We recommend you read the disclosures on this page before using the services on this website. There are additional disclosures that are published in the Registry's Terms of Service (bottom navigation). All investors who use the services and information on this website agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.
Pre-Screening & Quality Ratings
Paladin has developed an objective methodology for measuring 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 data (partial list):
Competence: Education, financial experience, certifications, designations, and association memberships
Ethics: Compliance records, criminal records, securities licenses, insurance licenses, RIA/ IAR registration, and fiduciary status
Business Practices: Compensation, reporting, accessibility, minimums, and discretion
Paladin's pre-screening process and five star quality rating are subject to the following qualifications:
The information in advisor Registry profiles and Paladin's five star quality rating do not imply or guarantee advisors will provide competent or ethical advice in the future.
A five star quality rating does not constitute a track record for investment returns.
The five star rating does not mean advisors will provide superior advice, services, or results compared to advisors who have not been pre-screened and rated by Paladin.
A five star quality rating does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, or favoring by Paladin for any advisor who is profiled in the Registry.
A five star quality rating does not mean an advisor will produce extraordinary investment returns in the future.
Validation of Advisor Data
All information in Registry documents for advisors has been provided to Paladin by advisors. Advisors are required to certify that the data in their profiles 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 and Paladin does not validate the completeness or accuracy of the information. Investors are solely responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of advisor information. Some advisors, who are profiled in the Registry, are FADD Certified, in which case Paladin has validated some data, but not all data.
Financial Advisor Due Diligence (FADD)
Some members of the Registry subscribe to Paladin's FADD Certification 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. 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.
Advisor Performance
Advisors do not provide track records that document their past results, in particular track records that have been audited by independent third parties. Therefore, the Registry's five star quality rating does not measure an advisor's past results nor does it have any predictive value for an advisor's future results.
Terminated Advisors
Advisors who received Paladin's five star quality rating and were 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 who claim to be five star rated by Paladin are currently profiled in the Registry. Investors should contact Paladin at info@PaladinRegistry.com to determine if particular advisors are currently profiled in the Registry.
Safe & Easy
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. That is because advisors who are profiled in the Registry have volunteered to document substantial amounts of information about their credentials, ethics, business practices, and services. This online information is provided in a printable format so investors have a permanent record of the advisors' information. We believe documented information is more reliable and safer than information that is provided in sales pitches. We believe advisors who volunteer this information 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. Also, investors do not need to record information from multiple advisors.
Competent and Trustworthy
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.
Advice & Recommendations
When Paladin emails investors the results of Custom Search™ requests, the results are not intended to be advice or recommendations to select particular advisors. Whenever possible, Paladin sends investors the names of multiple advisors so they have a choice. The email also contains links to the advisors' Registry documentation. The content in advisor profiles and other Registry documentation is for information purposes only. Investors use the information to screen advisors and to help them select advisors. Investors are solely responsible for their decisions to select particular advisors.
Paladin Compensation
Financial professionals who are profiled in the Registry pay 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 monthly dues of $50 to $175 based on their location. Credential members pay monthly dues of $35. 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 $495 for the initial review and $195 for annual updates.
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 these opinions.
