor

What Is a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA)?

A Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) is a person or firm who advises high-net-worth individuals on investments and manages their portfolios. RIAs have a fiduciary duty to their clients, which means they have a fundamental obligation to provide investment advice that always acts in their clients’ best interests.  RIAs are also required to disclose any possible conflicts of interest to their clients and act in an ethical manner in all of their business dealings.

As the first word of their title indicates, RIAs are required to register either with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or their home state.  Smaller RIAs typically are state registered, whereas larger RIAs who manage more than $100 million of trusted client assets register with the SEC.