The news can be a funny thing sometimes.
Financial advisor FOMO is real.
For example, with all the news of big M&A deals in recent years – firm X gobbling up firm Y in a seemingly endless drive to grow, grow, grow – you might think that dealflow was all anyone cared about in the wealth management industry.
Yet we’re hearing a different story from independent financial advisors, and it’s the wealth management equivalent of FOMO: the fear of missing out. Independent financial advisors are asking what’s in it for them when it comes to the M&A boom – Beyond cash compensation.
Specifically, financial advisors increasingly want skin in the game, a bigger bite at the apple, a slice of the pie, a piece of the action. Trot out whatever clichéd metaphor you wish – they want equity.
And that’s the focus of this week’s edition of Wealth Solutions Report: The future of financial advisor equity ownership in wealth management businesses of all kinds, to drive everything from increased alignment of interests between the advisor and the end client, to seamless succession planning to recruiting, and more.
Here’s what’s on tap in this week’s issue:
- Capital Connections: Do Employee-Owned RIAs Offer a Superior Path Forward? Kevin Fitzwilson, Managing Partner of Coldstream Wealth Management. Coldstream, an independent RIA in the Greater Seattle area with $6.7 billion in assets, is bucking the prevailing trend of private-equity-fueled dealmaking by employing an ownership model that allows all employees the option of owning equity in the firm. The success of the firm’s approach thus far could have far-ranging implications for our industry.
- Words in Edgewise: How Can Hybrid RIA Groups Address Advisor M&A FOMO? Thomas Goodson, President & CEO of The Ameriflex Group, a Las Vegas-based hybrid RIA that has more than $4 billion in assets, is pioneering a financial advisor partnership model that envisions broad equity ownership of the RIA among its dozens of affiliated IARs – All while preserving the ownership these IAR advisors have with their own books of business. Can you have a slice of the pie, and then have your cake and eat it too? The pastry analogies are beginning to get a bit mixed here…
- Upmarket: Ask the Experts – Should I Launch an Employee Ownership Program? We brought together a panel of industry leaders to address an inquiry submitted by an independent financial advisory firm owner on whether or not it makes sense to introduce an employee equity ownership program – And if so, how to best execute. Our panel includes David Grau Sr., President and Founder of FP Transitions; Brian Bunker, Senior Director, Practice Management & Consulting, at Stratos Wealth Partners, a hybrid RIA with nearly $17 billion in assets; and Conor Delaney, Founder & CEO of Reading, Pa.-based Good Life Companies, a hybrid RIA with $8 billion in assets.
We’re excited to bring you actionable insights from recognized wealth management leaders for wealth management professionals.
And from the looks of our traffic numbers, you are all excited about our content as well. September marked a record month for Wealth Solutions Report, in terms of total impressions, monthly unique visitors and reader engagement.
As always, the focus of each issue is driven by suggestions and feedback from our readers – Please take a moment to share content that you like with your industry friends and colleagues, and let us know what you’d like to see more of, so we can keep sending the most relevant, informative and engaging content your way!
Thank you for all that you have done to make Wealth Solutions Report a success, and we look forward to passing more growth milestones together with you, our fellow WSR community members, in the future.
Cheers!
Larry Roth, CEO
Wealth Solutions Report
