There’s a lot of jargon in the financial service industry. And much of it probably flies right over the heads of most investors.

But if there’s one word that every investor should know and understand, it’s “fiduciary.”

The fiduciary standard is a set of regulations requiring advisors to always act in the best interest of their clients, to disclose any potential conflicts of interest, and to be transparent about how they’re being compensated.

“Being a fiduciary is the highest legal duty of one party to another. It has a legal, moral and ethical component,” says Byron Moore of Ruston Argent Advisors.

At Argent, all of our advisors follow the fiduciary standard.

Why is the fiduciary standard important?

When you invest your money, you want to feel secure that your financial advisor is putting your needs before their own. Without the fiduciary standard, an advisor only has to make sure that an investment is suitable for their clients – even if similar ones might be a better fit. This is known as the “suitability standard.”

Some proprietary products have a variety of hidden fees attached to them that non-fiduciary advisors aren’t required to disclose to clients. They also aren’t required to disclose conflicts of interest, which could include receiving a bonus to promote a particular investment.

Does that mean I shouldn’t invest with brokers?

Brokers have an important purpose in the financial services world, says Moore. They’re often the only resource available to investors who don’t have a large amount of money, and because they don’t have the additional fiduciary requirements, their services tend to be less expensive as a whole.

“It’s a basic rule of economics. If you impose a higher cost, through increased regulation, on an industry, it’s going to show up somewhere. It could show up in reduced supply or trimmed back services,” Moore says. “There has always been a need for people to just execute transactions. Using a broker involves a lower cost, and if you’re capable of looking out for your own interest, that may be all you need.”

How can I feel secure that my advisor is looking out for my best interest?

Ask your financial advisor if they are serving you in a fiduciary capacity. If they’re not, take that fact into account as you weigh the pros and cons of investments that they suggest to you.

If you’re looking for an advisor and you don’t know where to start, your best option may be asking people you know.

“Talk to friends and neighbors you trust. Ask who they use, if they’re good, if they communicate with clients the way they want to be communicated with. I always suggest interviewing at least three candidates before deciding to work with any kind of financial advisor,” Moore says.