The safest way to find a financial adviser who is also a CPA is to verify the two roles separately. Build a shortlist through professional directories, confirm the person’s CPA license with NASBA’s CPAverify or the issuing state board, check the individual and firm in the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) database, and use FINRA BrokerCheck if the person also works as a broker. Verify any CFP® certification through CFP Board, read the current Form ADV and relationship summary, then interview several candidates about services, experience, fees, conflicts and who will actually perform the work.
This process is designed for U.S. consumers. A directory listing is only a way to locate candidates; it is not an endorsement, a guarantee of current licensure or evidence that the professional fits your situation.
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Understand what you are looking for
“CPA” and “financial adviser” are not interchangeable titles. A CPA license is issued under state accountancy law. Providing investment advice or managing portfolios generally involves a separate registration or regulatory relationship, and a person may operate as an investment adviser, a broker, both, or neither. You therefore need to check accountancy status and advisory status independently.
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Define the work before searching
Write down the decisions you need help with. Your list might include:
- Investment management, such as selecting and monitoring a portfolio.
- Comprehensive financial planning covering cash flow, insurance, education funding, retirement and estate issues.
- Tax planning, including modeling the tax effect of investment, retirement or business decisions.
- Tax preparation or review of returns.
- Business-owner planning, compensation, entity choices or succession questions.
- Retirement-income planning and withdrawal strategies.
Ask each candidate which of these services the candidate personally provides, which are delivered by employees, and which are referred to another professional. CFP Board cautions that the practice focus entered in its directory is not independently verified, so the interview and engagement documents matter more than a search filter.
Build a shortlist without treating a directory as a recommendation
Use CFP Board’s directory
CFP Board’s “Find a CFP Professional” search can locate professionals by geography and other search criteria. Its directory is opt-in and does not contain every CFP® professional. Inclusion does not mean CFP Board endorses the person, guarantees the quality of the practice or confirms that the professional offers the services you need.
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Use an adviser search such as NAPFA’s
NAPFA’s adviser search can add candidates who describe their practices as fee-only. Treat the result as a lead list, not proof of compensation, registration, tax expertise or suitability. Confirm the firm’s actual compensation arrangements in its disclosures and interview.
Create a comparison sheet
Record the same information for every candidate so that a polished website or a familiar credential does not dominate your decision.
| Item to record | Why it matters | Where to confirm it |
|---|---|---|
| CPA license status and issuing state | Shows whether the accountancy credential is current in the relevant jurisdiction. | CPAverify and the state board of accountancy. |
| Advisory registration and firm | Identifies the regulatory framework and the legal entity providing advice. | IAPD; state regulator information where applicable. |
| Broker affiliation | Reveals an additional sales and supervision relationship that may not appear in an adviser-only search. | FINRA BrokerCheck. |
| Services delivered directly | Shows whether one person can coordinate the work or whether outside referrals are required. | Interview and written agreement. |
| Compensation and conflicts | Lets you compare total cost and incentives across candidates. | Form ADV Part 2, relationship summary and direct questions. |
| Experience with your circumstances | Credentials alone do not establish experience with your tax, business or retirement issues. | Interview examples and references to the adviser’s stated process. |
Verify the CPA license through CPAverify
NASBA describes CPAverify as a free, official national lookup populated with data from participating state boards. Search the candidate by full name or license number and match the result to the person you interviewed.
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- Ask the candidate for the exact legal name used on the license and the state that issued it. A middle initial, former surname or firm name can affect search results.
- Search CPAverify for the individual. Compare the displayed license information and basic contact details with the candidate’s disclosures.
- Note the status shown and the date you checked it. Keep a copy or written record for your files.
- If there is no match, follow the link to the relevant state board or contact that board directly. Ask the candidate to explain any name, jurisdiction or status discrepancy.
- Use the state board for context when you need information beyond CPAverify’s limited record.
CPAverify’s 2023 description says it reports current license information and basic contact details, not a complete history of education, employment or every historical status. Its coverage depends on participating state boards and can change. A missing result is a reason to investigate with the issuing board; it is not proof that the person committed misconduct or cannot provide any financial service.
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The SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure database, commonly called IAPD, lets consumers search an individual and the legal entity that provides investment advice. It covers SEC-registered firms and most state-registered investment adviser firms. The SEC generally oversees larger advisers, while smaller firms are usually regulated by states, so identify the actual regulator shown in the record.
- Search the adviser by name and review every plausible match. Confirm the location, employer and firm name against the candidate’s materials.
- Search the firm separately. An individual may have multiple registrations or affiliations, and the firm’s disclosures can contain information not obvious in the individual record.
- Review the registration status and jurisdictions. Confirm that the registration is current for the service and location you are considering.
- Open the current Form ADV and relationship summary. Read the business description, services, fees, strategies, conflicts and disciplinary disclosures.
- Read the background and conduct information, including reported events and explanations. Ask the adviser about anything you do not understand.
- Save the date of your search. Regulatory records can change, and a later conversation should be checked against the current filing.
When BrokerCheck is also necessary
If the candidate or the firm operates as a broker, search FINRA BrokerCheck as well as IAPD. BrokerCheck adds the broker-side registration, employment and disclosure history. An IAPD search does not replace a BrokerCheck search when both roles are present.
Ask the candidate to identify every entity through which you would receive advice, buy securities or pay fees. The name on an email signature may not be the legal entity whose disclosure documents govern your relationship.
Verify CFP® certification and other designations
Use CFP Board’s verification search to determine whether the person currently holds CFP® certification and to review any publicly reported disciplinary history or relevant disclosure. Current certification is a separate question from directory inclusion; check both when applicable.
For any additional designation, ask who issued it, what the designation means and how to verify it with the issuing organization. SEC guidance notes that financial-planning or adviser credentials such as CFP® and CFA are not universally required by federal or state law. A designation can be useful evidence of training or standards, but it does not replace registration, disclosure review or an experience interview.
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Read Form ADV and the relationship summary
Do not rely on a brochure or verbal description when the firm’s regulatory filing is available. Request and read both parts of Form ADV and the relationship summary supplied for retail clients.
What Part 1 tells you
Form ADV Part 1 contains structured information about the advisory business and certain reported problems. It helps you identify the legal entity, ownership, types of clients, assets and affiliations reported to regulators. Use it to confirm that the firm you searched is the firm you would hire.
What Part 2 tells you
Form ADV Part 2 is the adviser’s narrative brochure. It describes services, fees, strategies, conflicts of interest and disciplinary information in plain English. Read the sections that explain:
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- How the adviser charges, including hourly, fixed, asset-based or other compensation described in the brochure.
- Additional costs you may pay to custodians, funds, brokers or outside professionals.
- Whether the firm or its affiliates receive commissions, referral compensation or other economic benefits.
- How the firm manages conflicts and what fiduciary duty applies to each service.
- Disciplinary events, legal proceedings or other disclosures that require an explanation.
Questions to ask about the relationship summary
The relationship summary is intended to give retail investors a concise explanation of services, fees, conflicts, legal standards and disciplinary history. Use it as a map, then consult the fuller Form ADV when a point affects your decision. Ask the adviser to explain any difference between the summary, the brochure and the proposed agreement.
Ask direct questions about tax and investment coordination
A CPA who gives investment advice may coordinate both areas, or may keep them in separate departments. Get specific answers before signing.
- Will you personally prepare or review my tax returns, or will another CPA do that work?
- Will you personally provide investment advice and portfolio management, or will a separate adviser or broker do so?
- How do you coordinate estimated taxes, capital gains, retirement contributions and withdrawals with the investment plan?
- Which tax issues are outside your engagement and referred to another professional?
- Who owns the client relationship if the CPA, adviser or firm changes?
- How often will we review the plan, and what written deliverables will I receive?
- Who will perform the day-to-day work, and what access will I have to that person?
Insist that important answers appear in the engagement letter, advisory agreement or another written document. A conversation can clarify intent, but the contract and regulatory disclosures determine what the firm has agreed to do.
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Compare fees, conflicts and fiduciary scope
“Fee-only,” “fee-based,” commissions and asset-based pricing can mean different economic arrangements. Do not infer total cost from a label. Ask for an estimate in dollars using your expected account size and the services you will actually use.
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Build an all-in cost estimate
Request the recurring advisory fee, one-time planning or tax fees, account or platform charges, fund or product expenses, trading costs and any tax-preparation charges. Ask which costs are paid to the adviser, which go to another company and which are outside the firm’s control. If the answer depends on account size, obtain the applicable fee schedule and a worked example.
Identify incentives
Ask whether the adviser or an affiliate receives commissions, referral payments, revenue sharing, custody compensation or other benefits. Ask how the firm handles a recommendation that produces more compensation than an alternative. A conflict disclosure is not automatically a reason to reject a candidate, but you should understand who benefits and what controls apply.
Pin down the legal standard
Ask what fiduciary duty applies to investment advice, tax work and any brokerage service. A person can have different legal obligations in different capacities. The answer should match the registration, Form ADV, relationship summary and agreement rather than relying on a general claim such as “we always put clients first.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Interview more than one candidate
CFP Board recommends interviewing and evaluating several professionals. Two or three interviews often reveal differences in scope, communication and cost that a directory profile cannot show.
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- Describe your financial situation and the decisions you need to make without disclosing information you are not comfortable sharing at an initial meeting.
- Ask the candidate to explain the first 90 days of work, the documents required and the deliverables you would receive.
- Request examples of work with clients in circumstances similar to yours, such as business ownership, concentrated stock, multistate taxes or imminent retirement.
- Ask which tasks the candidate performs personally and which are delegated or referred.
- Request the written fee schedule, Form ADV, relationship summary and proposed engagement agreement.
- Ask how often advice is reviewed, how quickly questions are answered and what happens during a market or tax-law change.
- Ask the candidate to identify the most important limitation or conflict in the proposed relationship.
Compare candidates on fit, not just credentials
| Comparison area | What a strong answer addresses | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Clear list of planning, tax and investment services, with exclusions stated. | Engagement letter and interview notes. |
| Relevant experience | Specific examples involving circumstances like yours, without breaching client confidentiality. | Examples, process description and references where offered. |
| Licenses and registrations | Current CPA license, adviser registration and any broker affiliation explained consistently. | CPAverify, state board, IAPD and BrokerCheck records. |
| Cost | Total compensation and outside charges explained in dollars or a reproducible formula. | Fee schedule, Form ADV and written estimate. |
| Conflicts | Commissions, referrals, affiliates and fiduciary scope disclosed plainly. | Form ADV, relationship summary and written answers. |
| Delivery | Named person responsible, meeting cadence, response times and tangible deliverables. | Service calendar and agreement. |
Recognize warning signs without overreading a database
Pause the process when a candidate:
- Will not provide a legal name, license number, firm name or regulatory documents.
- Claims that a CPA license alone proves investment expertise or that a directory listing is an endorsement.
- Gives a fee label but will not calculate likely total costs.
- Cannot explain whether tax preparation, tax planning and portfolio management are performed in-house.
- Minimizes a disclosure instead of explaining what happened and how the firm addressed it.
- Pressures you to transfer assets or sign before you have read the agreement.
- Offers a promise of returns or certainty that is absent from the written disclosures.
Regulatory databases have jurisdictional and reporting limits. An empty search result can reflect a spelling difference, a different regulator, an unregistered service or incomplete coverage; it is not conclusive proof of clean history. Conversely, a record with no reported event is not a guarantee of competence. Confirm unusual results with the relevant regulator and ask the candidate for a written explanation.
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Choose the engagement and keep verifying
After comparing candidates, select the person whose verified credentials, services, experience, cost, conflicts and communication fit your needs. Before transferring money or granting account authority:
- Read the final advisory agreement, tax engagement letter and custody paperwork.
- Confirm that the legal entity and fees match the Form ADV and your interview notes.
- Verify where assets will be held and who has authority to move them.
- Obtain instructions for ending the relationship and any applicable termination fees.
- Set a calendar reminder to review updated Form ADV disclosures, registration status and your service scope.
Repeat the verification when the adviser changes firms, adds a broker affiliation, begins offering a new service or asks you to open an account with a different entity. Credentials and registrations can change after the initial interview.
How the process applies to common needs
Retirement planning with tax-sensitive withdrawals
Ask for a written plan showing how investment choices, account withdrawals, estimated taxes and required distributions are coordinated. Confirm whether the CPA will prepare returns or only model tax effects, and identify who will implement portfolio changes.
Business-owner planning
Ask about experience with owner compensation, entity-level issues, estimated payments, succession and concentrated business wealth. Determine which work is performed by the adviser’s firm and which requires a specialist or separate tax engagement.
Investment management with occasional tax advice
Confirm whether the investment adviser provides tax planning directly or simply refers clients to a CPA. Review referral compensation and the scope of fiduciary duty for each relationship before assuming the two professionals are coordinated.
Tax preparation first, investing later
You can hire a CPA for tax work without hiring that person for investments. If investment advice is later proposed, restart the registration, disclosure, fee and conflict checks rather than treating the existing tax relationship as proof of advisory suitability.
