What the word buys you
Plenty of financial advice only has to be 'suitable': roughly, not crazy for someone like you. Fiduciary advice must be in your best interest, full stop, with conflicts disclosed and managed. It's the difference between a salesperson who may sell you something acceptable and an advisor who must recommend what serves you.
The gap to watch
Some advisors are fiduciaries for investments but switch hats for insurance, where the standard drops. Ask directly: does your fiduciary duty cover every recommendation you make to me, including protection? Here is our honest answer, at both levels. Arseneau Financial LLC is a registered investment adviser, which makes it a fiduciary for the investment and financial planning advice it gives. Rc, as a CFP® professional, is additionally held to the CFP Board's fiduciary standard across all financial advice he gives, protection included. Not every advisor on a team holds the CFP® mark, so it is a fair question to ask about the specific person advising you. We're fee-based either way, with compensation disclosed before you engage us.
Written by the team at The Retirement Life, led by Rc Arseneau, CFP®. This is education, not individualized advice. Your situation deserves a real conversation before any decision.