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The Institute for the Fiduciary Standard

A resource site for investors, brokers, academics and the media.


Building a fiduciary culture of honesty, integrity, and expertise.

  • About
    • Fiduciary Law
    • Board of Directors
    • Board of Advisors*
    • Chairman’s Council
    • Real Fiduciary™ Practices Board
  • Real Fiduciary™
    • Real Fiduciary™ for Investors
      • Real Fiduciary™ Advisor Registry
      • Why You Need a Real Fiduciary™ Advisor
    • Real Fiduciary™ for Advisors
      • Real Fiduciary™ Affirmation Program
      • Real Fiduciary™ Background
  • Fiduciary September
    • 2024
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    • 2022
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    • 2016
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    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
  • Frankel Prize
    • 2024
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    • 2018
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    • 2016
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    • 2014
    • 2013
  • Programs
    • Leadership Through Fiduciary Program
    • “Raise Your Voice” Campaign
    • SEC Conduct Standards Rulemaking
    • Institute Initiatives & News
    • Personal Financial Planning Program Webinars
    • Prior Programs
      • Advisor On My Side
      • No Incidental Investor Initiative
      • Bogle Legacy Forum
        • Bogle Forum
        • Bogle Book
      • August 11th 2015
  • Research
    • Academic Papers
    • Legislation and Rulemaking
    • White Papers
    • Op-Ed Commentary
  • Jack Bogle
  • DOL 2023

Main Content

Welcome to the Institute for the Fiduciary Standard


The principles underlying "liberty and justice for all" have inspired the American journey for generations. In finance and advice, this journey leads to a North Star called the fiduciary standard.

The Institute for the Fiduciary Standard is a champion for investors. Our programs and papers teach investors and advisors about what the fiduciary standard means. All investors want an advisor they can trust. Helping investors find a real fiduciary advisor is our mission.


Fiduciary September 2024

Fiduciary September Speakers Cover Seven Topics and the Videos are Available Here

September 6, 2024

Fred Reish, Phyllis Borzi and Ron Rhoades (above) lead September 17 discussion on DOL’s Retirement Security Rule

Prior Fiduciary September Programs

Institute Initiatives

The State of fiduciary advice is not good at the SEC

January 15, 2025

Fee-only advisers must act to keep real fiduciary advice alive in adviser practices and consumer minds. Knut offers three steps to start.

More Institute Initiatives

Institute and Industry Leaders

“Fight on the beaches”

March 15, 2023

New pamphlet deploys Winston Churchill and Chief Justice Stone to argue for fiduciary duties.

More Institute and Industry Leaders

“Fee-only Fiduciary Advice is Common Sense” Campaign

Fiduciary Common Sense E-book cover

A new E-book for investors explains how fiduciary principles are commonsense ideas and why a fiduciary advisor is better for investors. Download the E-book.

Investors Suffer When Fiduciary Practices Are Ignored

Last month Yesenia Realejo of Tobias Financial Advisors, a Real Fiduciary™ Advisor, was featured in a Fiduciary institute video explaining why rollovers should be covered by the DOL rule.

Knut’s Views

Fiduciary: the soul of planning and advice

April 17, 2025

In this NAPFA podcast, Rostad discusses what planners can do to preserve fiduciary

More of Knut's Views

Advisor News

State securities administrators lead on Title protection

March 7, 2025

NASAA seeks to stop brokers from using “advisor / adviser” title

More Advisor News

John C. Bogle, 1929-2019

What Would Jack Bogle Do? Ask Vanguard’s Shareholders

May 6, 2022

Knut writes about Vanguard culture as one of Jack Bogle’s lasting legacies

More of John C. Bogle

Dan Moisand

 

Dan Moisand is a nationally recognized fiduciary fee-only financial planner, an Institute Real Fiduciary™ Advisor and Chair-elect of the CFP Board.

The Institute has enshrined the ‘Moisand Rule’ on fiduciary practices. It is basic and is more important today than ever: “You have to avoid conflicts. If I avoid a conflict, I don’t worry about it.”

Watch the video of Moisand speaking here.

Bob Veres

 

Bob Veres is a long term observer of financial planning. His Newsletter, “Inside information” Is a staple of leading planners. In the May edition he writes about fiduciary and the Institute.

"But a much bigger point is that the fiduciary standard—as Knut Rostad of the Institute for the Fiduciary Standard has pointed out—has been determined by the Supreme Court (1963 ruling) to be at the very heart of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. It is the foundation of what it means to be an RIA registered with the SEC instead of a tipster or a tout."

- Bob Veres, Parting Thoughts ... The SEC's Own Compliance Culture

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