Guide
Understanding RIA Pulse Data
Data Sources and Availability
All information on RIA Pulse is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
RIA Pulse sources data directly from SEC filings (Form ADV). Filings are picked up when the SEC publishes bulk exports (typically monthly).
Filings are processed and normalized into a clean, workable dataset. Latest firm data and raw source filings are available in the app with full auditability.
When using RIA Pulse, please be aware that regulatory requirements may be interpreted differently by different firms, and that all data should be considered “as reported” at a specific date.
Usability Enhancements
RIA Pulse enhances raw regulatory data in the following ways:
- Applies human-readable labels, categorization, keywords, and formatting to fields and values.
- Normalizes related fields into option sets (such as Service Types, Compensation Types, etc.).
- Derives metrics and calculations based on reported values (such as Total Client Count, 1Y Total AUM CAGR, etc.).
- Normalizes and links reported business affiliations.
- Uses machine-learning to classify firms into 3 broad categories (Wealth Management, Asset / Fund Management, Institutional Advisory).
Option Sets
- Services: ADV Part 1A Item 5.G
- Advertisements: ADV Part 1A Item 5.L
- Other Business: ADV Part 1A Item 6.A
- States Registered: ADV Part 1B Item 1
- Disclosures Types: ADV Part 1A Item 11.A–H
Affiliations
Business affiliations are derived from Form ADV Part 1 Schedule D Section 5.K.(3) and Section 7.A. RIA Pulse normalizes them using reported IDs and fuzzy matching.
Please note: Due to reporting requirements, firms may not be obligated to report all business affiliations in these sections. Custodians reported in Schedule D Section 5.K(3) are only required when custodied AUM exceeds 10% of all separately managed accounts. Additional business affiliations are often reported in the ADV Part 2 Brochure.
Classifications
To help narrow results and compare firms, RIA Pulse classifies all firms into 3 broad categories:
- Wealth Management
- Asset / Fund Management
- Institutional Advisory
Classifications come from our ML system, not from firm reporting.
CAGR Fields
Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) fields are calculated as a trailing measure using the most recent value and looking back 1, 3, or 5 years to find an earlier value. Growth is annualized between those two points using the actual time span between those two filings. Only filings with a changed value from the previous filing are used.
Start and end dates and filing IDs are provided for auditability.
Other Calculated Fields
| Metric | Formula |
|---|---|
| Total Client Count | Sum of all client-type counts: client_individual_count + client_hnw_individual_count + client_bank_count + client_investment_company_count + client_bdc_count + client_pooled_vehicle_count + client_pension_plan_count + client_charity_count + client_government_count + client_advisor_count + client_insurance_company_count + client_swf_count + client_business_count + client_other_count |
| Accounts per Client | account_total_count / total_client_count |
| Accounts per Employee | account_total_count / employee_total_count |
| AUM per Advisory Staff | aum_total / employee_advisory_count |
| AUM per Employee | aum_total / employee_total_count |
| Clients per Advisory Staff | total_client_count / employee_advisory_count |
| Clients per Employee | total_client_count / employee_total_count |
| Average Account Size | aum_total / account_total_count |
| Average Client AUM | aum_total / total_client_count |
| Average Individual Clients AUM | client_individual_aum / client_individual_count |
| Average HNW Individual Clients AUM | client_hnw_individual_aum / client_hnw_individual_count |
| Average Banking Client AUM | client_bank_aum / client_bank_count |
| Average Investment Company Client AUM | client_investment_company_aum / client_investment_company_count |
| Average BDC Client AUM | client_bdc_aum / client_bdc_count |
| Average Pooled Vehicle Client AUM | client_pooled_vehicle_aum / client_pooled_vehicle_count |
| Average Pension Plan Client AUM | client_pension_plan_aum / client_pension_plan_count |
| Average Charitable Organization Client AUM | client_charity_aum / client_charity_count |
| Average Government Entity Client AUM | client_government_aum / client_government_count |
| Average Investment Advisor Client AUM | client_advisor_aum / client_advisor_count |
| Average Insurance Company Client AUM | client_insurance_company_aum / client_insurance_company_count |
| Average Sovereign Wealth Fund Client AUM | client_swf_aum / client_swf_count |
| Average Corporation/Business Client AUM | client_business_aum / client_business_count |
| Average Other Client AUM | client_other_aum / client_other_count |
| % Individual Clients AUM | client_individual_aum / aum_total |
| % Individual Clients | client_individual_count / total_client_count |
| % HNW Individual Clients AUM | client_hnw_individual_aum / aum_total |
| % HNW Individual Clients | client_hnw_individual_count / total_client_count |
| % Banking AUM | client_bank_aum / aum_total |
| % Banking Clients | client_bank_count / total_client_count |
| % Investment Company AUM | client_investment_company_aum / aum_total |
| % Investment Company Clients | client_investment_company_count / total_client_count |
| % BDC AUM | client_bdc_aum / aum_total |
| % BDC Clients | client_bdc_count / total_client_count |
| % Pooled Vehicle AUM | client_pooled_vehicle_aum / aum_total |
| % Pooled Vehicle Clients | client_pooled_vehicle_count / total_client_count |
| % Pension Plan AUM | client_pension_plan_aum / aum_total |
| % Pension Plan Clients | client_pension_plan_count / total_client_count |
| % Charitable Organization AUM | client_charity_aum / aum_total |
| % Charitable Organization Clients | client_charity_count / total_client_count |
| % Government Entity AUM | client_government_aum / aum_total |
| % Government Entity Clients | client_government_count / total_client_count |
| % Investment Advisor AUM | client_advisor_aum / aum_total |
| % Investment Advisor Clients | client_advisor_count / total_client_count |
| % Insurance Company AUM | client_insurance_company_aum / aum_total |
| % Insurance Company Clients | client_insurance_company_count / total_client_count |
| % Sovereign Wealth Fund AUM | client_swf_aum / aum_total |
| % Sovereign Wealth Fund Clients | client_swf_count / total_client_count |
| % Corporation/Business AUM | client_business_aum / aum_total |
| % Corporation/Business Clients | client_business_count / total_client_count |
| % Other AUM | client_other_aum / aum_total |
| % Other Clients | client_other_count / total_client_count |
| % Discretionary AUM | aum_discretionary / aum_total |
Please note: When a firm has fewer than 5 clients in a category it may report the count or mark “under 5”. RIA Pulse treats “under 5” as 1 for filters and calculations. Use filters when benchmarking for more accurate results.
Firms Database
Overview
The firms database lets you search, sort, and filter the latest data for all SEC-registered RIA firms.
Views
Views let you save a combination of filters, columns, and sorting. Click Save as a new view to save. Use the overflow menu to rename, duplicate, or set a view as default. Switch views with the Saved Views button. Click Firms in the sidebar to return to the default view.
Filters
You can filter on virtually all fields. Click the Filters menu to open a searchable, categorized list; clicking a field adds it to your view and opens its options. Click Apply when done. Applied filters are highlighted. You can delete or deactivate filters; deactivating toggles them off without removing them from the view.
Columns
Add columns via the Columns menu (searchable, categorized list). Click a column to add it to the view. Click a column header in the table to sort by that column.
Search
Search runs on firms in your current view across name and ID fields (SEC number, CRD, LEI). Search is not saved in the view.
Results
Clicking the name of a firm in the data table will navigate you to the firm profile page. You can also add a firm to a new or existing watchlist by clicking the overflow menu on the right edge of the firm's row.
The data table can be scrolled horizontally to see all columns.
Exports
The current view can be exported as a CSV file using the Export CSV menu. You have the option of exporting with Database Names (e.g. “business_name”) or human-readable Full Labels (e.g. “Business Name”).
Choose Export firms visible on this page (up to 50) or Export firms in bulk (up to 1,000 rows).
Tier Access
| Free | Plus | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Available Fields |
|
|
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| Total Columns | 10 | 10 | 50 |
| Saved Custom Views | 1 | 5 | 50 |
| Exports | — | Visible rows (up to 50) | Bulk (up to 1,000) |
Some Free tier features require an account.
Firm Profiles
Overview
Firm profiles provide comprehensive information on SEC-registered RIA firms: historical analytics, AI-generated reports, ADV filings, and similar-firm suggestions. Content is organized in tabs.
Profile Tabs
Overview
The Overview tab contains high-level information: core business info, client demographics, historical AUM, services, and disclosure notices.
Analytics
The Analytics tab contains calculated metrics and visualizations of current and historical firm data.
Pulse Reports
The Pulse Reports tab lets you generate analyst-style reports about a firm using RIA Pulse data, web information, and AI. Reports are unique to each user and can be regenerated on demand.
Filings
The Filings tab lets you explore the latest and historical firm-reported regulatory filings. Filings are split by type in subtabs. Data-based filings (ADV Part 1, ADV-W) are searchable by field label and value.
Affiliates
The Affiliates tab displays all firm-reported and claimed affiliations. Business affiliations that the firm has reported are in the Affiliates subtab. Affiliations with the firm that other firms have reported are in the Claimed Affiliations subtab.
See the Affiliations section in Understanding RIA Pulse Data for more information on how affiliations are tracked.
Similar Firms
This tab lists similar firms, suggested by our ML system using size, client mix, services, and operations.
Tier Access
| Free | Plus | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | Included | Included | Included |
| Analytics |
|
|
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| Pulse Reports | — | 20 generations per month | 50 generations per month |
| Latest available filings | Included | Included | Included |
| All historical filings | — | — | Included |
| Affiliates | — | — | Included |
| Similar Firms | — | Included | Included |
Some Free tier features require an account.
Watchlists, Alerts & Recommendations
Overview
Watchlists are a user-defined list of RIA firms that make it easy to keep track of firms of interest.
Managing Watchlists
Create watchlists from the Watchlists page or from any firm (e.g. a database row or profile). Add or remove firms with Add/remove firms on the watchlist or from any firm.
Alerts
Enable alerts on the Alert settings tab for a watchlist (settings are per watchlist). New Information Alerts sends email when firms in the watchlist have new information in RIA Pulse.
Watchlist Recommendations
The recommended for you tab suggests firms based on the watchlist. Suggestions are generated by our machine learning system and are unique to each watchlist.
Tier Access
All tiers have access to new information alerts and watchlist recommendations.
| Free | Plus | Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watchlists | 1 watchlist (up to 10 firms) | 5 watchlists (up to 20 firms each) | 50 watchlists (up to 50 firms each) |
| AI Recommendations | — | Included | Included |
Some Free tier features require an account.
User Preferences
Classification Preferences
Configure how firm classifications are used in your experience (e.g. default filters or sort order).
Product Updates
RIA Pulse will occasionally send you emails with information about new product features. Disabling this opts you out of these emails.
Firm Preferences
On the home page, each suggested firm has two buttons: an up arrow (“show more like this”) and a down arrow (“show fewer like this”). Use them to tell the system which firms you want to see more or less of in future suggestions. You can manage or reset these preferences from the preferences page. They affect only the home page, not watchlist or profile recommendations.
API & Datasets
For API access or custom datasets, contact us at biz@riapulse.com.
Coming Soon
While the RIA Pulse data ingestion system captures all ADV Part 1 Schedule filing data, careful consideration and development is required to meet our performance and usability standards. As these are added, the Early Adopter Discount will be reduced. Planned additions and their priority are subject to change based on feedback from Plus and Pro users.
Planned ADV Schedule Data
- Websites (partially complete - available in filings tab)
- Other Offices (partially complete - available in filings tab)
- Firm Owners & Executives
- SMA Asset Types
- Acquisitions & Successions
Additional enhancements not tied to the Early Adopter Discount are planned and prioritized based on the feedback of Plus and Pro users.