AdvisorFile pre-fills your annual amendment from your prior filing, cross-checks every answer across Parts 1A and 2A, and cites the actual SEC instruction behind each question. You review, you file, you stay in control — in an afternoon, not a dreaded weekend.
You were always the filer of record. Consultants charge $2,000+ to prepare the same amendment you still sign and remain responsible for.
The IARD system charges small firms as little as $40 to file. Everything above that is preparation — and preparation is what you're paying a consultant for, even though you're still the one who signs, certifies, and carries the responsibility.
A dreaded weekend of guesswork and the highest risk of inconsistent answers.
Flat-fee amendment engagements commonly run about $1,995. You still sign; you're still liable.
Full compliance suites built for firms with a dedicated CCO. Overkill for one filing.
Pre-filled, cross-checked, cited to the SEC instructions. You keep the control you had anyway.
Market pricing verified July 2026 from published consultant and platform pricing; ranges vary by firm complexity. IARD filing fees ($225 / $150 / $40 by AUM tier) are paid separately to IARD by every filer regardless of preparation method.
AdvisorFile imports your current Form ADV from public IAPD data. Every answer from last year is already in place — you only touch what changed.
Work through the items that need annual updating — the AUM worksheet, client counts, fee schedules, brochure language — with each question citing the specific SEC instruction it comes from. The consistency checker flags answers that conflict across Parts 1A and 2A or with your prior filing.
Export your redlined brochure, fund your IARD account, and submit through IARD with a step-by-step checklist. You file it — because you're the filer of record, and that never changes.
Your prior Form ADV, pre-filled so you start from your own answers — not a blank form.
Calculate regulatory assets under management as of fiscal year-end the way Item 5.F expects, with the instruction text alongside.
Cross-checks answers across Parts 1A and 2A and against your prior filing, and flags conflicts before you submit. It helps you catch what's easy to miss — you remain responsible for your filing.
Every guided question links the specific Form ADV instruction or Glossary definition behind it, with the date the instructions were last checked shown on every citation.
See exactly what changed in your Part 2A year over year, ready for your material-changes summary.
Account funding, completeness check, submission — the mechanical steps in order, so nothing stalls on March 30.
Materiality checker, other-than-annual amendment prompts, Form CRS 30-day tracking, brochure delivery reminders, and a living audit trail. In development for subscribers — not yet shipped.
Multiple IARs, Part 2B supplement management, and roles for 2–50 person firms. Planned.
Roadmap items are marked because they aren't shipped yet. We'd rather tell you that here than have you find out after you pay. IARD filing fees are paid separately to IARD.
Every item that needs annual review across Parts 1A and 2A, the 10 consistency errors examiners find most often, and the IARD mechanics — in one printable checklist. Built from the SEC's own Form ADV instructions.
No — you file through IARD, exactly as you do today, and you remain the filer of record. AdvisorFile prepares, verifies, and organizes everything so the filing step is a checklist, not a scramble. That's a feature: you never hand over IARD credentials or control.
No. AdvisorFile is software. It shows you the SEC's own instructions and checks your answers for internal consistency, but it doesn't advise you on your specific situation. For disciplinary events, custody questions, or anything unusual, talk to a securities attorney or compliance professional.
Then AdvisorFile may not be the right tool this year, and we'll tell you so inside the product when we detect those situations. Complex Schedule D issues and disciplinary disclosures deserve professional counsel.
SEC-registered advisers, plus state-registered firms in California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Illinois. Additional states are on the roadmap.
Every citation shows the date the underlying SEC instructions were last verified. If the SEC revises the Form ADV instructions, we update and re-date the citations before filing season.
The consistency checker is a safety net, not a guarantee — no software can promise an error-free filing, and anyone who promises that is overselling. You review every answer, and you're responsible for your filing, the same as you are today with or without a consultant.