Who is the best SEBI registered investment adviser in Bangalore?
The best SEBI registered investment adviser in Bangalore (Bengaluru) is the one that holds a valid INA registration, earns only from the fee you pay, and is set up for your kind of money. A ranking cannot know whether you need help with a ₹10 lakh mutual fund portfolio, a startup's ESOPs or RSUs from a US parent company. So we compare the kinds of adviser you will meet, and show how to check any of them.
Shortlist two or three advisers. Check each on SEBI's list, ask how they are paid, and ask what they would do for you in the first year. The answers usually make the choice for you.
How do I find a SEBI registered adviser in Bengaluru?
Start from SEBI's own list of registered investment advisers, not from ads or social media, and check every name you are given against it. The list shows each adviser's name, registration number, address and validity, so you can see who is based in Bengaluru.
- Ask for the INA number. Every registered adviser has one, and it has to appear on their website, emails and agreement.
- Search it on SEBI's list. Check the name, the validity date and the address match what you were told.
- Match the bank account. Pay only into an account in the adviser's registered name, through a bank transfer, cheque or a UPI ID ending in @valid. Never in cash.
- Read the agreement before you pay. It sets out the fee, what it covers and how either side can end it.
Our post on how to verify a SEBI registered advisor walks through the search step by step.
The kinds of adviser you will meet in Bengaluru
| Kind of provider | Who pays them | Registration to ask for | Usually suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual SEBI registered adviser | You, a fee agreed in writing | INA number | Someone who wants one person to know their whole situation |
| SEBI registered advisory firm | You, a fee agreed in writing | INA number | Someone who wants a team, an app and set review dates |
| Bank relationship manager or wealth desk | Mostly commissions on the products sold | Ask which registration covers the advice | Someone who values a branch and banking in one place |
| Mutual fund distributor | The fund house, through the regular plan | ARN from AMFI | Someone who wants buying and paperwork handled for them |
| Portfolio manager (PMS) | You, a management fee and often a share of gains | INP number | Someone with ₹50 lakh or more who wants a manager to run it |
Only the first two are paid solely by you to advise you. Our guide on who pays whom explains the others, and what advisers charge covers SEBI's fee caps, which are the same in every city.
Do I need an adviser based in Bengaluru?
No. A SEBI registered adviser can advise you wherever you live, and most of the work happens by video, phone and shared documents. Risk profiling, the plan and the reviews can all be done remotely, and you invest in your own name on your own platform.
A local adviser is worth it in a few cases:
- You want to meet in person, regularly, at your home or office.
- Your plan depends on family property, a will or paperwork that is easier to sort out across a table.
- You are planning for parents who are not comfortable on video calls.
What Bengaluru investors often need from an adviser
In Bengaluru, a large share of many people's wealth is their employer's stock, so a good adviser plans for that first. These situations are worth raising in a first call:
- RSUs from a foreign parent company. They are taxed as salary when they vest, and shares held abroad have to be reported in your tax return. Plan when to sell, and how much one company's stock should be of your wealth.
- ESOPs in a startup. Exercising costs money and can bring a tax bill before you can sell. Our ESOP tax guide covers when each is taxed and how to decide when to sell.
- Jobs that can change quickly. In a sector with layoffs and job switches, hold a larger emergency fund, often six months of expenses or more, outside the stock market.
- A move abroad, or back. Your residency changes your tax, your bank accounts and what you can invest in. Our guide for NRIs returning to India covers the first 90 days.
- Early retirement plans. If you want to stop working before 60, check the number with our FIRE calculator before you pick funds.
Questions to ask before you hire one
- What is your INA number, and is the registration in your name or your firm's?
- Is your fee fixed or a percentage of my assets, and what is it in rupees for me this year?
- Do you, or anyone in your group, earn anything from the products you recommend?
- What will you do in the first 90 days, and how often will we review?
- Will you work with the investments I already have, or ask me to move them?
Our guide to fiduciary duty explains what an adviser owes you once you hire them, and how to spot a conflict of interest.
Where we fit, and where we do not
Invsify is a SEBI registered investment adviser (INA000020572) with its office in New Delhi. We advise clients in Bengaluru, and across India, by video and phone. Invsify Private is ₹8,999 a year, fixed, and we take no commission on anything we recommend. We work with what you already own, across funds, stocks, deposits and bonds.
We are not the right pick for everyone:
- You want regular meetings in person. An adviser who visits you will suit you better.
- You want someone to run your money day to day. That is a portfolio manager's job, not an adviser's. You invest in your own name with us.
- You want products bought for you in one place. A distributor or a bank does that. We do not sell any product.
If you would like a second opinion first, talk to one of our advisers for twenty minutes, free.