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Form ADV questions

Published explainers for individual Part 1A fields.

Each page covers one Form ADV Part 1A field: what the firm is answering, why it matters on a profile, and how to read the answer type (Yes/No, dollars, counts, or text).

Item Question Section
10A Unnamed person controls management or policies Item 10 - Control Persons
11 Events involving you or supervised persons Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11A(1) Felony conviction or guilty / no-contest plea Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11A(2) Felony charge Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11B(1) Investment-related misdemeanor conviction or plea Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11B(2) Misdemeanor charge (listed in 11B(1)) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11C(1) False statement or omission finding (SEC / CFTC) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11C(2) SEC / CFTC statute or regulation violation finding Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11C(3) Cause of denied, suspended, revoked, or restricted authorization (SEC / CFTC) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11C(4) SEC / CFTC order in connection with investment-related activity Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11C(5) Civil money penalty or cease-and-desist (SEC / CFTC) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11D(1) False statement, omission, or dishonest / unfair / unethical finding (other regulators) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11D(2) Investment-related regulation or statute violation (other regulators) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11D(3) Cause of denied, suspended, revoked, or restricted authorization (other regulators) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11D(4) Order in past ten years (other regulators) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11D(5) Registration or license denied, suspended, revoked, or restricted Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11E(1) False statement or omission finding (SRO / commodities exchange) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11E(2) SRO / exchange rule violation (other than minor rule violation) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11E(3) Cause of denied, suspended, revoked, or restricted authorization (SRO) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11E(4) Expulsion, suspension, bar, or activity restriction (SRO) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11F Attorney, accountant, or federal contractor authorization revoked or suspended Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11G Pending regulatory proceeding Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11H(1)(a) Enjoined in past ten years (civil court) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11H(1)(b) Investment-related statute or regulation violation finding (civil) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11H(1)(c) Settlement dismissal of investment-related civil action Item 11 - Disclosure Information
11H(2) Pending civil proceeding (Item 11H(1)) Item 11 - Disclosure Information
1F(5) Number of other offices Item 1 - Identifying Information
1I Do you have one or more websites Item 1 - Identifying Information
1M Registered with a foreign financial regulatory authority Item 1 - Identifying Information
1N Public reporting company under the Exchange Act Item 1 - Identifying Information
1O $1 billion or more in assets at fiscal year-end Item 1 - Identifying Information
1P Legal Entity Identifier Item 1 - Identifying Information
2A(1) Large advisory firm (SEC size threshold) Item 2 - SEC Registration
2A(10) Multi-state adviser (rule 203A-2(d)) Item 2 - SEC Registration
2A(11) Internet adviser (rule 203A-2(e)) Item 2 - SEC Registration
2A(12) SEC order exempting from prohibition against registration Item 2 - SEC Registration
2A(13) No longer eligible to remain SEC-registered Item 2 - SEC Registration
2A(2) Mid-sized advisory firm Item 2 - SEC Registration
2A(4) Principal office outside the United States Item 2 - SEC Registration
2A(5) Adviser to a registered investment company Item 2 - SEC Registration
2A(6) Adviser to a business development company Item 2 - SEC Registration
2A(7) Pension consultant (rule 203A-2) Item 2 - SEC Registration
2A(8) Related adviser under rule 203A-2(b) Item 2 - SEC Registration
2A(9) Newly formed adviser (rule 203A-2(c)) Item 2 - SEC Registration
2B(1) Exempt reporting - venture capital fund adviser Item 2 - SEC Registration
2B(2) Exempt reporting - private fund adviser under $150 million Item 2 - SEC Registration
2B(3) Private fund adviser no longer eligible for 2B(2) Item 2 - SEC Registration
3B Fiscal year end month Item 3 - Form of Organization
5B(1) Employees who perform investment advisory functions Item 5 - Employees
5B(2) Employees who are registered representatives of a broker-dealer Item 5 - Employees
5B(3) Employees registered as investment adviser representatives Item 5 - Employees
5C(1) Approximate number of advisory clients Item 5 - Clients
5C(2) Percentage of clients who are non-United States persons Item 5 - Clients
5E(1) Compensation as a percentage of assets under management Item 5 - Compensation
5E(2) Compensation by hourly charges Item 5 - Compensation
5E(3) Compensation by subscription fees Item 5 - Compensation
5E(4) Compensation by fixed fees Item 5 - Compensation
5E(5) Compensation by commissions Item 5 - Compensation
5E(6) Compensation by performance-based fees Item 5 - Compensation
5E(7) Other compensation arrangements Item 5 - Compensation
5F(1) Continuous and regular supervisory or management services Item 5F - Regulatory Assets Under Management
5F(2)(a) Discretionary regulatory assets under management Item 5F - Regulatory Assets Under Management
5F(2)(b) Non-discretionary regulatory assets under management Item 5F - Regulatory Assets Under Management
5F(2)(c) Total regulatory assets under management Item 5F - Regulatory Assets Under Management
5F(2)(d) Discretionary total number of accounts Item 5F - Regulatory Assets Under Management
5F(2)(e) Non-discretionary total number of accounts Item 5F - Regulatory Assets Under Management
5F(2)(f) Total number of accounts Item 5F - Regulatory Assets Under Management
5F(3) Regulatory AUM attributable to non-United States persons Item 5F - Regulatory Assets Under Management
5G(1) Financial planning services Item 5G - Advisory Services
5G(10) Market timing services Item 5G - Advisory Services
5G(11) Educational seminars/workshops Item 5G - Advisory Services
5G(12) Other advisory services Item 5G - Advisory Services
5G(2) Portfolio management for individuals and/or small businesses Item 5G - Advisory Services
5G(3) Portfolio management for investment companies Item 5G - Advisory Services
5G(4) Portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles Item 5G - Advisory Services
5G(5) Portfolio management for businesses or institutional clients Item 5G - Advisory Services
5G(6) Pension consulting services Item 5G - Advisory Services
5G(7) Selection of other advisers Item 5G - Advisory Services
5G(8) Publication of periodicals or newsletters Item 5G - Advisory Services
5G(9) Security ratings or pricing services Item 5G - Advisory Services
5I(1) Sponsor of a wrap fee program Item 5 - Wrap Fee Programs
5I(2)(a) Regulatory AUM as wrap fee program sponsor Item 5 - Wrap Fee Programs
5I(2)(b) Regulatory AUM as wrap fee portfolio manager Item 5 - Wrap Fee Programs
5I(2)(c) Regulatory AUM as sponsor and portfolio manager for the same wrap fee program Item 5 - Wrap Fee Programs
5K(1) Separately managed account clients Item 5 - Separately Managed Accounts
5K(2) Borrowing for separately managed account clients Item 5 - Separately Managed Accounts
5K(3) Derivatives for separately managed account clients Item 5 - Separately Managed Accounts
5K(4) Custodians holding 10% or more of SMA regulatory AUM Item 5 - Separately Managed Accounts
5L(1)(a) Advertisements include performance results Item 5 - Advertising
5L(1)(c) Advertisements include testimonials Item 5 - Advertising
5L(1)(d) Advertisements include endorsements Item 5 - Advertising
5L(3) Advertisements include hypothetical performance Item 5 - Advertising
6A(1) Broker-dealer (registered or unregistered) Item 6 - Other Business Activities
6A(2) Registered representative of a broker-dealer Item 6 - Other Business Activities
6A(6) Insurance broker or agent Item 6 - Other Business Activities
6A(7) Bank Item 6 - Other Business Activities
7A(1) Broker-dealer, municipal securities dealer, or government securities broker or dealer Item 7 - Financial Industry Affiliations
7A(12) Insurance company or agency Item 7 - Financial Industry Affiliations
7A(2) Other investment adviser (including financial planners) Item 7 - Financial Industry Affiliations
7A(8) Banking or thrift institution Item 7 - Financial Industry Affiliations
8A(1) Principal transactions with advisory clients Item 8 - Participation or Interest in Client Transactions
8C(1) Discretion to select securities for a client's account Item 8 - Brokerage Practices
8C(2) Discretion to determine amount of securities for a client's account Item 8 - Brokerage Practices
8C(3) Discretion to select the broker or dealer for a client's account Item 8 - Brokerage Practices
8C(4) Discretion to determine commission rates for client transactions Item 8 - Brokerage Practices
8E Recommend brokers or dealers to clients Item 8 - Brokerage Practices
8G(1) Receive research or soft dollar benefits Item 8 - Soft Dollar Practices
8H Compensate for client referrals Item 8 - Client Referrals
8I Receive compensation for client referrals Item 8 - Client Referrals
9A(1)(a) Custody of cash or bank accounts Item 9A - Custody
9A(1)(b) Custody of securities Item 9A - Custody
9C(1) Qualified custodian sends quarterly statements to pool investors Item 9 - Compliance
9C(3) Annual surprise examination of client assets Item 9 - Compliance
9D(1) Acting as qualified custodian Item 9 - Compliance