540 Meadow Street, Suite 104, Agawam, MA 01001 • 413.372.5991
OUR RIA-BROKER/DEALER
We are proud to partner with Commonwealth Financial Network.®
Commonwealth is a Registered Investment Adviser broker/dealer that helps independent advisors like us serve their clients. Its mission is to help clients live their best lives by delivering an indispensable advantage to the advisors with whom it works.
Commonwealth aims to make sure we—your advisors—are empowered to give you, the client, objective advice and to make recommendations based on your best interest, not ours. The culture Commonwealth has created since opening its doors in 1979, along with the dedicated, friendly support it provides, are among the reasons we chose to partner with the firm—and why you can always expect to receive the prompt, attentive service you deserve. As of December 31, 2024, Commonwealth oversees total account assets of $344 billion.
Prioritizing Your Goals
Commonwealth-affiliated advisors are not obligated to recommend proprietary products. Our partnership with Commonwealth supports our commitment to acting in your best interest, providing objective investment advice, and focusing on strategies best suited to reaching your goals.
What is a Registered Investment Adviser–broker/dealer? A Registered Investment Adviser (RIA), as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), provides advice, for a fee, regarding whether to invest in, purchase, or sell investment products, as well as circulates investment analysis and reports. A broker/dealer, as defined by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), buys and sells investment products on behalf of investors. Commonwealth is dually registered as an investment adviser and a broker/dealer. This means it supervises and processes the investment business of the more than 2,000 financial professionals (registered representatives and investment advisors) who have affiliated with it. These professionals are independent business owners who provide financial guidance to clients looking for assistance. Commonwealth functions as the unseen back office that processes client transactions for them. Because the financial services industry is heavily regulated, registered representatives and investment advisors are typically required to register with a broker/dealer and/or an investment adviser to ensure supervision and a clear chain of responsibility.
What does it mean to be “independent”? Commonwealth is an “independent” RIA–broker/dealer, which means its advisors work for themselves out of their own offices and are free to help their clients choose the best investment products—without pressure to sell a particular company’s products—to meet their financial goals. This business model differs from that of other financial institutions, typically known as “wirehouses,” whose advisors are employees of the company.
Can you tell me more about Commonwealth’s relationship with NFS? Commonwealth believes it can deliver substantial benefits from the important service relationship it maintains with NFS. Knowing that every investor’s account is being serviced with the commitment and resources of an industry leader allows advisors to focus on what they do best: providing the personalized guidance and comprehensive investment services you need to reach your goals. NFS’s reputation for delivering quality products and services is made available to you through Commonwealth and your investment professional. Together with NFS, we offer you these benefits: - The experience of an industry leader - Complete investment reporting on one easy-to-read, consolidated statement - Check writing, with detail on the same statement - Comprehensive tax reporting form (1099) for all investments - Asset management accounts - A range of retirement program options, including Premiere Select® IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, Roth IRAs, profit-sharing and money purchase plans, and SEP IRAs - Thousands of well-known class shares, including Fidelity Investments
Is insurance provided to protect me? Commonwealth and NFS are members of the SIPC, a federal nonprofit corporation that protects customer assets in the unlikely event a member broker/dealer fails to meet its financial obligations. SIPC protection does not cover investment losses caused by a decline in market value. The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) is a nonprofit organization that protects stocks, bonds, and other securities in case a brokerage firm goes bankrupt, and assets are missing. The SIPC will cover up to $500,000 in securities, including a $250,000 limit for cash held in a brokerage account. All Fidelity brokerage accounts are covered by SIPC. This includes money market funds held in a brokerage account since they are considered securities. Learn more about SIPC coverage at www.sipc.org or call 202.371.8300. In addition to SIPC protection, Fidelity provides its brokerage customers with additional “excess of SIPC” coverage. The excess coverage would only be used when SIPC coverage is exhausted. Like SIPC, excess protection does not cover investment losses in customer accounts due to market fluctuation. It also does not cover other claims for losses incurred while broker-dealers remain in business. For example, fraud claims would not be covered if the brokerage firm was still in operation. Total aggregate excess of SIPC coverage available through Fidelity’s excess of SIPC policy is $1 billion. Within Fidelity’s excess of SIPC coverage, there is no per-customer dollar limit on coverage of securities, but there is a per customer limit of $1.9 million on coverage of cash awaiting investment. This is the maximum excess of SIPC protection currently available in the brokerage industry. Both SIPC and excess of SIPC coverage are limited to securities held in brokerage positions, including mutual funds if held in your brokerage account and securities held in book entry form.
How can I be sure my assets are being protected? Fidelity Investments® (Fidelity)³ provides clearing, custody, and other brokerage services to Commonwealth through National Financial Services LLC (NFS). Like Commonwealth, NFS is an industry leader with a long and stable history of customer service excellence. We have the utmost confidence in the proficiency with which NFS handles every trade, statement, report, and myriad other transactions for millions of clients—and we believe you can, too. Commonwealth and NFS are members of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), the nonprofit agency whose primary role is to restore investors’ funds in the event the broker/dealer holding their assets fails financially. As an extra measure to safeguard your assets, NFS supplements its SIPC coverage with additional protection for cash and covered securities, together with other insurers, for the highest level of excess SIPC coverage currently available. NFS is a leading clearing firm and is subject to the rules and regulations of the SEC, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), FINRA, and other principal exchanges of which it is a member.
³Fidelity Investments® (Fidelity) is an independent company unaffiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network (Commonwealth). Fidelity is a service provider to Commonwealth. There is no form of legal partnership, agency affiliation, or similar relationship between your financial advisor and Fidelity, nor is such a relationship created or implied by the information herein. Fidelity is a registered service mark of FMR LLC. Fidelity provides clearing, custody, or other brokerage services through National Financial Services LLC or Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC, Members NYSE, SIPC. 1173828.1.
J.D. Power ranks Commonwealth “#1 in Independent Advisor Satisfaction Among Financial Investment Firms 12 Times in a Row.”
Its real impact is reflected in what it means for our clients every day.
Commonwealth received the highest score among independent advisors in the J.D. Power 2010, 2012–2014, and 2018-2025 U.S. Financial Advisor Satisfaction Studies. Presented on July 16, 2025, for December 2024 to April of 2025, it is based on responses from 3,698 advisors employed by or affiliated with the firms included in the study. Not indicative of the firm’s future performance. Your experience may vary. Study is independently conducted, and the participating firms do not pay to participate. Use of study results in promotional materials is subject to a license fee. Visit jdpower.com/business/awards for more details.