how to register as a registered investment advisor ria 
registering as an ria does not imply any recommendation or endorsement by the sec or any other regulator it means only that the investment advisor has fulfilled all that agency s requirements for registration registering with the sec requires disclosing information that includes the following rias must update their information annually on file with the sec and the information must be made available to the public an ria is a company that offers financial guidance to clients an investment advisor representative iar is a person who gives financial advice the ria can have many employees including several iars or it can be just one person who is both the ria and the iar the iar thus works for the ria and provides the actual financial services to the clients registered investment advisors rias vs broker dealersrias differ from broker dealers in essential ways rias advise on all finance related matters including investments taxation and estate planning broker dealers tend to focus more narrowly on facilitating purchases and sales of assets like stocks rias are expected to act in a fiduciary capacity when they interact with their clients broker dealers on the other hand are only required to satisfy the suitability standard clients of rias can be assured that their advisors always and unconditionally put their best interests first clients of broker dealers need to be aware that the broker dealer is permitted to dispense advice that is merely suitable for their client s investment portfolios unlike rias broker dealers are not required to disclose potential conflicts of interest or inform their clients about less expensive or more tax efficient investment alternatives 