An advisor's score is based on people's experience when meeting with the advisor - were they professional, did they understand the person's goals, etc. It helps you get a sense of what you can expect if you choose to connect with the advisor. It is not a rating of their investment performance! When another GuideVine user, or in some cases actual clients of the advisor, fills in the survey, it is automatically reflected in the advisor's score and on the feedback page you can see how many people have filled out the survey, were they clients, etc. Ok, now for the legalese:

The survey that produced these results was created by GuideVine. The survey was not prepared to produce any pre-determined results that could benefit the Advisor and relies on the truthful and accurate responses of survey participants. To determine the rating, the following questions were asked regarding the advisor:

1. Understanding of the participant’s goals and financial situations;
2. Ability to give tailored investment advice;
3. Preparedness for conversations with the participant;
4. Professionalism;
5. Offering the full range of services sought by the participant;
6. Strength of recommendation by the participant; and
7. Participant’s relationship/familiarity with the advisor

Questions 1 through 4 each comprise ~15% of the score, question 5 comprises ~8% of the score and question 6 comprises ~30% of the score. Results for Question 7 are presented independent of the score.

The rating may not be representative of any one client’s experience because the rating reflects an average of all, or a sample of all, of the experiences of the investment Advisor clients surveyed. No subjective analysis was incorporated. The rating is not indicative of the investment Advisor’s future performance. GuideVine is not affiliated with any Advisors. Each Advisor’s fee for belonging to GuideVine includes their ability to participate in this survey service.