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Updated September 28, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, on every account. Sand Hill Global Advisors 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 have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
How it’s registered
From Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Sand Hill Global Advisors (March 27, 2025): “Sand Hill Global Advisors, LLC (“SHGA”, “Firm”, “we”, “our”, or “us”) is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).”
The standard of conduct, in its own words
“When we act as your investment adviser, we have to act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
On commissions: “Our employees do not sell products or receive commissions.”
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: up to $5,000 a year, 1.00% on a $500,000 account, the published maximum) | Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Sand Hill Global Advisors, March 27, 2025 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Sand Hill Global Advisors discloses a published fee that runs up to $5,000 a year on a $500,000 account (the published maximum); see the full dollar breakdown from Sand Hill Global Advisors’ 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 Sand Hill Global Advisors, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Sand Hill Global Advisors (March 27, 2025): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_111295.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Sand Hill Global Advisors (CRD #111295): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/111295
- Sand Hill Global Advisors, SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/111295/PDF/111295.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 28, 2026, quoting directly from Sand Hill Global Advisors’ 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.
How does this compare? See how 127 advisory firms are registered, from each firm’s own SEC record.