Hartlowe Glossary

30 terms — operational, integration, and compliance vocabulary used throughout Hartlowe documentation and blog posts.

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ADV Part 2A: The narrative brochure section of Form ADV that describes an investment adviser's services, fees, conflicts, and disciplinary history. Filed with the SEC or applicable state regulator and provided to clients.
Related: Form ADV, SEC registration
Advertising: Under the SEC Marketing Rule, any direct or indirect communication an investment adviser makes that offers advisory services to prospective clients or new advisory services to existing clients. Captures a broader set of materials than the prior cash-solicitation rule.
Related: Marketing Rule, Testimonial
Automated assistant: A non-human voice or chat agent that handles initial client or prospect interactions. Hartlowe operates as an automated assistant and discloses that status at the start of every call to satisfy the spirit of the SEC Marketing Rule.
Related: Marketing Rule, Disclosure

Books and records: Documentation that SEC-registered advisers must maintain under Rule 204-2, including advertisements, client communications, and supporting documentation. Hartlowe surfaces intake transcripts and call metadata for inclusion in the firm's books.
Related: Marketing Rule, Recordkeeping

Callback window: The time range a prospect or client states they are available for the advisor to return their call. Captured at intake to make the eventual handoff frictionless.
Related: Intake handoff, Wealthbox
Custody: Holding or having authority to obtain possession of client funds or securities. Triggers additional SEC requirements (Rule 206(4)-2). Hartlowe never takes custody — it captures intake data only.
Related: SEC registration, Fiduciary duty

Disclosure: Mandatory statement made to clients or prospects to satisfy fiduciary or rule-based duties. Hartlowe defaults include automated-assistant disclosure and call-recording consent.
Related: Automated assistant, Marketing Rule

Existing client: A person or entity with whom the adviser already has a signed advisory agreement. Treated differently from prospects under the Marketing Rule for materials describing new services.
Related: Prospect, Marketing Rule

Fiduciary duty: The legal and ethical obligation an investment adviser owes a client — to act in the client's best interest, with care and loyalty. The foundation of how an RIA must structure intake, advice, and operations.
Related: ADV Part 2A, SEC registration
Form ADV: The SEC registration and disclosure form for investment advisers. Includes Part 1 (regulatory) and Part 2 (narrative brochure). Filed initially and updated annually.
Related: ADV Part 2A, SEC registration
Form CRS: Client Relationship Summary — a short, standardized disclosure given to retail clients describing services, fees, conflicts, and discipline. Required for SEC-registered firms with retail clients.
Related: ADV Part 2A, Fiduciary duty

IAR: Investment Adviser Representative — a natural person who provides advice on behalf of an RIA. State-registered IARs typically must pass the Series 65 (or an equivalent combination).
Related: Series 65, SEC registration
Intake handoff: The transition of an inquiry from automated intake into the firm's human workflow — typically a CRM record with context (topic, urgency, callback window) attached.
Related: Wealthbox, Redtail
IPS: Investment Policy Statement — a written document outlining a client's objectives, constraints, asset allocation, and rebalancing rules. Drafted post-onboarding, not at intake.
Related: Fiduciary duty, Rebalancing

Marketing Rule: SEC Rule 206(4)-1, which modernized adviser advertising in 2021 and replaced the prior cash-solicitation rule. Covers testimonials, endorsements, performance presentation, and third-party ratings.
Related: Advertising, Testimonial

Notice filing: A state-level filing made by SEC-registered advisers to states where they have a place of business or a threshold number of clients. Different from full state registration.
Related: SEC registration, State registration

Prospect: A non-client who has shown interest in an adviser's services. Communications to prospects are advertisements under the Marketing Rule.
Related: Existing client, Marketing Rule

Rebalancing: Periodically realigning a portfolio to match the target asset allocation in the IPS. Frequency and methodology should be documented in the IPS.
Related: IPS, Fiduciary duty
Recordkeeping: The set of obligations under SEC Rule 204-2 to retain books and records for specified periods (generally five years, first two years on-site).
Related: Books and records, SEC registration
Redtail: A widely used CRM for independent advisers. On the Hartlowe integration roadmap.
Related: Wealthbox, Intake handoff
Referral: A client or third party introducing a prospect to the adviser. Under the Marketing Rule, referrals for compensation are endorsements and trigger specific disclosure requirements.
Related: Testimonial, Marketing Rule
RIA: Registered Investment Adviser — a firm registered with the SEC (typically $100M+ AUM) or with a state securities regulator, that provides investment advice for compensation under a fiduciary standard.
Related: SEC registration, Fiduciary duty

SEC registration: Registration with the US Securities and Exchange Commission required for advisers above the AUM threshold or otherwise eligible under Section 203A of the Advisers Act.
Related: RIA, Form ADV
Series 65: The Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination — the qualification exam typically required for state-registered IARs. Some combinations (e.g. CFP + waivers) substitute.
Related: IAR, SEC registration
State registration: Direct registration with a state securities regulator, required for smaller advisers below the SEC threshold. Each state has its own rules and filing portals.
Related: Notice filing, SEC registration
Suitability: The pre-Reg-BI standard requiring broker-dealer recommendations to be suitable for the client. RIAs operate under a higher fiduciary standard, but the concept of matching advice to client circumstances still applies.
Related: Fiduciary duty, IPS

Testimonial: A statement by a current client about the adviser. Permitted under the Marketing Rule only with specific disclosures, oversight, and (for compensated testimonials) a written agreement.
Related: Marketing Rule, Advertising
Third-party rating: A rating, ranking, or award produced by an unaffiliated entity. Use in advertising requires Marketing Rule disclosures, including the date and methodology of the rating.
Related: Marketing Rule, Advertising

Wealthbox: A modern CRM purpose-built for financial advisers. Hartlowe writes intake records — contact, note, and follow-up task — directly into Wealthbox.
Related: Redtail, Intake handoff
WSP: Written Supervisory Procedures — the firm's documented compliance policies covering advertising review, recordkeeping, code of ethics, and other duties.
Related: Recordkeeping, Marketing Rule