RIA+

It's been well-documented and researched: While valuations in the RIA industry have skyrocketed over the last decade, the large majority of firms are not proactively growing. Organic growth rates remain anemic when the opportunity to acquire new clients has arguably never been greater. In this episode of RIA+, Ray Sclafani, the Founder and CEO of Clientwise, comes back to the podcast for a de...

What if today’s RIA partnership models aren’t solving the right problems? In this episode of RIA+, Jim Dickson explains to Emigrant's Mark Bruno why he launched Elevation Point in 2024 and the structural gaps he believes exist across the advisory landscape. He outlines the specific challenges advisors face around growth, alignment, and support after they go independent —and why traditional ag...

Emigrant Partners' Mark Bruno sits down with Andrew Leonard, founder of Geometric, to explore what true specialization looks like in the RIA space. By focusing exclusively on partners at the top management consulting firms, Geometric has built a differentiated, fast-growing firm rooted in expertise and discipline. Andrew discusses organic growth, navigating the “dangerous middle,” hiring ahea...

While there are thousands of RIAs, only a small portion have truly differentiated their businesses and their "why" in a way that allows them to create a unique brand identity. Abacus Wealth Partners, led by CEO Neela Hummel, has grown to over $3 billion in AUM by ensuring the firm - no matter how large it becomes - stays true to its core values and identity. Abacus was the first certifie...

This episode of RIA+ provides a macro view of how artificial intelligence is likely to transform the business of the wealth management business. Neil Abromovage and Abbe Galvez Cordon from TD Securities sat down with Mark Bruno to share their big picture perspective on how AI will change the profitability of wealth management firms, influence valuations and M&A activity - and provide deeper ac...

In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno interviews three of the top marketers in the RIA industry: Michelle Panzera, Director of Marketing at Evensky & Katz | Foldes; Tyler Resh, Chief Growth Officer at SteelPeak Wealth Management; and Michele Welsh, Chief Marketing Officer at Verdence Capital Advisors. This wide-ranging episode covers their personal journeys into their current rol...

Ray Sclafani, Founder & CEO of Clientwise, joins Emigrant Partners' Mark Bruno on this episode of RIA+ for some "real talk" about organic growth. More specifically, Ray and Mark discuss what meaningful organic growth targets should look like, how firms should be approaching growth from new and existing clients - and what technology is needed to supported consistent growth. 

Increasingly, RIAs are embracing Artificial Intelligence as more firms look for ways to improve their productivity and efficiency - and particularly as more purpose-built tools enter the RIA marketplace. In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno sits down with Parker Ence, CEO of Jump, to discuss how firms have been leveraging the technology company's AI note-taking and virtual assi...

Pure Financial Advisors is widely recognized across the RIA industry as an organic growth machine. But the firm also closed two significant acquisitions in the first several months of 2025, and has now completed six deals in its history. In this episode, CEO Joe Anderson and CFO Jason Carver talked with Emigrant's Mark Bruno about Pure's M&A strategy, what they look for when evaluati...

In this episode of RIA+, Mark Bruno goes “Inside the minds” of four Next Generation advisors who are with Novare Capital, Emigrant’s newest partner firm.  With a growing number of RIA founders looking to attract and develop young talent, this discussion features a group of rising stars about what sparked their interest in wealth management. It also focuses on what has motivated each of these advis...

In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno sits with Sam Lewis, the founder and CEO of Fruitful, a financial wellness solution that provides its clients, or its "members", with high-touch advice that is delivered in a largely digital experience. Fruitful's "guides" are already providing advice to thousands of NextGen investors, despite the company being a relative...

In this episode of RIA+, Jeff Concepcion – founder and CEO of Stratos Wealth – one of the fastest-growing, sits down with Emigrant's Mark Bruno to discuss the strategies and tactics that have fueled of one of the largest and most successful firms in wealth management. With more than $37 billion in assets across its platform, over 350 advisors and a diverse mix of businesses that are purpose-b...

This episode of RIA+ features two key leaders at Gibson Capital – which recently celebrated its 35th anniversary and now manages roughly $2.5B for 200 families across the country. While a number of strategic decisions have contributed to Gibson’s prolonged success, the notion of providing “uncommonly attentive advice” has always stayed at the core for Gibson, one of the most focused and intentiona...

FL Putnam is one of the fastest-growing RIAs in the nation, and crossed $10B in assets earlier this year after successfully acquiring and integrating a number of businesses and teams over the last 24 months. The firm has evolved into a true wealth platform with a diverse mix of services – one that has the firm positioned for continued strategic growth in 2025 and beyond. Tom Manning sits down with...

In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno goes "under the hood" of Pure Financial - one of the most sophisticated and strategic RIAs in the industry. Mark talks with Joe Anderson, President and CEO of Pure, and Jason Carver, Managing Partner and CFO. They dive deep into the growth story of Pure, which now has over $6 billion in assets and is exponentially outpacing the growth r...

The top-performing firms in the RIA industry have experienced organic growth rates that are more than double the typical firm - and Charles' Schwab's new RIA benchmarking study provides a close-up of the strategies and tactics driving their growth. In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno interviews Schwab's Lisa Salvi, Managing Director, Advisor Services, about the key f...

In this episode of RIA+, Mark Bruno talks with Fidelity's Laura Delaney - one of the leading RIA M&A researchers - about dealmaking activity in the first half of 2024. While overall volume and valuations remain strong, this interview goes beyond the numbers and focuses on the drivers of successful M&A activity and uncovers what the RIA industry has collectively learned over the last f...

While it's been years since Leo Kelly, CEO and founder of Verdence Capital Advisors, left the wirehouse world for the independent channel, a simple governing principle continues to anchor his vision for leading one of the industry's top RIAs: Build you firm like your client is the architect.  Verdence, one of the nations' fastest-growing RIAs, continues to invest in both talent and...

There's often a direct correlation between an RIA's growth and its approach to talent recruitment, development and advancement. There's no better example of this than Moneco Advisors, which joined Emigrant as a Partner Firm in mid-2023 and has seen some impressive accelerated growth rates over the last year.  Charlie Rocco, Managing Partner at Moneco, joined this episode of RIA+ to...

Several "megatrends" are rapidly re-shaping the dynamics of the wealth management industry -- seemingly in real-time. A massive intergenerational transfer of wealth, the emergence of new technologies, and the need to provide clients of all ages with comprehensive planning and investment services has created a new era for financial advice. Or, "Wealth Management 3.0" as Flourish...

As RIAs continue to experience accelerated growth in their businesses, client bases and teams - an Enterprise Operating System has become an important framework for many leaders across the industry. The EOS framework, detailed in Gino Wickman's bestselling book Traction is now being embraced by scores of RIAs - with good reason. In this episode of RIA+, Emigrant's Mark Bruno interviews M...

This episode of RIA+ features a timely interview with Tylor Bordelon Seaman, the CEO of Maslow Wealth Advisors - the $1.5 billion RIA formerly known as Durbin Bennett until the beginning of March 2024. Tylor sat with Emigrant Partners' Mark Bruno to share the details of the firm's rebranding strategy, along with the vision and objective for Maslow moving forward. As this interview detail...

Very few RIAs are strategically approaching the development of their team, talent and culture like Dakota Wealth Management - and a quick walk through their offices, which could also double for an art gallery, will give you an immediate sense for the firm's unique personality.  That "Dakota energy" might explain why the firm has experienced some of the most exceptional growth in the...

Mergers and acquisitions have dramatically reshaped the RIA landscape over the last several years, with hundreds of deals taking place annually. Now, however, the best leaders in the RIA industry are focused less on just "the art of the deal" - and are placing an even greater emphasis on "the art of the manage", according to industry icon Mark Tibergien. In this episode of RIA+...

The leaders of Morton Wealth Management have a different way of thinking about growth and success in the RIA industry. Building and maintaining a firm that empowers its employees and values growth starts at the top - and it requires a unique balance of learning and leading. In this episode of RIA+, Jeff Sarti, the CEO of Morton Wealth, and Stacey McKinnon, the COO and CMO of Morton Wealth, share t...