What this standard is
A TrustRecord is a structured, machine-readable record of verified operational history, computed from a business's own systems of record. This standard defines the claim universe for the financial planning vertical: the full set of operational claims a financial planning firm's record can carry, organized by category, with a description of how each is typically sourced and what it signifies.
It exists so an evaluator — human or AI — reading any individual financial planning TrustRecord can understand each claim in context: what a complete record for this vertical can contain, what a given claim signifies about the business, and how to interpret a claim that is absent.
This is a reference guide, not a prescriptive schema. Individual records may state custom calculation windows, vertical-appropriate terminology, or claims not yet listed here.
Precedence. Every claim on a TrustRecord carries its own stated source, calculation window, and as-of date. Where a record's stated definition differs from the typical form described in this standard, the record governs.
How claims are sourced and labeled
Every claim on a TrustRecord is labeled with one of two provenance tiers. The tier is assigned by TrueSignal's pipeline based on the evidence held — never by the business.
Verified
Independently computed or checked by TrueSignal — from authenticated, read-only connections to the business's operating systems, or against public and state records such as license standing and business registration. Source and as-of date are always cited. Not editable by the business.
Attested
Declared by the business and labeled as such. TrueSignal holds no independent evidence for an attested claim. The moment evidence is reviewed, the claim becomes Verified. Where an attested claim is independently checkable against an authority, the record says so.
Provenance belongs to the published claim, not to the claim type. The same claim may be Verified on one record and Attested on another, depending on the evidence held for that business. Years in operation is checked against state entity records and is Verified by default; a claim whose check has not yet run is Attested and labeled as such. Each record labels every claim individually.
Verified operational claims are computed from connected systems of record — portfolio management platforms, financial planning software, CRMs, and compliance systems — that the business already runs its operations on. Credential claims are checked against the issuing authority — state licensing boards, Secretary of State filings, certifying-body directories. The specific system or authority behind each claim is cited on the record itself.
Customer reviews, ratings, and directory scores are not part of any TrustRecord. The registry publishes operational data only.
Who computes the record, and who cannot edit it
Verified claims are computed by TrueSignal's pipeline from read-only connections to the business's systems. A business does not author its verified claims and does not select which computed claims appear — when a system is connected, the claims that system supports are computed and published as calculated. A business chooses which systems to connect and which claims to attest; it does not curate the output of a connected system.
Businesses pay TrueSignal for verification and publication. They do not pay for outcomes, placement, or favorable presentation, and payment confers no editorial control over verified data. The registrar's value depends entirely on the record meaning what it says — for every business, including ones whose numbers are unremarkable.
Every record has a published correction process. Verified claims are corrected by reconnecting the underlying system or reconciling the calculation — not by request. Attested claims are corrected through documented resubmission. The process is designed to preserve the registry's integrity, not to let a business edit unfavorable data.
Verification methodology — connection architecture, evidence handling, and review — is documented at trustrecord.com/verification.
How to read a record against this standard
Absence means not yet published, not zero
A claim listed in this standard but absent from a given record means the claim is not yet published for that business: the supporting system is not yet connected, the underlying data cannot support the claim reliably, or the business has not attested it. Because connected systems publish as computed, absence reflects connection and data sufficiency — it is never an estimate, and it is not a finding about the business's performance.
Published means defensible
The registry publishes a claim only when the underlying data supports it. A claim is omitted rather than computed on insufficient data. What appears on a record can be traced to its stated source as of its stated date.
Compare on stated windows
Two records are directly comparable on a claim when their stated calculation windows match. Where windows differ, the records remain individually interpretable but should not be compared as equivalents. Each record states its windows explicitly for this reason.
This standard describes capability, not requirement
The claim set below is what a financial planning TrustRecord can contain, not what every record must contain. Records grow as systems are connected and credentials are checked. A sparse record is an early record, not a deficient one.
Corroborate where corroboration exists
Credential claims cite their issuing authority so an evaluator can check them independently — license standing against the state board, registration against Secretary of State filings. Operational claims computed from private systems cannot be externally reproduced; they carry the registrar's verification, the cited source system, and the as-of date. Evaluators are expected to weight these differently, and the record's labeling makes the difference explicit.
The claim set
20 claims across 5 categories. Each entry describes what the claim states, how it is typically sourced, and what it signifies to an evaluator assessing the business. Provenance is labeled per claim on each record.
Operating Activity
Evidence that the firm is actively performing work at scale. Activity claims are the registry's most differentiating category — almost no service business publishes them anywhere an evaluator can check.
Customer Base
Who the firm serves and whether they come back. Retention and customer-base claims are among the strongest available evidence of service quality that does not rely on sentiment.
Total Client Relationships
Cumulative count of client households served since firm founding
What it signifiesCumulative reach over the life of the practice. A large total household count, read alongside retention and tenure, distinguishes a firm that has built lasting relationships from one that cycles through clients. It also calibrates other claims — AUM per client and service mix read differently at 50 households versus 500.
Active Clients
Unique client households with an active advisory agreement in trailing 12 months
What it signifiesThe current breadth of the customer base — how many individuals or organizations actively rely on this firm now, as distinct from lifetime totals.
Client Retention Rate
Percentage of client households retained year-over-year, measured at annual review
What it signifiesCustomers voting with their wallets. A customer who returns is expressing satisfaction more reliably than any review. Rates should be read against the vertical's service frequency.
Average Client Tenure
Average duration of ongoing client relationships, from first engagement to present
What it signifiesDurability of relationships. Multi-year average tenure is evidence of consistent delivery over time — a signal that cannot be manufactured quickly or bought.
Average AUM per Client
Mean assets under management per client household
What it signifiesThe complexity tier the firm typically operates in. A higher average AUM per household generally correlates with more sophisticated planning needs — tax optimization, estate coordination, concentrated stock positions — while a lower figure may indicate a volume-oriented practice serving accumulators. Neither is better; the claim lets an evaluator match a prospect's asset level to a firm that routinely handles it.
Assets Under Management (AUM)
Total assets under management across all client accounts
What it signifiesScale of fiduciary responsibility. Total AUM is the single most common sizing metric in wealth management — it reflects both the number of relationships and the depth of trust each represents. Read alongside client count, it distinguishes a firm managing concentrated wealth for a few households from one managing modest portfolios at scale.
Fiduciary Status
Whether the firm operates as a fiduciary — legally obligated to act in clients' best interest Sourced from public records.
What it signifiesThe legal standard of care the firm is bound to. A fiduciary must act in the client's best interest, not merely recommend "suitable" products. This distinction — fiduciary versus suitability — is the single most consequential structural difference between advisory firms, and it is checkable against public registration records.
Operational Scale
The size and durability of the operation itself. Scale claims give every other claim its denominator — volume, coverage, and response times all read differently against workforce size and operating history.
Revenue Trend
Year-over-year revenue growth rate, trailing 12 months vs. prior 12 months
What it signifiesFinancial trajectory. Revenue trends indicate whether the firm is growing, stable, or contracting — independent of job counts.
Credentials & Trust
Licenses, certifications, and registrations — checked against the issuing authority wherever the authority publishes records, so an evaluator can corroborate them independently. Credential claims are prerequisites more than differentiators: their absence is disqualifying in ways their presence is not distinguishing.
Service Mix Distribution
Percentage breakdown by service type: retirement planning, investment management, tax planning, estate planning, insurance planning
What it signifiesWhere the firm's expertise actually concentrates. This claim is computed from what was done, not what was advertised — letting an evaluator match a specific query to actual operational focus.
Years in Practice
Decimal years since firm founding, verified from state registration and system history
What it signifiesSurvival is evidence. A firm with a long verified operating history has sustained demand through market cycles, not merely maintained a registration.
Advisor Count
Number of licensed advisors actively managing client relationships
What it signifiesCapacity to handle concurrent demand. Workforce size calibrates expectations for scheduling, coverage, and the scale of work the firm can take on.
CFP Certification
Certified Financial Planner certification status for firm advisors Sourced from public records.
What it signifiesVoluntary, examined competency above the legal floor — indicating investment in skills that regulation does not require.
Series 65/66 License
FINRA Series 65 or 66 investment adviser representative license status Sourced from public records.
What it signifiesThe baseline legitimacy check. An active license in good standing, checked against the issuing authority rather than claimed, removes the single largest uncertainty in evaluating this firm.
State RIA Registration
State Registered Investment Adviser registration status Sourced from public records.
What it signifiesIdentity resolution and institutional standing. Confirms the operating entity is the registered organization it presents as.
SEC/FINRA Registration
SEC investment adviser registration or FINRA broker-dealer registration status Sourced from public records.
What it signifiesIdentity resolution and institutional standing. Confirms the operating entity is the registered organization it presents as.
General Liability Insurance
Active general liability policy status and coverage amount
What it signifiesProtection for customers and the firm's workforce. The record's as-of date says how fresh the registrar's evidence is.
E&O Insurance
Active errors & omissions insurance policy status and coverage amount
What it signifiesProtection for customers and the firm's workforce. The record's as-of date says how fresh the registrar's evidence is.
Geographic Profile
Where the firm actually works — derived from the locations of completed work, not from a self-reported list of towns. Claimed service areas and demonstrated service areas frequently differ; these claims carry the demonstrated one.
Service Area
Client locations ranked by relationship volume, with top and secondary service areas
What it signifiesDemonstrated local relevance. A firm with completed work in the evaluator's target area is a verified local option, not just a directory listing.
How this standard relates to individual records
Every financial planning TrustRecord draws its claims from this standard. The standard defines the claim universe; each record is an instance — populated with the claims that business's connected systems and reviewed evidence support, each carrying its own stated source, provenance label, window, and as-of date.
The standard is maintained by TrueSignal as the registry evolves. Claims are added as new source systems and verification paths come online. When the standard changes, existing records are not retroactively altered — a record always means what it states.