Advisor Standards

Admission to the VERDE advisor network is selective. All applicants must meet the following baseline requirements before their application is reviewed:

Active licensure — you must hold all licenses, registrations, and certifications required by federal, state, and local law to provide the financial services you offer. This includes, but is not limited to, state insurance producer licenses, FINRA registrations (Series 6, 7, 63, 65, 66, or equivalent), CPA licensure, mortgage loan originator (MLO) licenses under the SAFE Act, and any applicable state-level business advisory registrations.

Clean regulatory record — applicants must not be subject to any pending or final order of revocation, suspension, or material disciplinary action by a regulatory body. VERDE reviews FINRA BrokerCheck, NAIC databases, state insurance department records, and other applicable sources.

Professional liability coverage — advisors offering investment advice, tax services, or mortgage origination must maintain errors and omissions (E&O) or professional liability insurance appropriate to their practice.

Geographic service area — advisors must serve at least one defined ZIP code territory and be able to respond to consumer inquiries within that area.

Every advisor application goes through a structured review before approval:

Step 1 — Application submission — advisors complete the VERDE advisor application, providing their license numbers, service verticals, ZIP code coverage, and professional background.

Step 2 — Credential verification — VERDE independently verifies all submitted license numbers against the relevant regulatory databases. Applications with unverifiable or expired credentials are declined.

Step 3 — Background review — VERDE reviews publicly available regulatory history, including any disciplinary actions, arbitration awards, or consumer complaints on record.

Step 4 — Profile review — VERDE reviews the advisor's submitted bio, service description, and business information for accuracy and compliance with platform content standards.

Step 5 — Approval or decline — VERDE notifies applicants of the outcome within 5–10 business days. Declined applicants may reapply after 90 days if the basis for decline has been resolved.

Approved advisors must maintain the following standards throughout their participation in the VERDE network:

Fiduciary and suitability compliance — advisors must comply with all applicable fiduciary, suitability, and best-interest standards required by their licenses and applicable law. VERDE does not waive or modify any regulatory obligation.

Accurate profile information — advisors must keep their VERDE profile current, including license status, service verticals, ZIP code coverage, and contact information. Material changes must be updated within 10 business days.

Timely lead response — advisors are expected to make a good-faith effort to contact each matched lead within one business day. Persistent non-response is grounds for lead delivery suspension.

Professional communication — all communications with consumers through or related to the VERDE platform must be professional, accurate, and free of misleading statements.

No fee manipulation — advisors may not misrepresent their fees, charge undisclosed fees, or engage in fee-splitting arrangements that are not permitted by applicable law and disclosed to consumers.

Complaint cooperation — advisors must respond to consumer complaints escalated by VERDE within five business days and cooperate in good faith with any VERDE-initiated review.

Preferred Advisor is VERDE's highest recognition tier, awarded to advisors who consistently exceed the platform's baseline standards. Preferred status is not purchased — it is earned.

Rating threshold — advisors must maintain a minimum 4.5-star average rating across at least 10 verified consumer reviews.

Response performance — advisors must demonstrate a lead response rate of 90% or higher within one business day over the preceding 90-day period.

Profile completeness — the advisor's VERDE profile must be fully completed, including a professional photo, detailed bio, and all service verticals accurately listed.

No active compliance issues — advisors with any open regulatory action, unresolved consumer complaint, or active VERDE conduct review are ineligible for Preferred status until the matter is resolved.

Continuous review — Preferred status is evaluated on a rolling 90-day basis. Advisors who fall below any threshold will have their Preferred badge removed until the criteria are met again.

Preferred Advisors receive enhanced placement in search results, a gold Preferred badge on their profile and in search listings, and priority lead matching in their covered territories.

VERDE monitors advisor performance and compliance on a continuous basis through the following mechanisms:

Consumer feedback — every completed lead interaction is eligible for a consumer review. VERDE monitors review patterns for signs of manipulation or unusual activity.

License status checks — VERDE periodically re-verifies advisor license status against regulatory databases. Advisors whose licenses lapse or are suspended will have their accounts suspended pending resolution.

Consumer complaints — VERDE tracks all consumer complaints submitted through the platform and escalates patterns of concern to its advisor compliance team.

Self-reporting obligation — advisors are required to notify VERDE within five business days of any material change to their license status, regulatory standing, or professional liability coverage.

VERDE reserves the right to suspend or remove any advisor from the network for violations of these standards. Enforcement actions may include:

Warning — for minor or first-time violations, VERDE may issue a written warning and require corrective action within a specified timeframe.

Lead delivery suspension — VERDE may suspend lead delivery while a compliance review is in progress.

Profile suspension — VERDE may suspend an advisor's public profile, making it invisible to consumers, pending resolution of a compliance matter.

Permanent removal — advisors who engage in consumer fraud, misrepresentation, license violations, or repeated conduct violations may be permanently removed from the network.

Advisors subject to enforcement action will be notified in writing and given an opportunity to respond, except in cases of immediate consumer harm where suspension without prior notice is warranted.

VERDE may update these Advisor Standards from time to time to reflect changes in regulatory requirements, platform capabilities, or industry best practices. Advisors will be notified of material changes by email at least 30 days before they take effect.

Continued participation in the VERDE network after the effective date of any update constitutes acceptance of the revised standards.

Questions about these Advisor Standards should be directed to:

Email: [email protected]

Platform: Use the Help & Support section of your Advisor Dashboard.