Final answer:
Investment advisors at a bank branch must be transparent about their rates and services and can plan diversified portfolios for customers, while aligning investment strategies with the clients' financial goals. Their motivation can be complex, involving both client service and potential institutional incentives.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to the role of investment advisors at a local bank branch office. These advisors are required to b) Must be transparent about their rates and services as this is a regulatory standard in financial services to ensure that customers are fully informed about the cost and nature of the services they are receiving.
On the matter of planning diversified portfolios, investment advisors typically have the ability and resources to help customers create well-diversified investment portfolios that minimize risk while seeking to maximize returns. By helping clients spread their investments across various asset classes such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, advisors aim to mitigate the impact of volatility in any single asset. Advisors also have a responsibility to align investment strategies with their clients' financial goals, although their motivations can be complex since banks are in business to make money and sometimes advisors earn commissions based on products sold.
It is incorrect to say that investment advisors a) Are not able to plan strongly diversified portfolios, c) Are working solely on behalf of their customers to earn money (as their motivations can be varied and sometimes include personal or institutional incentives), or d) Do not advise their customers on their financial goals (as advising on goals is a fundamental part of their service).