FAQs for Advisors

Browse through our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to gain a deeper understanding of APFORIA and how we empower advisors to successfully navigate their journey towards independence.

  • APFORIA is a privately held common stock corporation incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia in May 2023. APFORIA was registered as an investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission in accordance with the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 in August 2023. The name ‘APFORIA’ is an acronym for Atlantic to Pacific Fee-Only Registered Investment Adviser. 

  • To create a sustainable business that facilitates the formation and growth of small independent firms providing fee-only investment advice to their clients. We will do this by providing registration, compliance, and other back-office services to our investment adviser representatives so they can focus on serving their clients and developing their firms.

  • There are no client or asset minimums required to join APFORIA. You may begin your journey as a financial adviser with us.

  • Yes. We are sanctimoniously fee-only advisers. It’s in our name. Additionally, many of our Adviser Representatives are CFP® Professionals and hold themselves out as fee-only financial planners. The CFP Board of Standards requires the entire firm to be fee-only if the CFP® Professional is holding themselves out as fee-only. There are no exceptions to the fee-only policy. 

  • No. Fee-based is not fee-only. 

  • We have a sliding scale from 10% to 15% of your revenue. The minimum fee is $12,000 annually, with a temporary price break for new adviser representatives with very low revenue. There is also a membership and technology fee to cover some of the cost of the tech stack we use.

  • Yes. Clients are free to leave with you or stay with APFORIA. Keep in mind that registering elsewhere and repapering your clients usually takes several months. You will be required to honor your agreements with us during that transition period.

  • No. APFORIA does not authorize custody of client funds or securities.

  • The goal is never. Regulators have the authority to speak to you whenever they want, but they should never want to. You will have certain responsibilities as a Supervised Person, but APFORIA’s Compliance Team will handle your registration and the majority of your compliance activities. It is our goal that you never speak to a securities regulator again.

  • We do not permit dual registration as an adviser representative and a broker-dealer. Generally, we do not allow adviser representatives to be registered with more than one firm at a time, but it may be unavoidable for short periods during onboarding and offboarding.

  • We have a very supportive community of adviser representatives who love helping other adviser representatives get started on the path to serving their clients well.

  • Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.