Wealth-management advisor (CGP)
A wealth-management advisor (CGP) is an independent professional or firm-affiliated expert who assesses a client's overall financial situation to optimize, grow, and transfer their assets. In a mortgage transaction, the CGP typically works upstream of the broker to structure the deal — choosing the right tax regime, setting up an SCI, calibrating the down payment — and often refers qualified leads.
Key points
- A CGP holds a regulated status: registered as a CIF (investment advisor) with an approved professional association, and sometimes as an IOBSP for lending-related advice.
- Compensation may be fee-only or commission-based (trail fees, retrocessions from product providers).
- Scope covers financial investments, real estate, taxation, life insurance, and estate planning.
- For real-estate deals, the CGP advises on the right ownership vehicle (SCI, LMNP, bare ownership) before financing is arranged.
- MiFID 2 and the Sapin 2 Act govern fee transparency and conflict-of-interest management.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a CGP and a mortgage broker?
A mortgage broker specializes in sourcing and negotiating bank financing and earns a brokerage fee. A CGP has a broader wealth-management perspective — taxation, life insurance, protection, estate planning — and may be compensated by fees or multiple product providers. The two often collaborate: the CGP structures the deal, the broker secures the loan.
Why should a borrower consult a CGP before applying for a mortgage?
A CGP can identify whether buying outright, through an SCI, or as a furnished-rental investor best fits the client's tax and asset picture. This structural decision, made before signing the purchase agreement, can generate significant tax savings over the holding period. The CGP also helps calibrate the right down-payment level to avoid straining liquidity.
Can a CGP enter into a referral agreement with a mortgage broker?
Yes, provided the CGP complies with transparency requirements under the French Monetary and Financial Code and their CIF regulation: the client must be informed of the referral arrangement and associated compensation. The referral fee is capped and may not create an undisclosed conflict of interest.
In practice
Dr. Lefèvre, a self-employed physician, wants to buy an apartment to rent furnished. Her CGP notes her top marginal tax rate of 41% and recommends a LMNP structure under the actual-expense regime with asset depreciation. He then engages a mortgage broker to negotiate a bullet (in fine) loan from private banks, lowering monthly outflows and maximizing interest deductibility.
Official sources
- Financial investment advisers (CIF) · AMF
- The banking-operations intermediary (IOBSP) · ABE Info Service (Banque de France / ACPR)
- Single register of intermediaries · ORIAS