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Updated September 22, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, on every account. BMO Private Wealth is registered with the SEC only as an investment adviser (it is not a broker-dealer), so the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 requires it to act as your fiduciary. Its own Form CRS states: “When we act as your investment adviser, we must act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
How it’s registered
From Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors, Inc. Client Relationship Summary (July 16, 2026): “Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors, Inc. is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) as an investment adviser.”
SEC IAPD’s current primary display name for CRD 111320 is “Stoker Ostler, a part of BMO Financial Group” (a BMO co-brand adopted after acquisition), not “Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors, Inc.” The legal entity name is still correct; it appears in IAPD’s otherNames list and is used as the registrant name throughout the CRS body and footer. This is a bank-affiliated RIA, not a bank/trust-excluded entity: the CRS states Stoker Ostler “does not provide broker-dealer services,” and BMO Bank N.A. is disclosed only as a separately regulated affiliate, not as the registrant. A prior K74 kit separately ruled out CRD 137115 (BMO Harris Financial Advisors, Inc., SEC-terminated 8/2/2021) and BMO Family Office LLC (CRD 110264, inapplicable minimums) as alternate candidates.
The standard of conduct, in its own words
“When we act as your investment adviser, we must act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
On commissions: “Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors, Inc. (Stoker Ostler) is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an Investment Advisor and does not provide broker-dealer (“brokerage”) services.”
Fiduciary status by capacity
| Capacity | Registration | Standard you’re owed | Can earn commissions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As your investment adviser | SEC-registered investment adviser | Fiduciary duty (Investment Advisers Act of 1940) | No (asset-based advisory fee: $5,000 a year, 1.00% on a $500,000 account) | Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors, Inc. Client Relationship Summary, July 16, 2026 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. BMO Private Wealth discloses a published fee that runs $5,000 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full dollar breakdown from BMO Private Wealth’s own fee disclosure before deciding whether the standard of conduct here changes your answer.
If the answer above changes your mind about staying, read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors, or use a dated termination letter once you decide.
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Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors, Inc. Client Relationship Summary (July 16, 2026): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_111320.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors, Inc. (CRD #111320): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/111320
- Stoker Ostler Wealth Advisors, Inc., SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/111320/PDF/111320.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 22, 2026, quoting directly from BMO Private Wealth’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 BMO Private Wealth’s minimum investment, quoted verbatim from its own Form ADV Part 2A / wrap-fee brochure.
Weighing whether to move ahead? Read the full BMO Private Wealth review, including its fiduciary status and what it costs to leave.
Comparing BMO Private Wealth against other options? See BMO Private Wealth alternatives, including a flat-fee route and a robo/hybrid, plus a lower-fee full-service firm.
How does this compare? See how 127 advisory firms are registered, from each firm’s own SEC record.
Already with BMO Private Wealth and weighing a move? How to leave BMO Private Wealth covers what it costs to transfer out.