We are committed to acting solely in your best financial interests
What is the difference between a fiduciary and suitability standard? There is a key difference between a financial advisor vs. fiduciary financial advisor – the standard of care. Those who follow the fiduciary standard of care — like the fiduciaries at Avidian — are legally required to make decisions and suggestions that are in the client’s best interest only — disregarding what may benefit the advisor themselves or the firm overall. This includes:
- Disclosing all information
- Being fully transparent
- Avoiding conflicts of interest that could be a detriment to the client
In previous years, non-fiduciaries — also known as broker-dealers — were only held to what is called the suitability standard. The suitability standard only required these broker-dealers to practice fair dealing and best execution, meaning the advisor could act in his/her own best interests as long as the recommendations made were considered suitable for you. Under the suitability standard, broker-dealers were not legally obligated to put your best interest before theirs.
In 2020, a new standard of care for broker-dealers was passed called the “Regulation Best Interest” (or Reg BI) in order to put the client’s interests before theirs — however, this standard is still not legally binding, meaning there is no guarantee that your needs will be met solely before theirs will. This is why working with a fiduciary wealth management firm, such as Avidian Wealth Solutions, is so important.