One of the defining qualities of an RIA is that we never hold physical custody of client assets. We believe the person giving investment advice should never be the same person holding the money. That is an undeniable conflict of interest.
Whether an RIA is a boutique practice with a handful of partners, or a national multi-billion dollar firm, the custody rule of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 requires all RIAs to manage client assets using a third-party custodial system.
The custodian itself holds the securities, generates monthly statements, and executes trade orders.
We have an obligation to remain multi-custodial so that our business is not beholden to any one platform.
Here's a brief walk-through of the system: CLICK HERE