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Updated September 28, 2026. Quick answer: Yes, on every account. Chevy Chase Trust Company 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, Chevy Chase Trust Company (March 31, 2026): “Chevy Chase Trust Company (“CCTC”) is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. CCTC is also a chartered non-depository trust company in the State of Maryland.”
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 financial professionals who manage your money are compensated based on salary plus an annual bonus that takes into consideration the overall employee’s contribution to the firm.”
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: $35,000 a year at $500,000. That is the stated $35,000 minimum annual fee, not a rate: the published schedule starts at 1.25% and the stated minimum relationship size is $3 million.) | Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Chevy Chase Trust Company, March 31, 2026 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Chevy Chase Trust Company discloses a published fee that runs $35,000 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full dollar breakdown from Chevy Chase Trust Company’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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- Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Chevy Chase Trust Company (March 31, 2026): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_110742.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Chevy Chase Trust Company (CRD #110742): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/110742
- Chevy Chase Trust Company, SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/110742/PDF/110742.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 28, 2026, quoting directly from Chevy Chase Trust Company’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.
How does this compare? See how 127 advisory firms are registered, from each firm’s own SEC record.