Advice-Only™ verification evaluates whether a specific, documented financial-planning engagement conformed to the published Advice-Only™ Methodology. The process examines evidence from the engagement itself. It does not certify an advisor, approve a firm, create a professional designation, or guarantee the outcome of any financial recommendation.
Why Verification Matters
Compensation descriptions such as fee-only, flat-fee, hourly, subscription, or project-based explain how a fee may be calculated. They do not necessarily establish whether the advice was formed separately from implementation-linked incentives.
Advice-Only™ verification asks a more specific question:
Does the documentary evidence show that the advice was formed, delivered, and economically completed before product sales, asset-management relationships, referrals, custody arrangements, or other implementation outcomes could influence the recommendations?
What Is Being Verified?
The subject of the assessment is a specific financial-planning engagement, not the advisor or firm generally.
The assessment considers the engagement agreement, compensation structure, planning records, recommendations, communications,
implementation boundaries, referral relationships, public representations, and other relevant evidence.
A finding is limited to the engagement, evidence, procedures, assessment date, and governing document versions identified in the assessment record.
The Verification Process
1. Begin with the Quick-Start Self-Check
Use the plain-language Quick-Start Self-Check to identify possible concerns, unanswered questions, or areas requiring additional documentation.
The Quick-Start Self-Check is an orientation and screening component of the verification process. It does not by itself produce a formal Engagement Conformance Finding.
Start the Quick-Start Self-Check
2. Review the Verification Standard
The Advice-Only™ Verification Standard governs assessment scope, evidence, evaluator responsibilities, materiality, findings, reporting, correction, and version control.
The Standard establishes the rules governing the Engagement Conformance Assessment.
Download the Verification Standard
3. Complete the Engagement Conformance Assessment
The Advice-Only™ Engagement Conformance Assessment applies the Verification Standard to a specific documented engagement. It uses 21 evidence-based criteria and records the evidence reviewed, criterion findings, limitations, and overall finding.
Download the Assessment
4. Record the Engagement Conformance Finding
After applying the governing criteria and finding rules, the assessment may reach one of three engagement-specific conclusions:
- Conforms
- Does Not Conform
- Unable to Determine
The finding belongs only to the documented engagement assessed. It does not create continuing verified status for the advisor or firm.
Quick-Start Self-Check
The Quick-Start Self-Check provides a shorter, plain-language entry point into the Advice-Only™ verification process. It may be used independently for preliminary orientation or as the opening component of the Engagement Conformance Assessment.
It helps identify questions such as:
- Was the advisor paid directly by the client for the advice?
- Were product sales, asset-management fees, custody, and discretion
excluded from the engagement? - Were direct and indirect referral incentives excluded?
- Was the advice economically complete before implementation began?
- Was the client free to choose any implementation path after delivery?
- Did the public description of the service match the engagement actually
delivered?
An unclear answer does not necessarily mean the engagement failed to conform. It indicates that additional evidence or a complete Engagement Conformance Assessment may be needed.
Open the Quick-Start Self-Check
Engagement Conformance Assessment
The Assessment operationalizes the Verification Standard
through:
- assessment identification and scope;
- evidence inventory;
- engagement-conformance criteria;
- criterion-level findings;
- limitations and unresolved evidence;
- overall finding rules;
- assessment origin and reviewer status;
- Assessment Record; and
- optional public-summary information.
Download the Assessment
Advice-Only™ Verification Standard
The Verification Standard is the technical parent document governing how engagement conformance is assessed.
It addresses:
- assessment scope;
- evidence sufficiency and reliability;
- conflicting or incomplete evidence;
- reviewer identity and independence;
- criterion and overall findings;
- material departures;
- correction and reassessment;
- reporting limitations; and
- version-specific application.
Review the Verification Standard
Who May Use the Assessment?
Clients
A client may review an engagement using records already in the client’s possession. The result should be identified as a client-conducted assessment.
Client-Authorized Reviewers
A client may authorize another person to review the engagement. Independence depends on the reviewer’s relationships, compensation, conflicts, and connection to the engagement or finding—not merely on a professional title.
Advisors and Firms
Advisors and firms may use the assessment for internal quality control or self-assessment. A self-assessment must be identified as such and may not be represented as independent.
What Verification Does Not Mean
An engagement-conformance assessment does not:
- certify an advisor or firm;
- create a professional designation;
- create permanent or continuing verified status;
- approve every service offered by the advisor;
- evaluate the advisor’s overall competence or character;
- guarantee investment, tax, legal, or planning outcomes;
- establish compliance with every applicable law; or
- represent approval, sponsorship, or endorsement by AdviceOnly.info.
Verification Documents and Downloads
Quick-Start Self-Check
A plain-language entry point for identifying possible structural concerns and determining whether a complete assessment may be needed. The Quick-Start Self-Check may be provided independently or as part of the Engagement Conformance Assessment.
Start the Quick-Start Self-Check
Engagement Conformance Assessment
The complete Assessment containing the Quick-Start Self-Check, the Engagement Conformance Matrix, assessment instructions, and the Assessment Record.
Download the Assessment
Verification Standard
The versioned technical standard governing evidence, procedures, findings, reporting, and limitations.
Download the Verification Standard
Version History
Review current versions, publication dates, amendments, corrections, and superseded materials.
Review Version History
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this an advisor-certification program?
No. The process evaluates documentary evidence from a specific financial-planning engagement. It does not certify an advisor or firm and does not grant a professional designation.
Does AdviceOnly.info approve each assessment?
No. AdviceOnly.info publishes and maintains the governing documents and public assessment materials. It does not need to receive client records, appoint the reviewer, supervise the assessment, or approve the conclusion.
Can an advisor assess their own engagement?
Yes. An advisor or firm may use the assessment for internal quality control or self-assessment. The assessment must be labeled accordingly and may not be represented as independent.
Does a Conforms finding apply to every client of the advisor?
No. The finding applies only to the specific engagement, evidence, procedures, assessment date, and governing versions identified in the Assessment Record.
Does an hourly or flat fee automatically establish conformance?
No. Pricing is one part of the analysis. The assessment also examines implementation-linked compensation, asset-management opportunities, custody, discretion, referrals, professional-network benefits, engagement completion, and client implementation freedom.
What happens when the available evidence is incomplete?
The evaluator should document the missing or unresolved evidence. When sufficient evidence does not exist to support a conformance determination, the appropriate overall finding may be Unable to Determine.