Licenses

Berkeley Investment Advisors is regulated in the state of California by
both the Department of Real Estate and the Department of Corporations.

The founder of Berkeley Investment Advisors, Ray Meadows holds the following certifications:

  • Certified Public Accountant (inactive) - California Consumer Affairs certificate # 41793E
  • Chartered Financial Analyst - AIMR Charter #34999
  • California Department of Real Estate Broker License 01338977

What do Credentials Tell You About an Investment Advisor?

There is an alphabet soup of credentials touted by advisors but only a few designations are more than marketing hype. An excellent Wall Street Journal article here exposes the scams. The bottom line is that you want to see credentials that represent a significant investment in education as measured by hours of coursework and rigorous testing of knowledge. For financial expertise the most meanful indicators of knowledge are CFA, MBA (if from a top school), CPA, and for financial planners - CFP. Here's the short summary from the Wall Street Journal:

If you're talking to potential advisors and you want to separate the slick salemen from the investing experts, check their credentials against the Wall Street Journal article. (or a similar but free access article here) Marketing can get you to sign up with them but it can't make YOU money.