A Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) is a person or firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and/or a state licensing authority as a provider of professional financial management services.
A Registered Investment Advisor can provide investment advice and/or manage the allocation of your retirement accounts, but can also charge a fee for these services. You can arrange for this fee to be charged against your retirement account(s). These advisors may provide other financial planning advice or services. Participants should discuss these services and fees with the RIA before making a decision.
Our retirement vendors, TIAA and Fidelity, may each have a list of approved or preferred RIAs they can provide. UK does not recommend or endorse any particular RIA over another. RIAs are not allowed to indicate they are affiliated with UK or its retirement plan vendors in any way.
RIAs are required to follow UK's solicitation rules. If an RIA contacts you by phone, UK email, in person or by "cold call," they have not followed these rules, and you might consider looking for an advisor who demonstrates professional ethical standards. If you contacted the RIA and want them to contact you in the manner you choose, that is OK.
Selecting an advisor is completely your decision. Associates from Fidelity and TIAA continue to provide free one-on-one consultations and reviews to help with your retirement planning needs. You can learn more about setting up a meeting here.
If you already have an advisor, you can fill out the TIAA or Fidelity Registered Investment Advisor Authorization and Indemnification Form. Contact TIAA or Fidelity to obtain a form.
You can pay for these advisor services by signing the form as well. This allows you to give Fidelity and TIAA permission to deduct advisor fees directly from your retirement savings account.
If you are a Registered Investment Advisor, please consult this document addressed to RIAs, issued by the University of Kentucky.