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Updated September 18, 2026. Quick answer: It depends which hat UBS is wearing. As your investment adviser, UBS owes you a fiduciary duty under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. As your broker-dealer, UBS owes you Regulation Best Interest, a real and enforceable standard, but not a fiduciary duty. UBS’s own Form CRS states: “Both capacities require that we act in your best interest. … When we provide you with a recommendation as your broker-dealer or act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
How it’s registered
From Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) (June 2026): “UBS Financial Services Inc. is registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), both as a broker-dealer offering brokerage services and as an investment adviser offering investment advisory services.”
The standard of conduct, in its own words
“Both capacities require that we act in your best interest. … When we provide you with a recommendation as your broker-dealer or act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
On commissions: “Depending on the investment you select, these fees and costs can include: Up-front commissions (which our Financial Advisors are permitted to discount).”
Fiduciary status by capacity
| Capacity | Registration | Standard you’re owed | Can earn commissions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As your broker-dealer | SEC-registered broker-dealer | Regulation Best Interest (not a fiduciary duty) | Yes | Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary), June 2026 |
| As your investment adviser | SEC-registered investment adviser | Fiduciary duty (Investment Advisers Act of 1940) | No (asset-based advisory fee: up to $12,500 a year, 2.50% on a $500,000 account, the published maximum) | Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary), June 2026 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. UBS discloses a published fee that runs up to $12,500 a year on a $500,000 account (the published maximum); see the full dollar breakdown from UBS’s own fee disclosure before deciding whether the standard of conduct here changes your answer.
If the answer above changes your mind about staying, see what it costs to leave UBS, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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- Form CRS (Client Relationship Summary) (June 2026): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_8174.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, UBS Financial Services Inc. (CRD #8174): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/8174
- UBS Financial Services Inc., SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/8174/PDF/8174.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 18, 2026, quoting directly from UBS’s own current Form CRS, with the source linked above; any distinction we could not independently confirm this session is named as an honest gap rather than presented as verified. Nothing here is personalized financial, tax, legal, or investment advice, and it is not a substitute for reading the firm’s own Form CRS. See our Editorial Policy, Corrections, Affiliate Disclosure, and Disclaimer.
What does it actually take to open an account? See UBS’s minimum investment, quoted verbatim from its own Form ADV Part 2A / wrap-fee brochure.
Weighing whether to move ahead? Read the full UBS review, including its fiduciary status and what it costs to leave.
Comparing UBS against other options? See UBS alternatives, including a lower-fee full-service firm, a flat-fee route, and a robo/hybrid.
How does this compare? See how 127 advisory firms are registered, from each firm’s own SEC record.