Before authorizing a transfer, evaluate both the prospective adviser and the firm that will hold your account. Confirm registration and disciplinary history, read current disclosures, calculate the complete cost, identify conflicts and incentives, and obtain a written plan for each holding, required document, fee and expected milestone.
This guide is for U.S. investors. Registration systems, Form ADV, Form CRS and ACATS procedures described here are U.S.-specific; account contracts, assets and firm procedures control the outcome for your situation.
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1. Check the adviser and the firm separately
A persuasive meeting is not a substitute for independent verification. Investor.gov recommends checking the individual professional and the advisory firm, including current registration and disciplinary information. Start with the SEC and state-regulator lookup information in Investor.gov’s Investment Advisers guide.
Questions about registration and records
- Are you registered with the SEC or a state securities authority, and where can I review your current record?
- What is the exact legal name of the advisory firm and the custodian that will hold my assets?
- Have you or the firm had reportable disciplinary, regulatory or legal events? What happened, when did it occur, and how was it resolved?
Review the firm’s current Form ADV. Part 1 reports business, ownership, practices and disciplinary events. Part 2 is the narrative brochure covering services, fees, conflicts and disciplinary information. Ask for the applicable brochure supplement for the individual adviser. If the firm provides retail advice, request its Form CRS, which summarizes services, costs, conflicts, standards of conduct and history in a shorter format.
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Save the versions and dates you reviewed. Disclosures can change, so verify them again immediately before signing.
2. Test whether the service actually fits
A transfer makes sense only if the new arrangement improves the advice or service you need after accounting for costs, restrictions and transition risks. Ask the adviser to describe the proposed relationship in writing rather than relying on a general description such as “wealth management.”
Questions about scope and investment approach
- What services are included: investment management, financial planning, retirement-income planning, tax coordination, estate coordination or something else?
- Which services are excluded, and what would generate a separate charge?
- How often will we meet, who will be my day-to-day contact, and how are urgent questions handled?
- Are there limits on the products, custodians, funds or strategies you may recommend?
- What experience do you have with clients whose goals, account types, time horizon and risk capacity resemble mine?
- What is your investment approach, and what process will you use to decide whether my existing holdings should be retained, changed or sold?
Ask for a sample investment policy, planning deliverable or meeting schedule if one is available. You are looking for a clear description of decisions the adviser will make, decisions you retain, and circumstances that trigger a recommendation to trade.
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3. Map every dollar of compensation and cost
The advertised advisory fee is only one part of the expense. Form ADV Part 2 disclosures address the fee schedule, billing method and frequency, negotiability, and other costs such as brokerage, custody and fund expenses. Use the firm’s brochure and fee schedule, then request an account-specific estimate.
| Compensation method | What to clarify | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage of assets | Which assets are included, the rate or tiers, valuation date, billing frequency and whether cash is included | What would my recurring fee be at the current and projected account values, and how is it deducted? |
| Hourly or flat fee | Scope, minimums, project end point, unused-hour treatment and charges for follow-up work | What work is covered, what is outside scope, and what is the maximum expected bill? |
| Commission or transaction compensation | Products or transactions that generate compensation and how recommendations affect what you pay | When would you receive a commission, and can you show a lower-cost alternative? |
| Combination arrangement | Which services use each method and whether charges can overlap | Can you provide one written illustration of my total annual and transaction costs? |
Ask about costs outside the advisory fee
- What transaction, brokerage, custody, account-maintenance or wire fees could apply?
- What expenses are charged inside mutual funds, exchange-traded funds or other products?
- Are there minimum account sizes, householding rules, platform fees or termination charges?
- Is the fee negotiable, when is it assessed, and is it deducted from the account or billed separately?
- Will my total cost change if I transfer additional assets, use a different custodian or select a particular product?
Ask the adviser to show, in writing, how your estimated all-in cost would compare before and after the move. The comparison should identify assumptions, recurring charges and one-time transition costs rather than presenting only a headline percentage.
4. Identify incentives and conflicts before you sign
Compensation arrangements and product relationships can influence recommendations. The SEC’s investor guidance specifically encourages questions about how a professional is paid, whether recommendations affect compensation and whether the professional was paid or rewarded for bringing a client when changing firms. See Questions You Should Ask About Your Investments.
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Direct questions about conflicts
- Does the firm or adviser receive compensation, revenue sharing, referral payments or other benefits from a product provider, custodian or service provider connected with my account?
- Is there any incentive, bonus, quota credit or compensation change if I transfer assets or choose a particular investment?
- Did the firm offer you anything for bringing clients from your former employer or another firm?
- How does each disclosed conflict affect the recommendation you are making to me?
- Can you give me the conflict and the mitigation policy in writing?
A disclosure does not by itself tell you whether a recommendation is suitable for your circumstances. Ask the adviser to explain the practical effect of the conflict, what alternatives were considered and whether you can decline the associated product or service without losing ordinary account support.
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Do not assume that an account transfer means every investment moves in kind. Investor.gov notes that some mutual funds and money market funds may not be available at the receiving firm. Other assets may also be restricted by the new custodian’s platform or by the account type.
Build a holding-by-holding transfer list
Give the prospective adviser and receiving custodian a current statement and ask them to classify every position as transferable in kind, transferable only after a change, or unavailable. For each exception, ask:
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- Must the position be sold, exchanged or left temporarily at the old firm?
- What replacement, if any, would be used and who makes that decision?
- Could a sale create taxes, a transaction charge, a spread, a surrender charge or a period out of the market?
- Will cost basis, beneficiary designations, dividend instructions, tax lots and standing instructions transfer correctly?
- What happens to fractional shares, proprietary funds, annuities, limited partnerships or other nonstandard holdings?
Discuss possible tax consequences with a qualified tax professional before authorizing a sale or exchange. The adviser and custodian can explain operational treatment, but they cannot turn a general transfer estimate into individualized tax advice.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.6. Get a written, account-specific transfer plan
Investor.gov’s Investor Bulletin: Transferring Your Investment Account recommends asking the receiving firm to explain the process, documents, fees, anticipated duration and possible delays. Ask for answers tied to your account type and actual holdings.
Questions about responsibility and paperwork
- Which firm will initiate and coordinate the transfer?
- What exact forms, signatures, identification documents and recent statements are required?
- Where should each document be sent, and who confirms that it was accepted as complete?
- What is the expected timeframe for this account type and these assets?
- What events could delay the transfer, and whom do I contact if an asset or document is missing?
- What are the old firm’s and new firm’s transfer, account, transaction, wire or closing fees?
- Will any advisory fee paid in advance be adjusted or refunded when I terminate the current agreement?
Fees due at termination generally depend on the contract and disclosures. SEC compliance guidance says advisers should ensure those fees follow the contractual arrangements and disclosures; it does not create a universal refund entitlement. Read your current agreement and obtain written, account-specific answers from both firms.
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7. Understand the timing—and the ACATS limitation
For a transfer through the Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS), Investor.gov says that when a bank participates in the relevant program, a transfer between that bank and a broker or investment adviser should take approximately three to five business days after the old firm receives a correct transfer-initiation form. This is an operational estimate, not a guarantee for every account.
Banks, mutual funds, credit unions, insurance companies and limited partnerships are not required to participate in ACATS. A transfer involving a nonparticipating institution, unavailable fund or rejected form can take longer. Ask the firms to state which transfer path applies to each asset and what date starts their estimate.
8. Use this transfer sequence
- Inventory the current account. Record positions, quantities, cost basis, beneficiaries, cash, recurring transactions and any restrictions. Download statements and agreements.
- Verify the prospective firm. Check the individual and firm records, read Form ADV, the brochure supplement and Form CRS when applicable, and keep copies of the versions reviewed.
- Compare services and total costs. Obtain a written scope of work, fee schedule and account-specific all-in estimate, including custody, brokerage, fund and transition charges.
- Resolve conflicts and incentives. Ask whether anyone is paid or rewarded for the move and how each disclosed conflict affects your recommendation.
- Confirm asset eligibility. Have the receiving custodian review every holding and explain any required sale, replacement, delay or separate account.
- Request the transfer packet. Confirm the exact form, signatures, delivery method and acceptance contact. Correct forms matter to the timing estimate.
- Submit and monitor. Ask for a submission date, case number or other confirmation. Keep the old account open until assets and cash appear correctly at the new firm.
- Reconcile after completion. Compare positions, quantities, cost basis, beneficiaries, dividends, standing instructions and fees with your final old-firm statement. Report discrepancies promptly.
9. Compare multiple advisers on identical facts
There is no official universal score or weighting system. Make your own comparison using the same questions, account value assumptions and time period for every candidate.
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|---|---|
| Service and fit | Included planning and investment services, exclusions, client experience, contact model and product or strategy limits |
| Qualifications and record | Current individual and firm registration, Form ADV disclosures, Form CRS where applicable and reportable history |
| Total cost | Advisory charges plus transaction, custody, brokerage, account, fund and product expenses; identify recurring versus one-time amounts |
| Compensation and conflicts | How the adviser and firm earn money, transfer incentives, product relationships and written conflict explanations |
| Asset and custody fit | Which holdings transfer in kind, which do not, how exceptions are handled and where assets will be held |
| Transfer process | Initiating firm, required documents, estimated duration, delay points, fees and support contacts |
10. Warning signs that require a pause
- The adviser will not provide current disclosures or the firm’s legal identity.
- Answers about compensation, incentives or conflicts remain vague after you ask directly.
- The firm promises that every holding will transfer or gives a fixed completion date without checking your assets.
- The fee illustration omits custody, brokerage, fund or transaction expenses.
- You are pressured to sign before receiving the contract, transfer forms or written explanation of unavailable assets.
- The proposed strategy requires immediate selling but no one explains tax, market-exposure or transaction consequences.
Pause the transfer, request written clarification and verify the information independently. You can also ask a qualified tax or legal professional about consequences outside the adviser’s scope.
11. What to keep in your records
Retain the adviser’s Form ADV and brochure supplement, Form CRS if provided, fee schedule, signed agreement, transfer forms, written asset-eligibility analysis, incentive disclosures, submission confirmation and final statements. A complete file lets you verify what was promised, identify missing assets and challenge an incorrect fee.
Make the decision only after the unanswered questions are written down
A new adviser should be able to explain the relationship, complete cost, conflicts, asset treatment and transfer path in terms specific to your account. If a material answer is uncertain, obtain it in writing before authorizing the move. The right time to discover an unavailable fund, termination charge or incentive is before the transfer begins.
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