Registered Investment Advisor - RIA

An investment adviser registered with the SEC and the state where he or she works.

Why both? Well, people travel to different states all the time, but we all (Americans, ahem) live in the same Republic. So laws need to both be local and national...hence the need for this kind of "double" registration.

Depending on the types of investments you'll opine upon, you'll need different kinds of registrations. Will you also be managing money, trading stocks, or just advising clients to buy index funds and play golf? Lots of room for corruption here, so the regulations have to be pretty tight.

See: Hiding Written Complaints. You don't want these.

See: FINRA. And check out our myriad Series Exams, as you'll start with the SIE.

See: The Investment Company Act of 1940.