Before authorizing a move, verify the manager and firm, define exactly what service and decision authority you are buying, calculate every layer of cost, uncover investment-selection conflicts, and obtain asset-specific transfer and tax information in writing. Read the relationship summary, advisory brochure when applicable, fee schedule, and proposed agreement before signing.
Start with a written comparison, not a sales conversation
Interview at least one prospective manager using the same questions and the same transfer amount. Record the answers, request supporting documents, and compare candidates on the issues that can change your outcome: regulatory status, scope of service, investment discretion, monitoring, total charges, product universe, conflicts, relevant experience, and the mechanics of moving your existing holdings.
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The guidance discussed here is U.S.-specific. It draws on SEC and Investor.gov investor education and references state securities regulators and FINRA. It is due-diligence guidance, not individualized investment, legal, or tax advice.
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1. Verify the person and the firm
Confirm registration
Ask: “Are you registered with the SEC, a state securities regulator, or FINRA?” Then check both the individual and the firm through Investor.gov. A title such as “wealth manager” does not establish regulatory status, services, or qualifications. The search should identify the legal entity you would contract with, not merely a brand name or a local office.
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Investigate disciplinary history
Ask whether the professional or firm has reportable disciplinary events, customer complaints, or regulatory matters, and ask how each matter was resolved. Verify the answer in the regulator’s records rather than relying on a verbal assurance. Request an explanation for any item that appears, including dates, allegations, outcomes, and whether the person involved still has responsibility for your account.
Request the standard disclosures
Obtain the latest Form CRS. It is designed as a standardized starting point for comparing services, fees, conflicts, standards of conduct, and disciplinary information. For an advisory relationship, request Form ADV Part 2 (the firm brochure) and the brochure supplement for the specific adviser where relevant. Read these documents alongside the proposed contract; marketing material is not a substitute for regulatory disclosure.
2. Define what relationship you are actually buying
Identify the account type
Ask: “Will this be an advisory account, a brokerage account, or both?” Advisory and brokerage services can differ in how they are delivered, monitored, and paid for. The right arrangement depends on the services you need, so do not accept a label without a description of the obligations attached to it.
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Ask: “What will you do for me, who makes investment decisions, and how will my account be monitored?” Clarify whether the manager can trade without asking for permission, whether recommendations require your approval, and who is responsible for rebalancing or other ongoing decisions. Ask how often the account is reviewed, what events trigger contact, and whether monitoring is continuous or periodic. Have the firm state these points in the agreement.
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Surface practical limits
Ask about account minimums, investment restrictions, and limits on the products the firm can offer. A manager may be unable or unwilling to hold certain securities, use particular account types, or work with concentrated positions. Explain your own constraints—such as a need to retain an employer plan, a restricted stock position, or a cash reserve—and ask for a written statement of what the service will and will not cover.
Reconcile the documents
Compare the spoken explanation with Form CRS, the brochure, fee schedule, and contract. Resolve differences before transferring money. The agreement should identify the services, authority, termination terms, and charges you were told to expect; do not sign with material blanks or promises that exist only in conversation.
3. Calculate the complete cost in dollars
Use your intended transfer amount
Ask: “Show me every fee in dollars using the amount I plan to transfer.” A percentage can hide the cash impact and does not reveal costs charged by the investments themselves. Ask for the dollar amount at your expected balance, how it is calculated, when it is deducted, and whether the charge changes as the balance rises or falls.
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Ask what you pay the firm and what you pay elsewhere. Your worksheet should have a line for each applicable category:
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| Cost category | Question to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Advisory, transaction, fixed, or wrap fee | Is the charge asset-based, per transaction, fixed, or a wrap fee? What services are included? | The pricing method determines whether activity or account size drives the bill. |
| Investment-level expenses | What do the proposed funds, securities, or other investments cost? | These expenses can be separate from the manager’s compensation. |
| Account and custody charges | Are there account-maintenance, custody, platform, or statement fees? | Small recurring charges can remain even when no trade occurs. |
| Transaction charges | What commissions or other charges apply when buying, selling, or transferring? | Trading activity may create costs outside an asset-based fee. |
| Transfer or closing charges | Will either firm charge to move or close the account? | The one-time cost belongs in the decision to switch. |
Use the exact question from the SEC’s hiring guidance: “How does your firm get paid?” Follow up by asking whether anyone else receives compensation connected to your account or to a particular product. If the answer is “the fee covers everything,” ask the representative to identify every excluded cost in writing.
4. Understand how investments are selected and where conflicts arise
Ask the selection question directly
The SEC Conversation Starters include: “How will you choose investments to recommend to me?” Ask what criteria are used, who approves recommendations, and how the approach changes when your objectives, risk tolerance, or need for liquidity changes.
Look for product and compensation conflicts
Ask whether the firm offers proprietary or “house” products, receives incentives, or has other relationships that could influence recommendations. Then ask the required follow-up: “How might your conflicts of interest affect me, and how will you address them?” A useful answer identifies the conflict, the account or product it affects, and the control used to manage it. Compare the answer with Form CRS, Form ADV, and other disclosures; a conflict that is disclosed but not explained in practical terms still deserves clarification.
Test the product universe
Ask what the firm cannot offer as well as what it can. Product limits may affect your existing holdings, tax-sensitive positions, or desire to use a particular type of security. Request examples of situations in which the manager would decline to recommend a product because of cost, suitability, or a conflict.
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5. Map the transfer before giving authorization
Classify every current holding
Ask: “Which of my current holdings can transfer in kind?” Have the current and receiving firms review the actual account and securities. “In kind” means moving a holding without selling it, but transferability is asset-specific; do not assume that a security, fund, option, or proprietary position will be accepted.
Identify anything that must be sold
Ask whether any holding must be liquidated before or during the move, who would place the sale order, and when you would be out of the market. A required sale can create a taxable event in a taxable account and may alter your allocation. Obtain the proposed sequence in writing and ask what happens if a security is rejected by the receiving custodian.
Ask for all transfer and closing charges
Request account-specific amounts from both firms, including closing, outgoing-transfer, receiving, wire, or other administrative charges they apply. The SEC guidance flags fees when moving firms or changing account types, but it does not establish a universal transfer timetable or guarantee that a particular asset will move in kind. Treat any timeline as an estimate supplied for your account, not a general rule.
Discuss tax consequences with the right professional
Ask both firms which transactions or account changes could have tax consequences, then discuss the details with a qualified tax professional before authorizing a sale or change of account type. The manager can describe the proposed transactions; that does not make the manager your tax adviser. Keep records of cost basis, realized gains or losses, and the instructions you approved.
6. Evaluate the people who will serve you
Establish your primary contact
Ask: “Who will be my primary contact?” Get the person’s name, role, responsibilities, backup contact, and escalation route. Confirm who can place trades, answer service questions, and handle a complaint when the primary contact is unavailable.
Check relevant experience and qualifications
Ask what experience the proposed team has with people in circumstances like yours and what qualifications they hold. “Relevant” should mean comparable account complexity, liquidity needs, concentrated positions, or retirement stage—not simply years in the industry. Verify titles and disciplinary information independently.
Define communication expectations
Ask how often you should expect reviews, what reports you will receive, and how quickly urgent questions are handled. Agree on how the firm will document recommendations and changes to your objectives. If several advisers may work on the account, identify each person’s authority.
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7. Compare candidates on one scorecard
Complete this table for every candidate before choosing. Write “not stated” where a firm has not supplied an answer; an unfilled cell is a decision issue, not permission to assume the best.
| Comparison axis | Candidate A | Candidate B | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registration and disciplinary record | Record verified | Record verified | Investor.gov results and explanations |
| Service type and scope | Advisory, brokerage, or both | Advisory, brokerage, or both | Form CRS and agreement |
| Decision authority and monitoring | Who decides and how often | Who decides and how often | Written service description |
| Total cost at planned balance | Dollar amount plus exclusions | Dollar amount plus exclusions | Fee schedule and calculations |
| Investment universe and conflicts | Products, incentives, controls | Products, incentives, controls | Form CRS, ADV, written answers |
| People and contact model | Names, roles, qualifications | Names, roles, qualifications | Team list and escalation path |
| Transfer treatment | In-kind holdings, sales, fees | In-kind holdings, sales, fees | Account-specific transfer review |
8. A practical interview sequence
- Send an inventory. List account types, holdings, approximate balances, restrictions, and your intended transfer amount. Remove account numbers and other unnecessary personal data from an initial email.
- Ask for documents first. Request Form CRS, Form ADV Part 2 and supplement where relevant, the agreement, fee schedule, and transfer instructions.
- Hold the interview. Use the questions in this article verbatim when useful, and take contemporaneous notes.
- Request a written cost and transfer analysis. It should show dollar fees, investment expenses, assets accepted in kind, required sales, and charges from each firm.
- Verify independently. Check the person and firm, review disciplinary disclosures, and investigate any unexplained discrepancy.
- Discuss tax-sensitive actions. Before a sale or account-type change, obtain tax advice suited to your circumstances.
- Re-read the contract. Confirm that authority, services, fees, termination provisions, and contacts match the final answers.
- Authorize only after unresolved items are closed. Keep copies of signed documents, transfer forms, cost calculations, and correspondence.
Warning signs that merit a pause
- The representative will not identify the legal entity, registration status, or disciplinary history.
- Fee answers use only a percentage and avoid a dollar calculation based on your planned balance.
- The firm cannot explain which investments are proprietary, restricted, or connected to incentives.
- Promises about tax results, transfer timing, or guaranteed acceptance of every holding are made without account-specific confirmation.
- The written agreement differs from the sales explanation, or you are pressured to sign before receiving disclosures.
- No one can name your primary contact, backup contact, or complaint path.
Pause the transfer until the firm supplies a clear written answer or you decide that the uncertainty is acceptable. You can request clarification from both the current and receiving firms; neither firm’s preferred timetable replaces your need to understand the transaction.
What this checklist can—and cannot—establish
These questions help you compare a U.S. investment professional and document the decision. They cannot determine whether a particular strategy is suitable for you, predict returns, or establish the tax result of a specific sale. Asset transferability, fees, and tax treatment depend on the actual account, holdings, account type, and firms involved. Confirm those details before authorization and obtain specialized advice when the consequences are material.
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