A little more info on what it takes to be a financial advisor in Washington
"Both federal and state level IA firm registration is done through the Investment Adviser Registration Depository. If the new firm has more than $100 million in client assets under management it will operate under federal laws and register with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Firms managing less than $100 million in client assets will register at the state level with the Washington Department of Financial Institutions, Securities Division. The following steps cover both scenarios."