Start here
The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Why the label 'advisor' is regulated and 'assistant' is not
Investment advice carries registration duties. A product that avoids the label avoids the duty, while still shaping what you do with your money.
Registration lookups are free and public, and a legitimate firm will answer a registration question without hesitation.
The protocol
- Write down the product name, company, and the advice you have been given.
- Search the company and any named individual in your state's and the federal registration databases.
- Record whether it is registered as an investment adviser or broker-dealer, and for what.
- Ask, in writing, whether the tool is compensated for products it recommends.
- Keep the record with the app's disclosures and your account statements.
What the tool does
Build an AI-adviser registration record It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a record-keeping aid, not financial, investment or legal advice. It cannot stop a charge, reverse a transaction, or establish who is legally liable.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Free path, in order (no cost):
- Your state securities regulator's free registration lookup
- SEC investment-adviser search and complaint channels
- The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's investor complaint route
What this cannot do: It cannot stop a charge, reverse a transaction, or establish who is legally liable.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
If the service is not registered where it should be, file a complaint with your state securities regulator and the SEC; if you have lost money, contact a lawyer who handles securities matters.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is financial-agent-exposure; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.