About Cambridge

Frequently Asked Questions

About Cambridge

We have a plan firmly in place to ensure long term true independence for Cambridge.

You can read it here.

Yes, Cambridge offers a profit-sharing plan (PSP) to its eligible associates.

Our purpose is to make a difference in the lives of our financial professionals, their clients, and our associates. We will do this by continuously improving and refining our competitive differentiation, unique culture, customizable experience, and superior quality.

Our values reflect our purpose, define our culture, and direct our actions.

  • Integrity – honesty, fairness, and ethics are the foundation of our culture
  • Commitment – making a difference to our community through quality, excellence, and service
  • Flexibility – innovative solutions based on being open minded, thoughtful, and resourceful
  • Kindness – actions guided by consideration and human touch while embracing accountability

Solutions for Independence – Business Models

Cambridge offers intelligent flexibility for independent financial professionals. You may choose dual registration, RIA registration only, or FINRA only.

Our Advisor Advantage® offering serves independent financial professionals with fee focused or fee only business models – and supports independent financial professionals in the process of transforming their business from fee focused to fee only.

*Advisor Advantage® is a registered trademark for Cambridge

You may elect to use Cambridge’s RIA or an independent RIA.

Cambridge’s national reach includes: Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. – a large corporate RIA; and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. – an independent broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC, that is among the largest internally controlled independent broker-dealers in the country.

We offer customizable services for a wide variety of financial professional business models, including:

  • Solo Financial Professionals
  • Ensembles of two to 10 financial professionals working as a multi-financial professional organization
  • Ensemble Enterprises of 10 or more financial professionals working as a multi-financial professional organization
  • Multi-financial professional teams of two to 35 financial professionals sharing expenses and collaborating
  • Enterprises of 36 or more financial professionals

Products and Clearing Firms

As an independent financial solutions firm, Cambridge does not have proprietary products. We offer a wide and diverse universe of company and product offerings to meet the needs of your unique business model. We believe we have one of the broadest product footprints in the industry while maintaining thorough due diligence.

We utilize Fidelity Institutional® and Pershing as our clearing firms.

We utilize Fidelity Institutional®, Pershing Advisor Solutions (PAS), and Charles Schwab.

Operations

New ideas and strategies are pushing our ever-evolving industry forward daily. That’s why we don’t believe in a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach when it comes to compliance. Our Compliance Department strives to ‘find a way to yes,’ and will work with you to find an alternative solution if your first option doesn’t meet the requirements of the current regulatory framework.

When you choose to join Cambridge, you’ll immediately experience our core value of flexibility with our customized transition plans. We have developed a competitive program to help with transfer fees, registration and licensing fees, and other such expenses, as well as a variety of resources to help make the transition a smooth process. Our experienced Transition Consultants are dedicated to providing you with a seamless and straightforward transition, allowing you to continue providing your clients with the outstanding service they deserve.

Centralized technology and seamless connectivity are the heart of Cambridge’s digital strategies. The intent is for these digital solutions to enable independent financial professionals to achieve business goals, gain competitive advantage, and properly reflect regulatory requirements. A few of our technologies include:

• CLIC® — A comprehensive online business environment centered on choice and flexibility for the many varied business models independent financial professionals need for their businesses.

• WealthPort® — A fully digitized, flexible managed account solution designed to meet the needs of the financial professional’s business model – no matter how they engage with their clients. WealthPort offers advisor-directed models, team-directed model management, CAAP® strategist-directed model management, separately managed account, and unified managed accounts – with CLIC integration.

Growth Solutions

Work with the Cambridge Source and MarketCentral teams to build a brand and associated marketing materials you can be proud of.

We offer a broad scope of resources to help you create and maintain relationships with clients, grow and sustain your independent firm, and successfully reach your business goals.

Our Practice Management Team is here to help you focus on your role as a business owner, providing you with a customized course and setting you on the path to achieve your unique goals. Cambridge’s Practice Management coaching programs offer hands-on coaching with specialized executive and departmental consulting. Our coaches partner with you to develop the efficiencies needed to achieve personal and financial growth.

Cambridge Source (Source) is our in-house solution for common outsourcing needs. Featuring an umbrella of services, including Office Support, Marketing, Practice Advancement, and Professional Development, Source allows you to better manage your time and effectively grow your practice.

We recognize the largest challenge in outsourcing is finding the right third-party that understands you and the inherent complexities of our heavily regulated industry. Source’s talented personnel and innovative solutions make selecting the right partner an easy decision.

Business owners are constantly looking for ways to cultivate and enrich their skills and knowledge. The Cambridge Events Team facilitates an impressive schedule of conferences and events designed to keep you ahead of industry trends.

A Cambridge conference or event is the perfect opportunity to enrich yourself and conduct your due diligence at the same time. You’ll be able to network with Cambridge associates, executives, and industry professionals. Attending an event also gives you the opportunity to ask questions and receive open, honest answers from fellow financial professionals.

This section highlights certain key features of the Bank Deposit Sweep Program (the “Program” or “BDSP”). Read the complete Disclosure Document before you decide to participate in the Program. You should consult your broker-dealer or investment representative for more information.

Click here to view the full disclosure document.

Interest Rate

Tier Range

Balance Rate
$0 - $25,000 0.45%
$25,001 - $50,000 0.45%
$50,001 - $100,000 0.50%
$100,001 - $250,000 0.50%
$250,001 - $500,000 0.60%
$500,001 - $1,000,000 0.65%
$1,000,001 - $2,500,000 1.00%
$2,500,001 - $10,000,000 1.15%
>$10,000,000 1.45%

Interest rates/APY will be determined based on prevailing economic and business conditions and are subject to change at any time.

Balances will earn the same rate of interest regardless of the Program Bank with which funds are deposited. Interest rate is based upon each account's Program Deposits in accordance with the above Interest Rate Tiers. The rate of interest is evaluated on a daily basis.

Updated: 09/28/2023

Bank Notes

Click here to view the participating banks in the standard network Bank Deposit Sweep Program (BDSP)®.