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Updated September 28, 2026. Quick answer: Mostly yes, with one carve-out. Fort Washington Investment Advisors 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 must act in your best interest at all times, and not put our interest ahead of yours.” Some of Fort Washington Investment Advisors’ financial professionals may receive commissions on the sale of proprietary products and third-party insurance products, which its own Form CRS names as a conflict of interest; the same Form CRS describes the firm as an investment adviser that provides advisory accounts rather than brokerage accounts.
How it’s registered
From Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Fort Washington Investment Advisors (September 29, 2023): “Fort Washington is a registered investment adviser with the Securities and Exchange Commission.”
The standard of conduct, in its own words
“When we act as your investment adviser, we must act in your best interest at all times, and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
On commissions: “Our financial professionals receive a fixed annual salary and are eligible for bonuses at the discretion of management. Some of our financial professionals may receive commissions based on the sale of proprietary products and/or third-party insurance products, which presents a conflict of interest.”
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: $5,000 a year, 1.00% on a $500,000 account) | Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Fort Washington Investment Advisors, September 29, 2023 |
| Selling proprietary or insurance products (limited) | Commissions on proprietary products and third-party insurance products (the Form CRS describes no broker-dealer capacity) | A disclosed conflict of interest, not a separate broker-dealer standard | Yes (product and insurance commissions) | Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Fort Washington Investment Advisors, September 29, 2023 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Fort Washington Investment Advisors discloses a published fee that runs $5,000 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full dollar breakdown from Fort Washington Investment Advisors’ 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
- Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Fort Washington Investment Advisors (September 29, 2023): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_107126.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Fort Washington Investment Advisors (CRD #107126): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/107126
- Fort Washington Investment Advisors, SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/107126/PDF/107126.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 28, 2026, quoting directly from Fort Washington Investment 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.