Disclosures

We recommend you read the disclosures on this page before using the services on this website. Additional disclosures are published in the Registry's Terms of Service (see bottom navigation). All investors and advisors who use the services and information on this website agree to be bound by Paladin's Terms of Service.

Quality Rating

Paladin has developed an objective methodology for screening advisor credentials, ethics, and business practices that produces quality ratings of one to five stars. Paladin only invites five star rated advisors to be profiled in the Registry. Paladin reviews the following, partial list of data to produce ratings. For competence we review education, financial experience, certifications, designations, accreditations, and association memberships. For ethics we review compliance records, criminal records, securities licenses, insurance licenses, RIA/ IAR registration, and fiduciary status. For business practices we review compensation, reporting, accessibility, minimums, discretion and other criteria. 

Paladin's quality rating process is subject to the following qualifications. The information in Registry profiles for advisors and Paladin's five star quality rating does not imply or guarantee advisors will provide competent or ethical advice in the future, will produce extraordinary investment returns in the future, or constitute an endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, or favoring by Paladin for any advisor who is profiled in the Registry.

Validation of Data

There is no public database for advisors. Consequently, all data in advisor profiles has been provided to Paladin by advisors. Advisors certify their data are complete, accurate, and current. Paladin reviews all data that are provided by advisors to calculate a quality rating. Paladin publishes information that is submitted by advisors. Paladin does not validate the completeness or accuracy of all information in advisor profiles (see FADD certification). 

Advisor Background Checks (FADD)

Some advisors who are profiled in the Registry subscribe to Paladin's Financial Advisor Due Diligence service. The FADD service is a voluntary background checking service that validates some, but not all information in advisor profiles. Based on this review process, Paladin certifies the accuracy of advisor data that are subject to FADD review. FADD background checks are also point-in-time measurements. Advisor information is subject to change over time and the changes may not be reflected in the advisor's most recent FADD Findings Report. Paladin's FADD service may be limited by the availability and accuracy of public data for advisors. Paladin is not responsible or liable for the accuracy of data that are obtained from third parties and third party databases. The reliability of information that is provided by Paladin's FADD certification service is governed by Paladin's Terms of Service.

Track Record

Advisors do not provide track records that document their past results, in particular track records that have been audited by independent third parties. Therefore, a Registry five star quality rating does not measure advisors' past results and it does not have any predictive value for advisors' future results.

Advice, Recommendations, Testimonials

Paladin provides information services to investors that help them make objective decisions when they select financial planners, investment advisors and money managers. The information is not intended to be advice or a recommendation to select particular advisors. The Registry's five star rating is a reflection of the overall quality of advisors' credentials, ethics, and business practices. The rating is not a testimonial that indicates or guarantees advisors will provide competent, ethical advice or produce exceptional investment returns in the future. Investors are solely responsible for their use of Paladin Registry information when they select particular advisors.

 Terminated Advisors

Advisors who received Paladin's five star quality rating and have been profiled in the Paladin Registry may continue to display a Paladin icon on their websites and marketing literature and continue to represent they are five star rated by Paladin after they have been removed from the Registry. Investors are solely responsible for determining if advisors are currently profiled in the Paladin Registry. Investors should contact Paladin at info@PaladinRegistry.com to determine if particular advisors are currently profiled in the Registry. 

Safe & Easy (Statement)

Paladin believes advisors who are profiled in the Paladin Registry are safer, easier choices for investors than advisors who are not profiled in the Registry. We believe documented information is more reliable and safer than information that is provided in sales pitches. We believe advisors who volunteer information for their credentials, ethics, and business practices are safer choices than advisors who do not provide this information. We believe advisors who are profiled in the Registry are easier choices because investors do not have to know the right questions to ask to obtain the information they need to select them.
 

Competent and Trustworthy (Statement)

We believe the advisors who are profiled in the Registry are competent based on our review of their education, industry experience, certifications, designations, and association memberships. We believe the advisors who are profiled in the Registry are trustworthy based on our review of their current registrations with applicable regulatory authorities, compliance records, RIA or IAR registration, fiduciary status, and their willingness to provide full disclosure.

Paladin Compensation

Financial professionals who are profiled in the Registry pay fixed monthly dues that Paladin uses to provide free services to investors and to provide professional services to members of the Registry. The Registry has Referral and Credential members. Referral members pay fixed monthly dues of $50 to $175 based on their location. Credential members pay fixed monthly dues of $35 per month. Paladin may receive additional payments of $50 to $100 per month when members participate in the Paladin Advocates Limited (PAL) program. This program enables Paladin to provide free services to a larger number of investors. In return, participants in the PAL program may receive more referrals from the Registry than members who do not participate in this program. When Paladin conducts Financial Advisor Due Diligence that verifies the accuracy of certain advisor information, advisors pay Paladin $395 for the initial review and for annual renewals.   

Individuals versus Firms

Paladin provides quality ratings for individuals and not firms. Therefore, some firms may employ or license advisors who have been rated by Paladin; the same firms may employ or license advisors who have not been rated by Paladin; Paladin may have rated multiple professionals at some firms; Paladin may have rated all of the partners or senior professionals at some firms.

Paladin Opinions

Some of the information on this website represents the opinions of Paladin professionals. Not all professionals, firms, or regulatory agencies agree with our opinions.