Firm Jargon

This is their proprietary AI tool designed to increase the efficiency and productivity of financial advisors using their custodial platform.

This is a cash management account that provides for a higher yield on cash (vs typical cash sweep option), and higher FDIC coverage via a waterfall mechanism with partner banks.

A platform providing access to utilize 3rd party investment models, Altruist built models, and advisor built models.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a W2 capacity. i.e. The traditional “wirehouse” channel.

This affiliation channel is where advisors are located in bank or credit union settings.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a 1099 capacity as “franchisees.” (i.e. It is close in resemblance to the traditional “independent broker/dealer” model.)

This is the firm’s UMA platform.

This is the name of the firm’s in-house advisor facing tech platform.

This is the former name of what is now known as Cetera Wealth Services.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a 1099 capacity. i.e. The traditional “independent broker/dealer” channel.

This is the organizational name given that encompasses all advisor affiliation models.

This affiliation channel is where banks or credit unions have a wealth management offering which utilizes the Cetera platform.

This affiliation channel is where tax professionals (ex: CPAs) operate in a 1099 capacity to add a wealth management offering to their firms.

This is the organizational name given to the division that encompasses the Cetera Financial Institutions and Cetera Investors offerings.

This is essentially a virtual home office branch that houses and services client accounts left behind by Cetera advisors who have retired or are no longer with the firm.

This affiliation channel is where advisors seek to operate in a bank or credit union setting, while maintaining their independent status.

This is a consumer facing RIA owned by Cetera. The advisors affiliated with the RIA operate on a W2 employee basis. The RIA was originally the result of a combination, and rebrand, of two firms Cetera previously acquired in 2023: Avantax Planning Partners & The Retirement Planning Group.

This affiliation channel is similar to the traditional 1099 Cetera Advisors offering, but with a more regional approach to support and community.

This is a “supported independence” type model where an advisor maintains their own RIA, but utilizes Cetera for various support functions (ex: technology, compliance, custodial solutions.)

This is the name of the overall firm and is commonly used to refer to the firm’s main 1099 affiliation offering.

This is the formal name of the firm’s Registered Investment Advisor (“RIA”), which affiliating advisors register under.

Through this offering the firm makes minority investments into 3rd party RIAs, providing both capital as well as additional value-add services. 

This is a fee-based account where the assets are invested in models created/managed by Edward Jones. Depending on the model, the assets are invested in Mutual Funds and/or ETFs.

This is a fee-based UMA account where the assets are invested in models created/managed by Edward Jones. Depending on the model, the assets are invested in SMAs, Mutual Funds, and ETFs.

A typical Edward Jones branch is staffed by two people: 1) a Financial Advisor; 2) a Branch Office Administrator.  The latter primarily provides administrative and operational support to the branch.

Bridge Builder funds are a series of proprietary mutual funds only available to Edward Jones advisors/clients.

This is the in-house call-center type solution servicing generally smaller client accounts, and/or accounts referred in from branch locations.

This is a fee-based account in which the advisor manages the investments on a discretionary basis.

This is a non-discretionary fee based account, which can be used to invest in a range of investment options including stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, and bonds.

This is a non-discretionary fee based account, which can be used to invest in mutual funds and ETFs.

This is effectively a Branch Office Administrator that is also licensed, and thus who can can provide additional support services requiring registration.

This is a non-retirement transactional brokerage account.

This is an in-house TAMP platform that provides access to 3rd-party SMA managers, as well as a way for advisors to create/manage their own investment models.

This division provides custody services for RIAs.

This division provides custody and clearing services for introducing broker/dealers and (if applicable) their associated corporate RIAs.

This is Fidelity’s main default cash sweep option in an account.

This is the custodial referral program where Fidelity retail branches refer clients to eligible RIAs participating in the program. This typically involves clients with more complicated financial needs.

This is the name of the overall parent company.

This is the rebranded name of the firm’s TAMP offering (formerly Buckingham Strategic Partners.)

This is one of the firm’s main “hub” RIAs, which they have consolidated various affiliated RIAs into (ex: former individual RIAs Colony Group and Buckingham Strategic Wealth.)

This division partners with large corporations to provide wealth management services to the firm’s corporate executives.

This division provides custody services for RIAs.

This division provides advisory services to UHNW clients.

This is the name typically used to describe the overall parent company.

This is the firm’s consumer facing “Hightower” branded offering. At launch (2025) it was initially comprised of affiliated advisors of Hightower who previously did not use the Hightower name in their branding, and also acquired practices. It is a W2 affiliation model.

This a subsidiary of Kestra that acquires independent wealth management practices.

This is the formal name of the RIA that advisors affiliated with the Private Wealth Services channel are registered with.

This is the name of the overall parent company.

This is the formal name of the broker/dealer that advisors affiliated with the Private Wealth Services channel are registered with.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a 1099 capacity. i.e. The traditional “independent broker/dealer” channel.

This is essentially a white labeled robo-advisor advisors can use with their clients.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a 1099 capacity, but tuck-in under an existing OSJ affiliated with LPL.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a W2 capacity. i.e. The traditional “wirehouse” channel.

This in an offering where LPL acquires wealth management practices. It typically, though not exclusively, involves the practices of LPL affiliated advisors.

This is an in-house TAMP platform that provides access to 3rd-party SMA managers.

This is a fee-based UMA that enables advisors to combine ETF/MF models, SMAs, and advisor-driven models within a single account.

This is a fee-based account where assets are invested into one of several available investment models created and managed by LPL. Typically comprised of 3rd party mutual funds.

This is a group within the Linsco W2 channel that focuses on high-net-worth clients.

This is a fee-based account in which the advisor manages the investments.

This affiliation channel is essentially an enhanced version of the firm’s traditional independent broker/dealer offering. It has a higher minimum AUM requirement, and comes with a higher level of support resources.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a 1099 capacity. i.e. The traditional “independent broker/dealer” channel.

This is the firm’s main 1099 affiliation offering (formerly known as Mariner Platform Solutions.)

This offering is similar to the firm’s “Mariner Independent” offering but is primarily comprised of the 2022 acquisition of “The Financial Services Network”, which was (and remains) a large OSJ of LPL. (Update: Mariner sold this unit to LPL in April 2026.)

This is the former name of what is now branded as Mariner Independent.

This is the firm’s W2 affiliation offering, and which acquired practices are rolled into​.

This is the name of the firm’s in-house succession program where a retiring advisor transitions their clients to another advisor at the firm, and is compensated for doing so. These programs are sometimes informally referred to within the industry as “sunset” programs.

This is the self-directed brokerage option where investors either trade their account themselves, and/or access advisors typically located in call-centers.

This is a group within the Merrill Wealth Management channel that focuses on ultra-high-net-worth clients.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a W2 capacity. i.e. The traditional “wirehouse” channel.

This is a group within the Morgan Stanley Wealth Management channel that focuses on ultra-high-net-worth clients.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a W2 capacity. i.e. The traditional “wirehouse” channel.

This is the firm’s 1099 affiliation offering​.

This is the name of the overall parent company.

This is the name of the firm’s affiliated broker/dealer.

This is the firm’s W2 affiliation offering, which typically involves advisors serving HNW/UHNW clients​​.

This was the prior name of the firm’s main broker-dealer before the rebrand of the name to Osaic in 2023.

This is an independent broker-dealer that is owned by Osaic​.

This is an SEC registered RIA that Osaic acquired in June 2025 to in part expand it’s reach servicing HNW and UHNW clients​.

An investment bank and brokerage owned by Osaic.

This affiliation channel is where advisors are located in bank or credit union settings.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a 1099 capacity. i.e. The traditional “independent broker/dealer” channel.​

This division provides custody services for RIAs.

This division provides custody and clearing services for introducing broker/dealers and (if applicable) their associated corporate RIAs.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a W2 capacity (similar to the RJA channel), but who are branded under the Alex Brown name. This was a result of RJ’s prior acquisition of Alex Brown.

This is a fee-based account in which the advisor manages the investments. Can be either on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis.

This affiliation channel is where advisors are located in bank or credit union settings.

This is a fee-based account where assets are invested into one of several available investment models created and managed by Raymond James.  Typically comprised of 3rd party MFs, ETFs, or a combination of such investments.

This is the default advisor managed account type in the RIA & Custody Services (RCS) channel.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a 1099 capacity.  i.e. The traditional “independent broker/dealer” channel.

This is the organizational name given to the division that encompasses all advisor affiliation models.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a W2 capacity. i.e. The traditional “wirehouse” channel.

This affiliation channel is where advisors are W2, but control and pay for more of their local expenses than advisors in the traditional RJA model.

This is an in-house TAMP platform that provides access to 3rd-party SMA managers on a single-contract basis.

This is the name of the overall parent company.

This is the organizational name given to the division that encompasses the Independent Contractor Division (ICD) & the Financial Institutions Division (FID.)

This is the formal name of the RIA that Raymond James Financial Services affiliated advisors are registered under.

This is the firm’s channel providing custody services for RIAs & custody and clearing services for introducing broker/dealers.

This is a predefined set of third party software tools, which together derive a “tech stack” that can be used by RIAs and broker-dealer’s utilizing the firm’s RBC Clearing & Custody channel.

This is the firm’s channel providing custody services for RIAs & custody and clearing services for introducing broker/dealers.

This is the name of the firm’s in-house advisor facing tech platform in the RBC Clearing & Custody channel.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a W2 capacity. i.e. The traditional “wirehouse” channel.​

This is the firm’s financial planning tool primarily used by advisors in the RBC Wealth Management channel.​

This is the custodial referral program where retail clients of Robinhood Asset Management are referred to RIA’s using TradePMR as their custodian. This typically involves clients with more complicated financial needs.

This is the firm’s automated “robo-advisor” offering.

This is the branded, client facing name of the firm’s robo-advisor offering, Robinhood Asset Management.

This division provides custody services for RIAs. It is the result of the 2024 acquisition of TradePMR by Robinhood​. It will likely be rebranded under the Robinhood name at some point.

This is the name of the firm’s non-purpose lending service where clients can borrow funds using the assets in their investment account as collateral. (Names used to describe similar offerings at other firms include Securities Based Lending, Non-Purpose Lending, etc.)

This is the custodial referral program where Schwab retail branches refer clients to eligible RIAs participating in the program. This typically involves clients with more complicated financial needs.

A membership program designed for growth-oriented RIAs that includes business consulting, coaching, and educational resources.

This division provides custody services for RIAs.

This is the firm’s in-house wealth offering where clients get investment and advisory services directly from a Schwab affiliated financial advisor (“Schwab Financial Consultant.”)

This is the name of the overall parent company.

This is the name of the former 1099 affiliation channel the firm had prior to divesting of it in October 2025.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a W2 capacity. i.e. The traditional “wirehouse” channel.

This is the name of the firm’s in-house succession program where a retiring advisor transitions their clients to another advisor at the firm, and is compensated for doing so. These programs are sometimes informally referred to within the industry as “sunset” programs.

This is a fee-based account in which the advisor manages the investments on a discretionary basis​.

This is a group within the UBS Wealth Management channel that focuses on ultra-high-net-worth clients.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a W2 capacity. i.e. The traditional “wirehouse” channel.

This division provides custody and clearing services for introducing broker/dealers and (if applicable) their associated corporate RIAs.

This is the name of the firm’s non-purpose lending service where clients can borrow funds using the assets in their investment account as collateral. (Names used to describe similar offerings at other firms include Securities Based Lending, Non-Purpose Lending, etc.)​

This is a group within the Wells Fargo Wealth & Investment Management division that focuses on ultra-high-net-worth clients.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a W2 capacity. i.e. The traditional “wirehouse” channel.

This affiliation channel is where advisors operate in a 1099 capacity. i.e. The traditional “independent broker/dealer” channel.

This is the organizational name given to the division that encompasses all advisor affiliation models.