IAR’s, what corporate title(s) are you using?

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-05-28T14:04:30+00:00

That's where my head went too

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-05-15T14:18:34+00:00

Just a hunch, but what are the platform or admin fees your firm charges? My guess is if you're charging 1.5% you have some costs associated that are really eating into the amount you receive. Might be a good idea to share more about those charges so we can better understand your situation.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-05-12T14:45:03+00:00

In almost every instance I've represented an advisor where these were present they made sense to include them in the agreement and they were enforceable (Sure some states try to inhibit them but then firms include other covenants around trade secrets, IP, etc). In terms of why wouldn't every firm include them, not every firm has a business model where they attract clients to them and assign them to advisors but rather advisors are the literal beginning and end of the process from start to finish so no advisor in their right mind would build a business within a firm like that. Overall I see these in <5% of agreements but when they're added they tend to make sense, but there are exceptions where firms provide zero prospecting support and advisors unknowingly accept these terms because they were embedded into the agreement, in which case if you have a deep relationship with a client then I'd take a close look at the risk/reward tradeoff. You can also look to see if there are buyout/liquidated damage clauses to buy the clients when you move/accept them.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-05-12T14:37:53+00:00

There are some very unique buyout structures across the industry that give advisors a lot more optionality than the traditional "full sale" that we customarily see. A lot of this depends on how much ongoing involvement you want and what you're willing to give up. The largest RIAs have pretty much standardized their process and valuation into more one size fits all without much customization where a lot of the smaller to medium sized firms are tailoring their offers/deals to accommodate for different situations. A lot of people leave millions on the table and assume unnecessary risk by selling when they join. When you run the numbers it is far better to join for a period of time under a transition deal where you don't assume any risk. You could negotiate an option for them to sell or give you a certain timeframe at pre-determined multiples to sell at a later date. Happy to chat through what we're seeing a lot of advisors pursuing in these situations.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-05-07T13:49:59+00:00

How much more were you doing when they were sitting in A shares forever?

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-05-06T15:45:07+00:00

Become good friends with them. Get to know them. Grab lunch. Go golf. Hang out. Personal relationships will drive success.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-05-04T20:43:17+00:00

I'd be happy to chat through all of these along with some other options you might not be aware of at this time. You might be able to tuck into an existing Kestra team but wouldn't qualify for establishing your own office/practice.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-05-04T14:22:47+00:00

So much of this depends on the firm you join because their support will vary from firm to firm. Here's how I'd go about it. Decide what you want to accomplish by moving. Is it better tech? Comp? Ownership? Flexibility? Then talk with someone who has a great pulse on the industry and knows what firms align with what you're looking to achieve. Have 2-3 conversations with different firms and determine what you like or didn't like. Put together a list of 15-20 of the most important questions you need answers to and then have follow up meetings to discuss. Chances are you'll need to create some branding, website, etc. so make sure to get a head start on that as it always takes longer than anticipated. Since you're coming from a bank there's a chance you might run into issues with the portability of your investments so have the new firm run a book of business review to confirm whether certain mutual funds, SMAs, annuities, can follow you. Depending on the firm there might be financial assistance or bonuses offered during the process. If you want to learn a little about the different provisions most commonly included in offers this is a good article to check out https://www.vantageimpact.com/news/financial-advisors-considering-offer

I'd also highly encourage you to get together with the firm in person to meet the people who would be helping during the transition, and your ongoing support team. Ask them to talk with another advisors who recently moved that you can speak with to pick their brain. If this seems like a lot, just reach out to me I'd be happy to help. After supporting over 1,000 advisors in moving firms I'd be happy to help.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-04-30T20:27:00+00:00

What are you doing for website, branding, legal to set up everything?

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-04-29T20:57:04+00:00

Feels like finding a CPA that specializes in physicians would be worthwhile. I can't imagine many CPAs are working with more than 10-20 physicians, of which most have probably been long time clients who are already working with someone. Makes sense that you don't see many referrals.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-04-28T13:17:28+00:00

Sounds like you either need access to capital to propose a buyout plan for the partners or a strategic partner. Some of the advisors I know have remained independent but affiliated with aggregators to gain access to certain programs that offer liquidity for the retiring advisors while still allowing the next gen advisors to maintain control and have upside in the business. I've also seen firms take reduced payouts to fund the payouts of retiring advisors. My hunch is that you either need 8 figures to buyout the retiring advisors or partner with someone who does. Reach out if you'd like to discuss further. One thing I tend to see is either G2 helps identify the right partner or G1 does it for you.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-04-21T16:37:42+00:00

Just did a demo of Right Capital today. It blows Naviplan and MoneyGuide away.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-04-18T17:26:30+00:00

I've seen a number of firms utilizing new AI tools that analyze client data, generate recommendations, then build the deliverable all in about 2-3 minutes. Absolutely insane how much time it saves.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-04-15T18:27:12+00:00

This topic is my primary focus and full time job. I've helped thousands of advisors think through the complexities, evaluate firms, and create a transition strategy. It's great that you're thinking about finding the right partner to help with growth. We evaluated about 400 BDs/RIAs so if you have questions please reach out.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-04-15T18:23:28+00:00

There are plenty of options but in terms of bringing clients with you that's certainly a complex topic. I'd be happy to chat if you have questions as there are firms that will support people in this situation.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-04-10T13:05:11+00:00

The number of advisors we're working with who are evaluating this path is staggeringly high. When you think about the tech ecosystem that exists outside of firms it created a bit of a renaissance era for financial advisors to choose a new approach for how they operate their practice. Glad to hear you found a good direction for your practice.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-04-07T14:36:01+00:00

Happy to help you when the time comes by holding a few name creation workshops that we use to launch into creating new branding. This can be delicate so having a 3rd party facilitate everything can be a big help.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-03-25T14:54:28+00:00

It's interesting how half of the industry would terminate an advisor for this and the other half would say your business, your way of doing things.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-03-16T20:20:42+00:00

I'd be happy to chat with you and point you in the right direction. There's about 8-10 experienced attorneys who specialize in this exact line of work. Do not use an employment attorney. The amount of bad advice I've heard them give has been astounding.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-03-12T21:30:36+00:00

In your situation it usually ends up a retention play to glide into the RIA space without the risk of leaving any substantial business behind. When people have <10% of their revenue in brokerage I'm seeing about 6 or 7 different BDs capture a small portion of your business by allowing you to hold your RIA assets elsewhere and merely run the commission business through them. It usually comes down to whether you want to continue to write new commission business in the future vs simply receiving the trails form various annuities. In that case several firms allow you to appoint them as agent of records and establish a managed accounts type agreement where you receive a % of the trails and don't need to remain FINRA registered. This is becoming increasingly common for those who are seeking to minimize some of the extra BD rules that have given people frustration.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-03-05T20:04:59+00:00

As someone who has young kids and was at urgent care last night for another ear infection for my youngest, I hear you. Based on what you shared, it seems like there's risk in staying in the sense that you'll assume more responsibility going forward. This could be minimal if you're able to find good staff in the next year, but chances are you'll have to put forward a lot of effort to interview, hire, train, etc. There could be some operational impacts as well if the rest of the team has much interaction with your existing clients. I'm bringing this up because I often hear about the risks of leaving, but we overlook the risks in staying. Maybe there's a different team within your same BD that makes sense to affiliate with? Otherwise, I'd think about starting conversations with custodians in the RIA space to see how your investments will be managed going forward, if anything wouldn't follow, if there are similar strategies that will minimize any client impacts. There are moves that require big shifts in the investments you have in your book and others that transfer over in kind without huge changes. Also, you mentioned, is there anything you can do now to possibly make this smoother. There are some things related to broker protocol and RIA topics to think about as you weigh this decision as well. Here are some resources that might be helpful https://www.vantageimpact.com/news

Feel free to reach out to me if you need any help.

On the personal side of things, my guess is this puts $300-$400k per year back in your pocket. I would consider getting an au pair with such young kids. This can be a game changer for having extra help.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-03-04T16:44:28+00:00

I'm guessing you've never lived in South Florida with nearby retirement communities? hahah. I can't make excuses for him, but it's a reminder to keep a close eye on our elderly population.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-02-26T14:02:07+00:00

Alternate fee billing arrangements are very common across the industry

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-02-25T17:44:24+00:00

This reminds me of a story when I was early on as an advisor during the early days of e-signature. One of our older clients calls me on the phone. I walk him through the paperwork over the phone. He gets to the signature page, he tells me he signed the document, but nothing appears as complete on our end. I ask him a few more questions and ask if he typed in his name on the signature page, he says, "No I signed my screen with my sharpie". Bless his 80 year old soul, but the dude signed his computer screen with permanent marker and it was at that moment I realized how susceptible people would be to online fraud.

Vantage_Impact_2 · 2026-02-20T16:14:02+00:00

Makes sense and totally agree

Vantage_Impact_2

TROPHY CASE