Q.ai’s partnership with APEX Clearing exists for one simple reason: we do different things.

Q.ai is an SEC-registered investment advisor, or RIA. By contrast, APEX Clearing is an SEC-registered broker-dealer.

As SEC-registered entities, we both must comply with regulations to protect investors – but our roles in the investment process vary.

What is an SEC-registered investment advisor?

RIAs are individuals or firms that provide investment advice to clients. Advisors with over $100 million in assets under management must register with the SEC. (Smaller advisors may register with state regulators instead.)

All RIAs follow a set of legal standards and best practices to protect investors, including:

• Providing information about services and fees in plain English
• Disclosing all potential risks and conflicts of interest
• Acting ethically in all business dealings

Importantly, all RIAs have a fiduciary duty to their clients. That means that RIAs must provide advice and recommendations that fit their clients’ best interests. This fiduciary standard helps prevent advisors from taking advantage of investors.

What is an SEC-registered broker-dealer?

SEC-registered broker-dealers are firms that actually trade securities. Broker-dealer activities can (but don’t always) include:

• Buying and selling assets
• Providing custody services
• Performing market research
• Giving trading advice

However, broker-dealers are held to a different advisory standard, known as the suitability standard.

Whereas RIAs must operate in their clients’ best interests, broker-dealers only have to ensure assets are suitable for clients. As long as a broker can prove suitability, it can recommend higher-priced assets with larger commissions, even when comparable cheaper or lower-commission assets exist.

What does that mean for our investors?

You may notice that when you register an account with Q.ai, you receive an account number through APEX Clearing. That’s because Q.ai partners with APEX to provide a complete client experience.

As an SEC-registered investment advisor, Q.ai (properly Quantalytics Holdings, LLC) provides artificial intelligence, market research and Investment Kits.

Meanwhile, APEX Clearing provides all the investment infrastructure needed to manage investors’ assets. They process applications; perform trading, clearing and custody services; obtain proper insurance coverage; and follow SEC-mandated reporting and auditing requirements.

Why we trust APEX Clearing

Q.ai chose APEX Clearing for their track record, compatibility, and essential investor protections. Among other benefits, APEX provides Q.ai (and its investors) benefits like:

• Compatibility with our AI-backed investment model
• Commission-free trading 
• Access to fractional share investing
• SIPC insurance coverage up to – and in some cases, exceeding – SIPC limits
• Up to $250,000 in FDIC insurance coverage for all cash held under APEX’s Bank Sweep Feature

And we aren’t the only ones to rely on APEX. In 2022, the firm cleared nearly 700 million trades and claimed over $100 billion in assets under custody.

Q.ai’s partnership with APEX brings you the best

As an investor, you want to know that you’re making the best decisions, buying the best assets and trusting the best firms. Q.ai’s partnership with APEX Clearing brings you just that. Together, we don’t just keep the status quo – we’re changing the future of investing with AI, one trade at a time.