The Wire

A new report produced by Advisor Growth Strategies and sponsored by BlackRock examines the driving forces of price and terms in advisory firm mergers and acquisitions. The core of the analysis provides a window into successful deals, including which buyers are prevailing and which sellers are optimizing transactions.

Entitled “The RIA Deal Room: New demands and realities in M&A,” the study busts some common myths that circulate in our industry. For example, the so-called multiple is not the same regardless of firm size and client characteristics. Nor are all deals cash deals.

Year after year, growth is the first priority for advisory firms. The key to unlocking growth may well be in developing a succession plan that focuses on creating the capacity and operating leverage to support additional clients, while keeping an eye on healthy profit margins to allow for reinvestment in the business along the way.

On this episode of State of the Industry, we welcome: 

• Scott Hanson, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Allworth Financial (Host)
• Pat McClain, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Allworth Financial
• Brandon Kawal, Principal, Advisor Growth Strategies

Each guest offers a unique perspective on the latest succession planning research and why some plans succeed and some plans fail.

Key Takeaways:

• The latest research about growth opportunities in the advisory sector
• Why firms are seeking internal or external succession plans
• What makes a plan succeed or fail
• How succession plans can help to scale and grow a business

Mariner Wealth Advisors has entered into binding agreements to acquire the tax practices of G.M. Bremer & Associates in El Segundo, Calif., and David G. Miller & Associates in Chatham, NJ.

Terms of the deals were not disclosed.

The acquisition of G.M. Bremer & Associates gives the $31 billion Overland Park, Kan.-based RIA consolidator a foothold in the Los Angeles market, where it had no office before.

In this episode of The Ultimate Advisor Podcast, we discuss the benefits of being laser focused on your business growth and mission with Brandon Kawal from Advisor Growth Strategies. We talk about the ways to differentiate your business, keep the needle moving, and execute your mandate. Brandon shares a lot of his own experiences and advice on the important aspects of the Financial Advisor business. So, push PLAY and join us as we delve into getting laser focused on your business development in 2020!

In the early days of independent advisor M&A, 15 or 20 years ago, deals were often pretty simple: The seller got a chunk of the purchase price, and then the balance of the cash as he or she phased into retirement over a few years.

But a recent study from consulting firm Advisor Growth Strategies, “RIA Deal Room,” finds that acquisition agreements increasingly feature terms that focus on shared risk and long-term success. We asked Brandon Kawal, the AGS principal who led the research, to walk us through it.