You can show press mentions on your website under the SEC marketing rule, as long as they’re genuine and the page doesn’t imply more than happened. Your website is an advertisement, so the rule’s general prohibitions apply: nothing untrue, nothing you can’t back up, and nothing “reasonably likely to cause an untrue or misleading implication.” In its April 17, 2024 risk alert, the SEC’s Division of Examinations flagged advisers who claimed to have been “seen on” national media when the “appearances” were paid advertisements. Of the fee-only firm websites in our website study, 21% show an “as seen in” or “featured in” badge. Most of them can be made solid with a link, a date and an honest label.
This guide covers how to show press. For what a quote is worth, see Press for financial advisors, and for earning one, How to get quoted in Forbes, CNBC and Kiplinger.
The interview isn’t the problem; the press page is
What you say to a reporter is generally outside the rule. The SEC said in adopting it that general market commentary, “including during press interviews,” is unlikely to offer advisory services, and that live interviews with the press not based on prepared remarks fall under the exclusion for extemporaneous oral communications.
Your website is different. A page that offers your services is an advertisement, and when you put an article on it, you take on what it says. The SEC calls this adoption: an adviser that endorses or approves third-party content after it’s published is liable for it “just as it would be liable for content it produced itself.” So the question is never whether you were quoted. It’s whether the way you show the quote is accurate.
What examiners flagged
The April 2024 risk alert listed advertising problems that apply directly to press and media claims:
- “Seen on” national media when the “appearances” were paid advertisements, with no disclosure.
- Celebrity images used in a way that implied an endorsement that didn’t exist.
- Awards or accolades the advisers hadn’t received.
- Ratings that implied a firm was the sole or top winner when there were many recipients, or that rested mostly on assets or client counts without saying so.
- The SEC’s logo on advisers’ websites, implying approval.
Earned, paid and in between
Most press questions come down to who decided you’d appear and who paid. A reader of “as seen in” assumes an editor chose you and nobody was paid.
| Type of mention | Who decided | Show as press? |
|---|---|---|
| A reporter quoted you in a news story | The outlet’s editors | Yes, linked and dated |
| You wrote an op-ed or guest column the outlet accepted | The outlet’s editors | Yes, labelled “contributed article” |
| A podcast or TV segment you were invited onto | The show | Yes, linked and dated |
| A paid TV or radio segment, or a “featured” spot you bought | You, by paying | Only labelled as paid, or not at all |
| Sponsored content or an advertorial | You, by paying | Only labelled as paid, or not at all |
| A post published through a paid membership program | The program, for members | Only with the membership named |
| A press release that a wire service syndicated to news sites | You, by paying the wire service | No; it’s your own release |
| A “top advisor” list or ranking | The rating company | It’s a rating; see below |
Forbes Councils is a common example of the in-between case. Its Forbes Finance Council page says approved applicants are invited to “select and purchase a membership package,” and that members can “submit bylined articles to be published on Forbes.com.” That can be worth doing. Presenting it as Forbes coverage, without saying it came through a paid membership, invites exactly the inference the April 2024 alert described.
Hiring a publicist to pitch reporters is different from paying the outlet. A story an editor chose to run is still the outlet’s decision. What examiners flagged was paid advertising presented as coverage.
When the article praises you
If an article calls you “one of the most trusted planners in Denver” and you put that line on your site, read the rule’s definitions literally. An endorsement is any statement by someone who isn’t a current client that “indicates approval, support, or recommendation” of the adviser. A reporter’s praise, quoted in your advertisement, fits that wording. Show it with a plain label: “Reporter, not a client. Not compensated.” Quoting what you said in the article raises no such issue.
Media rankings are ratings
“Best-in-State,” “Top 100” and similar lists published by magazines or newspapers are third-party ratings under paragraph (c) of the rule, not press. To show one you need:
- a reasonable basis to believe any survey behind it made favorable and unfavorable answers equally easy and wasn’t built to produce a set result, and
- clear and prominent disclosure of the date and the period it covers, who created it, and whether you paid anything in connection with getting or using it.
The December 16, 2025 risk alert found advisers who paid for logo use, reprints and enhanced placement without saying so, and logos that didn’t identify who created the rating. In September 2024, the SEC fined four advisers in part for showing ratings without their dates or periods, some more than five years old. For the full rating rules, see the SEC marketing rule for small RIAs.
How to build a press page that holds up
- One line per mention: outlet, headline, date, and a link to the story. Newest first.
- Label the type: “Quoted in,” “Contributed article,” “Interview.” Put any paid item in its own labelled section, or leave it off.
- Logos only for real coverage. An “as seen in” strip should include only outlets whose editors chose you, and each logo should link to its story.
- Keep copies. Links break. Save a PDF of each article the day it runs. The rule bars any material statement of fact you can’t substantiate on demand, and the books-and-records rule requires you to keep your advertisements.
- Retire old and stale items. A 2018 quote from a former firm, or about a service you’ve dropped, can mislead. Date-stamp the strip, and refresh it once a year.
- Match your facts. If an article describes your fees or specialties, they should still match your website and Form ADV.
- No regulator logos, and no wording that suggests SEC registration means skill or approval.
A line in that format looks like this, with your own details:
[Outlet], “[Headline as published],” [date]. Quoted on [topic]. [Link to the article]
Where Wellspent fits
Wellspent membership includes quarterly press placement: each quarter we match members to stories with our media partners by specialty. Editors decide who’s quoted, and we don’t promise placements. When a quote runs, your verified record in the public graph gives readers and AI assistants a checked source for your fees, specialties and registration. Membership is $89 a month and includes introductions from prospects with no lead fees and a monthly report on who AI assistants recommend. See How it works.