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Updated September 28, 2026. Quick answer: Mostly yes, with one carve-out. Allworth Financial is registered with the SEC only as an investment adviser, so on your advisory account it owes you a fiduciary duty under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. 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.” A limited number of Allworth Financial’s financial professionals are separately licensed to sell brokerage products in a different capacity, where the weaker Regulation Best Interest standard, not a fiduciary duty, applies instead.
How it’s registered
From Allworth Financial, L.P. Form ADV Part 3 (Form CRS / Relationship Summary) (March 2026): “Allworth Financial, L.P. is a fee-based investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.”
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: “We compensate our investment adviser representatives with a flat salary and up to 10 basis points in variable compensation based upon assets under their management. Investment adviser representatives are also eligible for referral bonuses through either an internal referral program or on a per case basis.”
Fiduciary status by capacity
| Capacity | Registration | Standard you’re owed | Can earn commissions | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As your investment adviser (most clients) | SEC-registered investment adviser | Fiduciary duty (Investment Advisers Act of 1940) | No (asset-based advisory fee: up to $9,250 a year, 1.85% on a $500,000 account, the published maximum, which the firm says is negotiable) | Allworth Financial, L.P. Form ADV Part 3 (Form CRS / Relationship Summary), March 2026 |
| As a dually licensed representative (limited) | Also FINRA-registered broker-dealer representative, separate capacity | Regulation Best Interest (not a fiduciary duty) | Yes | Allworth Financial, L.P. Form ADV Part 3 (Form CRS / Relationship Summary), March 2026 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Allworth Financial discloses a published fee that runs up to $9,250 a year on a $500,000 account (the published maximum, which the firm says is negotiable); see the full dollar breakdown from Allworth Financial’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 Allworth Financial, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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- Allworth Financial, L.P. Form ADV Part 3 (Form CRS / Relationship Summary) (March 2026): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_111167.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Allworth Financial, L.P. (CRD #111167): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/111167
- Allworth Financial, L.P., SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/111167/PDF/111167.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 28, 2026, quoting directly from Allworth Financial’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.
Comparing Allworth Financial against other options? See Allworth Financial alternatives, including a lower-fee full-service firm, a flat-fee route and a robo/hybrid.