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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Verify an investment platform by checking the exact legal entities behind it, defining what its return figures represent, reconciling those figures with records from an independent custodian or broker, and confirming what any protection or standards claim actually covers. A polished dashboard, registration, audit, or protection label is not by itself proof of returns, safety, or future performance.
This guide is about U.S. investment platforms and is a documentary due-diligence workflow, not an endorsement or a review of a particular company. A consumer-facing brand may involve separate investment advisers, broker-dealers, custodians, funds or issuers, technology providers, and payment recipients. Check each entity against the claim it makes; a platform-specific conclusion requires current checks of that platform’s records.
1. Identify the legal entities behind the platform
Start by writing down the full legal name of every entity involved and what it does. Do not assume the company named in an app or website is also the adviser, broker-dealer, asset custodian, fund issuer, or recipient of your money.
- Investment adviser: the entity providing advisory services. In the U.S., search for its latest Form ADV through the SEC’s Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) system. Review its identity, services, conflicts, disciplinary disclosures, and custody responses.
- Broker-dealer or registered person: check the appropriate official broker-dealer or state regulator record for the firm or individual, as applicable. Make sure names and roles match the platform’s disclosures.
- Custodian and payment recipient: identify the firm that actually holds the assets and the legal entity to which deposits or transfers are sent. Confirm the account title and how you can obtain statements directly from the holder.
- Fund or issuer: if you invest in a pooled vehicle or issued product, establish which entity offers it and where its assets are held. Do not treat the technology provider or app operator as the issuer unless the documents say it is.
Registration and Form ADV disclosures help establish status and provide information; they do not rate an adviser’s quality or verify its performance claims. SEC adviser compliance questions frame communications as needing to be “truthful, representative, complete, and not misleading,” and ask advisers to support performance material. Read the SEC Division of Examinations’ adviser compliance questions as compliance guidance, not as a guarantee that a registered firm has met every obligation.
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2. Define exactly what each return figure represents
Before comparing a return with another platform or a benchmark, ask for its definition in writing. A single percentage can describe materially different things.
| Return claim | What it means for your review | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Actual client-account performance | Reported as performance from real accounts, but the number still depends on which accounts, dates, and cash flows are included. | Account population, calculation schedule, exact start and end dates, and records that support the figures. |
| Model performance | Results from a model portfolio or strategy rather than necessarily from an investor’s account. | Model assumptions, fee treatment, time period, and a clear label distinguishing the result from actual client experience. |
| Backtested or other hypothetical performance | A simulated or hypothetical result; it does not establish what clients actually earned. | How the result was constructed, the assumptions and limitations, and whether it is presented separately from actual performance. |
| Gross or net performance | Gross figures exclude some or all fees or expenses; net figures reflect specified deductions, which may not include every cost an investor pays. | Which advisory fees, fund expenses, transaction costs, and other costs are included, plus the fee assumptions used for prospective clients. |
| Time-weighted return or IRR | Different return methods can treat the timing and size of deposits and withdrawals differently. | The calculation method and treatment of cash flows, leverage, and any fund credit or subscription facilities. |
Also request the strategy represented, benchmark and rationale for using it, whether dates are full or partial periods, and whether closed or poorly performing accounts were excluded. These details affect whether two figures are genuinely comparable.
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The SEC’s Investment Adviser Marketing guide describes requirements concerning matters such as gross and net performance, time periods, related portfolios, extracted performance, hypothetical performance, and predecessor performance in adviser advertisements. The applicable requirements depend on the communication, audience, and product; this checklist is not legal advice. SEC staff guidance says gross and net performance in an adviser advertisement must use the same type of return and methodology over the same period. Its FAQ also explains how subscription-facility treatment can affect gross and net private-fund IRR comparisons. See the SEC Marketing Compliance FAQ for staff views and the dates of individual answers.
3. Reconcile performance with independent records
Ask for the calculation schedule or supporting files behind the advertised number, then reconcile them to brokerage or custodial statements and relevant account or transaction records. Establish who produced each record, who independently holds the assets, and whether statements come to you directly from that custodian or broker.
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- Check that the account names and dates match the claim’s stated population and period.
- Trace deposits, withdrawals, fees, and other material cash flows through the records and calculation method.
- Compare the platform’s figures with statements obtained independently from the asset holder, not only with screens or PDFs supplied by the platform.
- Ask how missing, closed, or excluded accounts are treated and whether the calculation can be reproduced from the supporting records.
A dashboard or screenshot can help identify a discrepancy, but it does not independently establish that assets exist or that a return calculation is accurate. In a historical speech, the SEC Division of Investment Management described examination staff seeking third-party brokerage or custodial statements to support advisers’ performance claims. The speech is useful context for why independent records matter, not evidence of how common misconduct is today. Read the SEC speech on adviser compliance priorities.
If a material claim cannot be reconciled, do not rely on the headline percentage. An independent accounting or performance review may help, but first assess the reviewer’s qualifications, independence, engagement scope, and report limitations. A review only provides assurance within that stated scope.
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4. Verify custody, account statements, and protection claims
Use Form ADV custody responses as a starting point, then establish the actual custodian, account title, and statement-delivery arrangement. The SEC’s adviser compliance questions also address custody documentation and information handling. Compare platform reporting with statements obtained directly from the custodian, and ask what legal arrangement applies if assets are held in a brokerage account, bank deposit, pooled vehicle, or another structure.
Do not treat SIPC as insurance against investment losses. SIPC says it works to restore missing customer cash and securities when a SIPC-member brokerage firm fails financially. Its What SIPC Protects page states a $500,000 total protection limit, including a $250,000 limit for cash; these are the page’s stated limits, accessed in 2026, and should be checked against the current page. SIPC says it does not protect against securities losing value, worthless securities, or losses from bad investment advice. Confirm that the actual broker-dealer and assets qualify and that the circumstances fall within the protection before relying on it.
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5. Check standards and outside validation by scope
If a firm claims to follow the Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS), ask which exact firm, strategy composite or product, and period the claim covers, and what kind of verification was performed. GIPS publishes requirements for firms, asset owners, verifiers, and fiduciary management providers; a logo or bare compliance statement does not reveal which accounts or periods are covered. Consult the GIPS Standards resources and request the provider’s supporting documents.
Similarly, an audit or performance verification can strengthen confidence in the matters examined, but it does not guarantee investment returns, solvency, fraud-free conduct, or future operations. Ask to see the report or verification statement and note its subject, period, methodology, and exclusions. The SEC does not approve an adviser’s performance presentation: its marketing guide says an advertisement may not state that the Commission approved or reviewed performance calculations or presentations.
6. Compare platforms using the same standards
When assessing more than one provider, build a comparison from the same periods and definitions rather than ranking headline returns. Record these items side by side:
- Actual, model, backtested, hypothetical, or blended performance, with the account population and dates.
- Net return after applicable fees and expenses, plus the return method and treatment of cash flows or leverage.
- Benchmark fit, strategy, and whether periods and account sets are comparable.
- Independent records available and the precise scope of any audit or performance verification.
- Legal entities, regulatory status, disclosed conflicts and disciplinary information, actual custodian, and how statements are delivered.
- The limits and eligibility conditions of any protection claim.
If a provider will not define its return, identify the entity holding assets, or support a material performance claim with records, treat that as an unresolved due-diligence issue rather than filling the gap with its marketing language.
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