What financial advisors in India should know before going online
India draws a sharp line between advice and distribution. SEBI-registered investment advisers charge clients a fee, cannot earn commission on the products they recommend, and must display their registration number and prescribed disclaimers. AMFI-registered mutual fund distributors earn commission, should display their ARN, and should present themselves as distributors rather than independent advisers. SEBI also restricts regulated entities from associating with unregistered finfluencers and prohibits claims of assured returns or selectively quoted past performance. Selling insurance needs a separate IRDAI licence. Check your registration’s current advertising norms before publishing. Clients usually arrive through referrals, community networks and, increasingly, YouTube and Instagram explainers, then verify registrations on the regulators’ websites. Explaining concepts in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil or Gujarati widens trust beyond English-speaking investors.
Common website mistakes financial advisors make
- Calling yourself an “independent financial advisor” while earning commission as a distributor. Use your registered description, such as AMFI-registered mutual fund distributor, to stay accurate.
- Showing “our clients earned 18% returns” or lists of top-performing funds. Avoid return claims and cherry-picked performance; explain process, asset allocation and review discipline.
- Hiding registration numbers in the footer. Put the ARN or SEBI registration number next to your name so clients can verify it on official websites.
- Public risk-profile forms that collect PAN, bank or portfolio details. Gather such data only through secure, compliant onboarding, never an open website form.
- Reposting unregistered influencers’ stock tips or partnering with them for leads. SEBI restricts such associations; publish your own measured educational content instead.