Choosing an Advisor

Not All Advisors Are Created Equal

Not All Advisors Are Created Equal

Not All Advisors Are Created Equal

Zoe Team

2 min read

A financial advisor reviewing a plan with two clients at a table

Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways

  • Regulatory issues affect a segment of financial advisors.

  • Consumers should proactively verify their advisor’s credentials.

  • Transparency is essential in client-advisor relationships.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Why check an advisor’s regulatory history?

A significant percentage of certificants have faced customer complaints or disciplinary actions that could impact your financial security.

How do I find my advisor’s history?

You can research their background through the CFP Board or industry regulatory bodies to check for any disclosed criminal or legal issues.

Are all CFP certificants equally reliable?

No, despite the certification, individual conduct varies, and it is vital to perform your own due diligence before committing to a partnership.

Consumers deserve better.

What’s Happening?

This Wall Street Journal article uncovered the omission of thousands of the CFP Board’s certificant’s regulatory and criminal problems. 8.3% of CFP certificants have customer complaints, regulatory skirmishes, bankruptcy filings, and other problems, according to the WSJ article.

The CFP Board’s purpose is to raise the bar when it comes to the standard of certification for being a financial advisor. A CFP should be the minimum threshold for someone to become an advisor. But at the end of the day, only a certification for a financial advisor shouldn’t be enough. Financial advisors should be but competent and ethical as well.

Why Does It Matter?

Recent Zoe research insights indicate that 4.86% of broker-dealers and 5% of RIAs have an investment-related violation record. Even more astounding, 22.43% of broker-dealers have admitted to liability or fault relating to their dealings with clients.

Take a look at the findings using the interactive chart below:

What Are We Doing About It?

Zoe Financial was founded to solve the industry problem of actually vetting for both competency and ethics in advisors. 0% of Zoe Certified Advisors have an investment related violation, criminal record, or an admission of liability or fault when dealing with clients. Simply put, not all advisors are created equal. However, you can rest assured that Zoe Certified Advisors will plan, advise, and act in your best interest.

Not All Advisors Are Created Equal

Consumers deserve better.

What’s Happening?

Why Does It Matter?

What Are We Doing About It?

Consumers deserve better.

What’s Happening?

This Wall Street Journal article uncovered the omission of thousands of the CFP Board’s certificant’s regulatory and criminal problems. 8.3% of CFP certificants have customer complaints, regulatory skirmishes, bankruptcy filings, and other problems, according to the WSJ article.

The CFP Board’s purpose is to raise the bar when it comes to the standard of certification for being a financial advisor. A CFP should be the minimum threshold for someone to become an advisor. But at the end of the day, only a certification for a financial advisor shouldn’t be enough. Financial advisors should be but competent and ethical as well.

Why Does It Matter?

Recent Zoe research insights indicate that 4.86% of broker-dealers and 5% of RIAs have an investment-related violation record. Even more astounding, 22.43% of broker-dealers have admitted to liability or fault relating to their dealings with clients.

Take a look at the findings using the interactive chart below:

What Are We Doing About It?

Zoe Financial was founded to solve the industry problem of actually vetting for both competency and ethics in advisors. 0% of Zoe Certified Advisors have an investment related violation, criminal record, or an admission of liability or fault when dealing with clients. Simply put, not all advisors are created equal. However, you can rest assured that Zoe Certified Advisors will plan, advise, and act in your best interest.

Not All Advisors Are Created Equal

Consumers deserve better.

What’s Happening?

Why Does It Matter?

What Are We Doing About It?

Disclosures: Zoe Financial, Inc. ("Zoe Financial") is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Zoe Financial provides investment advisory services and access to independent registered investment advisers through its platform. The information provided by Zoe Financial is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as personalized investment advice or as an offer to buy or sell any security. All investments involve risk, including possible loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Clients should consult with their own financial, tax, or legal professionals before making any investment decisions. The material presented by Zoe Financial is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation of any particular security, strategy, or investment product. Material presented has been gathered from sources believed to be reliable, however Adviser cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information, and certain information presented here may have been condensed or summarized from its original source. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Zoe Financial does not provide legal or tax advice, and nothing contained in these materials should be taken as legal or tax advice. SEC Registration does not constitute an endorsement of Zoe Financial by the SEC nor does it indicate that Zoe Financial has attained a particular level of skill or ability. The sole purpose of this material is to inform, and it in no way is intended to be an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any security, other investment or service, or to attract any funds or deposits. Investments mentioned may not be appropriate for all clients. Before making any investment, each investor should carefully consider the risks associated with the investment, as discussed in the applicable offering memorandum, and make a determination based upon their own particular circumstances, that the investment is consistent with their investment objectives and risk tolerance. Lower expenses do not guarantee better investment performance. Certain information contained herein may constitute forward-looking statements. Due to various risks and uncertainties, actual events, results or the performance of a fund may differ materially from those reflected or contemplated in such forward-looking statements.

Disclosure: This page is not investment advice and should not be relied on for such advice or as a substitute for consultation with professional accounting, tax, legal or financial advisors. The observations of industry trends should not be read as recommendations for stocks or sectors.


Investment advisory services are provided by Zoe Financial, Inc. (Zoe Financial), an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Learn more about Zoe Financial on the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website. Brokerage services are provided by Zoe Securities LLC and Apex Clearing Corporation, members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (FINRA) and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). Learn more about Zoe Securities and Apex on FINRA’s BrokerCheck website.

The information in the visuals above is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an actual user's account, balance, or return. Zoe Financial does not provide tax or legal advice.

Explore the Zoe Wealth Platform with AI

Some of this content may have been generated with the assistance of AI. Please review and sense-check all outputs, as AI tools can occasionally produce incomplete or inaccurate information.
In certain situations, you may be required to disclose that the content was “generated by AI.” Please confirm any specific disclosure or labelling requirements with Compliance.

(646) 680-9244

support@zoefin.com

666 Third Ave, 6th Floor
New York, NY, 10017

Copyright © 2026 Zoe Financial, Inc. | All rights reserved

Disclosure: This page is not investment advice and should not be relied on for such advice or as a substitute for consultation with professional accounting, tax, legal or financial advisors. The observations of industry trends should not be read as recommendations for stocks or sectors.


Investment advisory services are provided by Zoe Financial, Inc. (Zoe Financial), an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Learn more about Zoe Financial on the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website. Brokerage services are provided by Zoe Securities LLC and Apex Clearing Corporation, members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (FINRA) and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). Learn more about Zoe Securities and Apex on FINRA’s BrokerCheck website.

The information in the visuals above is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an actual user's account, balance, or return. Zoe Financial does not provide tax or legal advice.

Explore the Zoe Wealth Platform with AI

Some of this content may have been generated with the assistance of AI. Please review and sense-check all outputs, as AI tools can occasionally produce incomplete or inaccurate information.
In certain situations, you may be required to disclose that the content was “generated by AI.” Please confirm any specific disclosure or labelling requirements with Compliance.

(646) 680-9244

support@zoefin.com

666 Third Ave, 6th Floor
New York, NY, 10017

Copyright © 2026 Zoe Financial, Inc. | All rights reserved

Disclosure: This page is not investment advice and should not be relied on for such advice or as a substitute for consultation with professional accounting, tax, legal or financial advisors. The observations of industry trends should not be read as recommendations for stocks or sectors.


Investment advisory services are provided by Zoe Financial, Inc. (Zoe Financial), an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Learn more about Zoe Financial on the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure website. Brokerage services are provided by Zoe Securities LLC and Apex Clearing Corporation, members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (FINRA) and Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC). Learn more about Zoe Securities and Apex on FINRA’s BrokerCheck website.

The information in the visuals above is for illustrative purposes only and does not represent an actual user's account, balance, or return. Zoe Financial does not provide tax or legal advice.

Explore the Zoe Wealth Platform with AI

Some of this content may have been generated with the assistance of AI. Please review and sense-check all outputs, as AI tools can occasionally produce incomplete or inaccurate information.
In certain situations, you may be required to disclose that the content was “generated by AI.” Please confirm any specific disclosure or labelling requirements with Compliance.

(646) 680-9244

support@zoefin.com

666 Third Ave, 6th Floor
New York, NY, 10017

Copyright © 2025 Zoe Financial, Inc. | All rights reserved