Who this path is for
- - Investment adviser candidates
- - RIA founders
- - Wealth teams
- - Advisory platforms
Starting point
You want to provide recommendations or advice, but need to separate advice from research, brokerage, and fund marketing.
Outcome
You can explain adviser versus broker-dealer boundaries, individual adviser evidence, client classification, suitability, disclosure, conflicts, and public-register checks.
Path stages
Stage 1
Define advice
Separate advice from education, research, marketing, and brokerage.
- - Read the investment advisory licence requirement pages and client-classification primer.
- - Map whether the advice is personal, general, automated, retail, professional-only, accredited, or wholesale.
- - Check whether compensation or execution features create broker-dealer or dealing questions.
Stage 2
Prepare people evidence
Turn competence into an application-ready file.
- - Use the individual licensing page for the target jurisdiction.
- - Check exams or qualification maps only after deciding the role.
- - Build evidence for competence, authority, regulatory history, time commitment, supervision, and conflicts.
Stage 3
Build advice controls
Connect licensing to operating discipline.
- - Prepare suitability, disclosure, conflicts, complaints, marketing, recordkeeping, AML/CFT, and client onboarding controls.
- - Check public registers for adviser firms and individuals.
- - Use application packs where the route is SEC RIA, FCA advice/authorisation, or AFSL retail advice.
Checkpoints
- - I can explain whether the client journey gives advice, research, brokerage, marketing, or more than one.
- - I know which individual exam/qualification evidence is relevant and which firm approval remains separate.
- - I have client classification and conflicts controls drafted in plain language.
- - I can open the official register for the firm/person route.
Common mistakes
- - Using disclaimers while the product journey still feels like personalised advice.
- - Confusing adviser exam evidence with firm authorisation.
- - Ignoring transaction compensation or solicitation facts.
Disclaimer
Information on LicenseCompare is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, regulatory, financial, tax, investment, or professional advice. Licensing requirements depend on facts and change over time. Always consult official regulator materials and qualified professional advisers.