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If your investment adviser is leaving or your firm is moving your account to an automated service, first find out exactly what will change, when it changes, who will be responsible for your account, and whether you must approve anything. Obtain the firm’s current Form CRS, Form ADV brochure and advisory agreement, compare the revised service with what you use today, and then decide whether to stay, request a different adviser, or transfer the account.
This guidance is for U.S. investors. It explains the decisions and operational steps, but only your firm can confirm account-specific fees, eligibility, deadlines and tax consequences.
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Start by establishing what is actually changing
An adviser’s departure does not automatically mean your portfolio will be liquidated or that your contract ends. The practical effect depends on your advisory agreement and on the firm’s replacement plan. Your account might be reassigned to another human adviser, moved to a hybrid service with software and professional access, or placed in a robo-adviser program with a different level of support. Each arrangement can alter who gives advice, how often the account is monitored, what investment authority the firm has and which fees apply.
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Questions for the current firm
- Is the adviser leaving the firm, changing roles, or being replaced by another adviser?
- What is the exact effective date, and who is responsible for my account on each side of that date?
- Will investment strategy, monitoring frequency, trading discretion, financial planning or response times change?
- Is the account moving to a robo-adviser, a hybrid model or a different human adviser? How much access to an investment professional is included?
- Will my existing advisory agreement continue, be amended or be replaced? Must I sign a new agreement or make a choice by a stated deadline?
- What advisory, transaction, account, product-level and third-party costs will apply after the change?
- Are account minimums, investment limits, conflicts of interest, withdrawal rules or transfer and closure charges different?
- Can I cancel or move the account, and are there operational restrictions during the transition?
Request answers in writing or keep detailed notes of the call. Save the notice, fee schedule and every version of the agreement so you can compare the old and new terms.
Read the documents that define the new relationship
Your advisory contract is the controlling document for the services you purchased. It should address the services provided, fees, cancellation process and other contractual terms. Form CRS is a short relationship summary designed to present services, fees and costs, conflicts, standards of conduct and disciplinary history under consistent headings. Form ADV, including the firm’s brochure, provides more detail about the adviser’s business, services, fees, conflicts and disciplinary information.
Read the current documents alongside the versions you received when you opened the account. Look for changed language rather than relying on the firm’s description of the transition. Form CRS helps you compare firms, but it is not a substitute for the advisory agreement or Form ADV brochure.
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| Term | What to verify |
|---|---|
| Advice and planning | Whether you still receive investment advice, financial planning or only portfolio-management instructions. |
| Monitoring | How the account is reviewed, what triggers a rebalance and whether a person can override or discuss a recommendation. |
| Investment authority | Whether the firm has discretionary trading authority, requires your approval or uses a rules-based process. |
| Human access | Who answers investment questions, how to reach that person and whether support is limited to technical issues. |
| Investments | Permitted securities, available funds, cash treatment, restrictions and whether your existing holdings fit the new program. |
| Costs | Advisory fees, trading charges, account fees, fund or product expenses, transfer charges and any minimum balance. |
| Conflicts | Compensation arrangements, affiliated products, revenue sharing or other incentives that could affect recommendations. |
| Ending the relationship | Notice requirements, cancellation rights, liquidation rules and any fee for closing or moving the account. |
If a document uses a term you cannot explain, ask the firm to define it in the context of your account. A lower headline fee does not establish that the new service is equivalent: the scope of advice, investment limitations and access to professionals may also change.
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Understand what “automated” means before deciding
Automation is a delivery method, not a complete description of the service. Robo-advisers generally collect information such as your goals, investment horizon, income, other assets and risk tolerance, then use that information to create and manage a portfolio. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Bulletin: Robo-Advisers (2017) cautions: “The services provided, approaches to investing, and features of robo-advisers vary widely.”
Some automated programs provide access to investment professionals for questions or planning. Others provide only technical support through a website, email or chat. Determine which model you are being offered and whether the questionnaire captures circumstances that matter to you, such as concentrated stock, irregular income, planned withdrawals, tax-sensitive holdings or a need for ongoing financial planning.
Compare the three common service models
| Model | Typical operating method | Questions that determine fit |
|---|---|---|
| Human adviser | A professional discusses goals and recommendations with you and may manage investments under the agreement. | How often will we meet? Who covers the account when the adviser is unavailable? What decisions require my approval? |
| Hybrid | Software handles some portfolio construction or monitoring while professionals provide specified advice or escalation. | When can I speak with an investment professional? Is that access included? Which tasks remain automated? |
| Robo-adviser | An online process gathers information and applies a stated portfolio methodology, with support and professional access varying by provider. | Is support investment advice or technical help? What assumptions drive the portfolio? Can the program handle my constraints? |
Do not infer service quality from the label. Compare the actual scope, investment approach, fees, risks, withdrawal or transfer charges and communication channels with your goals and need for personal judgment.
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Check the firm and the people before accepting a replacement
Use the SEC’s Investor.gov adviser search and the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) system to review the firm’s registration status, current Form ADV filing, relationship summary and information about an investment adviser representative. The search tools also direct you to FINRA BrokerCheck when the person or firm is acting as a broker. Check both the organization and the individual who will handle your account.
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A practical due-diligence checklist
- Confirm which regulator and registration category applies to the firm and representative.
- Read the latest Form CRS and Form ADV brochure, including fee and conflict disclosures.
- Review reported disciplinary or conduct information and ask the firm to explain anything you do not understand.
- Verify the representative’s role, credentials as described by the firm and responsibility for your account.
- Ask how complaints are handled and who can access your records if the assigned adviser leaves again.
Registration is not a guarantee of performance or a personal recommendation. It is a way to verify the firm’s disclosed business, services and regulatory record before you agree to a new relationship.
Decide whether staying still serves your needs
Make the decision against your own objectives rather than against the adviser’s departure alone. Staying may be sensible if the successor provides the planning, monitoring and human access you require at acceptable costs. A transfer may be appropriate if the new service cannot support your circumstances, restricts needed investments, removes personal advice or introduces costs and conflicts you do not accept.
Use this decision sequence
- Write down your current service. List the advice you receive, portfolio-monitoring process, investment authority, planning work, contact methods and total recurring and transaction-related costs.
- Map the proposed service. Use the new Form CRS, Form ADV brochure and agreement to record the corresponding terms and every difference.
- Test the gaps. Ask specific questions about concentrated positions, withdrawals, tax-sensitive transactions, beneficiary changes, outside assets and any other feature relevant to you.
- Set a response deadline. If the notice requires consent, obtain the exact date and consequences of missing it. If no consent is required, ask how to opt out or terminate.
- Choose an action. Accept the revised arrangement, request reassignment to another service or begin a transfer to a firm whose documented terms fit your needs.
Keep a dated record of notices, answers and decisions. It will help resolve an incorrect fee, missed instruction or service dispute later.
If you transfer a brokerage account, let the receiving firm initiate it
For a brokerage transfer, Investor.gov describes a process that starts and ends with the new firm. Open or identify the receiving account, then complete that firm’s Transfer Instruction Form. Use the old account’s legal name, account number and registration exactly as shown on the statement. Complete every requested field; incomplete or inaccurate forms are a common cause of delay.
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Transfer procedure
- Ask the receiving firm for its transfer form and eligibility instructions. Confirm that the receiving account has the same registration and that the assets you own can be accepted.
- Copy the old statement carefully. Enter names, account numbers and registration details exactly; do not rely on memory.
- Submit the form to the receiving firm. The new firm sends the request through the Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS) to the old firm.
- Stay in contact with both firms. Ask for the status, expected milestones and instructions for any asset that cannot transfer as-is.
- Ask about costs before the request is processed. Confirm transfer, account-closing, liquidation, wire and other applicable charges with each firm.
- Review the first statement from the new firm. Compare positions, quantities, cash and account registration with the last statement from the old firm, and report discrepancies promptly.
Some holdings may transfer in kind, while others may have to be sold or may be ineligible for transfer. Whether a sale creates a tax consequence depends on the account type, holding and transaction. The general transfer process cannot determine those facts for you, so obtain the firms’ specific answers and consult a qualified tax professional familiar with your account and holdings before authorizing a taxable transaction.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common transition problems and how to address them
You cannot reach the departing adviser
Contact the firm’s service or compliance department and request the successor’s name, effective date and written service terms. The firm, not the departing individual, is the source for the account’s current contract and operational instructions.
The new program offers only technical support
Ask whether an investment professional is available, what questions that person may answer and whether planning is included. If the service cannot address your needs, compare another documented service before accepting the change.
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Your holdings are not supported
Request a list of restricted assets and the firm’s options for each one. Do not authorize a sale until you understand pricing, timing, tax treatment and whether an alternative account can hold the position.
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A transfer is delayed or incomplete
Verify that the receiving firm submitted a complete form with matching registration and account details. Ask both firms which asset or field is holding up the request, correct the information, and reconcile the first statement when the transfer completes.
A fee appears after the transition
Match the charge to the agreement, Form CRS, fee schedule and closing or transfer disclosures. Ask the firm to identify the contractual basis and whether a correction is due.
Keep a personal transition file
Store the departure notice, old and new Form CRS documents, Form ADV brochure, advisory agreements, fee schedules, statements, transfer forms, correspondence and call notes. Record the date each document became effective and the name of the person who answered each question. This file gives you a reliable before-and-after record if service, holdings or charges do not match what you were told.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe central test is simple: after the change, do you know who is responsible for your account, what decisions the service makes, how you can obtain investment help, what it costs and how to leave? If any answer remains unclear, pause your decision and obtain clarification from the firm before signing or transferring.
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