SULLIVAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

Of the approximate 310,000 financial advisors in the US, only about 10% are legally required to put your interests first. They are called "Registered Investment Advisors" or RIAs for short. Typically, RIA's work on a fee based scheduled and not on commission. Because there are no commissions, and because RIAs are legally required to provide unbiased investment advice, most - if not all potential conflicts of interest or hidden agendas are eliminated... While your financial advisor should be an independent RIA, you should ensure that they are also NOT a broker. In the twisted world of Wall Street, an RIA can be both a broker and a fiduciary in a process called dual registration. If an RIA is dually registered they can claim unbiased advice as a fiduciary. Then, they can switch gears and act as a broker, selling you specific products and earning commissions or kickbacks.