Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) for mutual funds

Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) is a SEBI-licensed fee-only investment adviser providing professional financial advice including mutual fund recommendations. The RIA framework was introduced in 2013 through the SEBI (Investment Advisers) Regulations 2013, creating a distinct intermediary category separate from mutual fund distributors . RIAs operate on a fee-only basis: they charge investors directly for advisory services and do not earn commission from AMCs or other product manufacturers.

For Indian investors with substantial assets seeking comprehensive financial advice, the RIA model provides transparent, conflict-free advisory. For smaller investors, the RIA fees may be higher than the distributor-commission model embedded in regular-plan TER, making the RIA model more suitable for HNI and ultra-HNI investors rather than mass-retail investors.

Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) in India

Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) in India is a SEBI-registered investment-advisory professional or entity authorised to provide investment advice to clients on a fee-only basis under the SEBI (Investment Advisers) Regulations, 2013. The RIA framework was designed to address structural conflicts of interest in Indian investment-advisory practice by formally separating the advisory role (fee-based) from the distribution role (commission-based). An RIA cannot earn commissions from product manufacturers (AMCs, insurance companies) for selling products to clients; the RIA earns only the explicit fee paid by the client.

Fee-Only Adviser on WebNotes

Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) for mutual funds

Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) in India