LPL Financial is the largest US independent broker-dealer, with more than 32,000 financial advisors affiliated with its platform and roughly 11 million customer accounts at the end of 2025. The firm earns the bulk of its profit from interest income earned on client cash balances and from advisory fees and commissions tied to the $2.4 trillion in assets under management or advisory on its platform at year-end 2025. LPL specializes in the provision of turnkey wealth management services for affiliated independent advisors, but maintains a diverse array of affiliation modalities, running the gamut from more traditional employee models to a pure RIA custody approach. It earns tuck-in revenue from recordkeeping fees and the provision of software tools and services to its advisor base.

Investing in stocks is risky and each stock can have its own set of risks. Below is a list of risks that generally apply to all stocks:

Volatility: The performance of stocks can be volatile, with their value dropping as quickly as it can rise. You should be prepared to lose all the money you invest in stocks.

Liquidity: Some stocks may suffer from low liquidity which could prevent you buying or selling them at the price you want or expect.

Complexity: Specific stocks and ETFs may carry with them specific complex risks that are hard to understand. Do your own research and if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: Putting all your money into a single type of investment is risky. Spreading your money across different investments makes you less dependent on any one to do well.

If you want to learn more about specific risks related to equity securities, please visit our dedicated equities disclosure page.