The RIA's Chartbook
No. 02

Every Vendor Is Part of Your Safeguards

How independent RIAs can evaluate the technology that holds client information, from no-training promises to SOC 2 reports and the auditors who sign them.

October 8, 2026  ·  9 pages  ·  Free PDF

Cover of The RIA's Chartbook No. 02: Every Vendor Is Part of Your Safeguards

A no-training promise answers one question. A vendor whose AI acts for your firm has to answer many more.

As AI moves from holding client information to carrying out work, vendor diligence has to cover two things: access to data and authority to act.

Inside this issue

  • An execution-evidence checklist: permitted action, authorization, boundary test, completion record, and how to revoke access
  • Why to ask vendors to demonstrate a blocked action rather than describe one
  • What a SOC 2 report shows, and what it does not (it does not show AI accuracy)
  • The trade-off of consolidating vendors: simpler oversight, concentrated dependency

The chartbook is free, with no form. Read it in your browser or download the PDF for your next vendor review.

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