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Updated September 28, 2026. Quick answer: Mostly yes, with one carve-out. Valley Wealth Managers 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 and not put our interest ahead of yours.” A limited number of Valley Wealth Managers’ 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.
Fiduciary status at comparable advisory firms: Is Amerant Investments a Fiduciary? What Its Own Form CRS Says (2026), Is Ameriprise a Fiduciary? What Its Own Form CRS Says (2026) and Is Ameritas a Fiduciary? What Its Own Form CRS Says (2026).
How it’s registered
From Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Valley Wealth Managers (September 20, 2023): “Valley Wealth Managers, Inc. (“VWM”, “our,” “we,” 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 must act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours.”
On commissions: “For accounts that do not participate in a wrap fee program, our asset-based advisory fees do not include fees charged for brokerage and custody services, including fees paid to the custodian that holds the assets in your account and transaction fees, including commissions and markups, when an investment is bought or sold for your account.”
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: $6,250 a year, 1.25% on a $500,000 account) | Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Valley Wealth Managers, September 20, 2023 |
| As a dually licensed representative (limited) | Also FINRA-registered broker-dealer representative, separate capacity | Regulation Best Interest (not a fiduciary duty) | Yes | Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Valley Wealth Managers, September 20, 2023 |
What this means for what you pay
Fiduciary status is one input, not the whole picture. Valley Wealth Managers discloses a published fee that runs $6,250 a year on a $500,000 account; see the full dollar breakdown from Valley Wealth Managers’ 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 Valley Wealth Managers, or read the general mechanics of switching financial advisors.
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Source: WiserAdvisor’s service descriptionSources
- Form CRS, Customer Relationship Summary, Valley Wealth Managers (September 20, 2023): https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/crs/crs_108879.pdf
- SEC Investment Adviser Public Disclosure, Valley Wealth Managers (CRD #108879): https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/108879
- Valley Wealth Managers, SEC Form ADV filing: https://reports.adviserinfo.sec.gov/reports/ADV/108879/PDF/108879.pdf
Methodology. This page was built September 28, 2026, quoting directly from Valley Wealth Managers’ 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.