Tag: Independent Advisors

RIA Edge Podcast: Client-Centric Growth and Innovation with Jon Beatty

RIA Edge Podcast: Client-Centric Growth and Innovation with Jon Beatty

The future of RIAs is being shaped by technology, talent, and a renewed focus on client-centric leadership.

In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, host David Armstrong talks with Jon Beatty, head of advisor services at Charles Schwab, on the eve of Schwab Impact, about how the industry is adapting to the accelerating pace of technological change and what qualities differentiate the most successful advisory firms. 

In the conversation, you’ll hear:

  • What Beatty looks forward to the most at Schwab Impact, the firm’s annual conference for advisors and industry executives—and it’s not only what’s happening on the stage.
  • The takeaways from Schwab’s most recent Independent Advisor Outlook Study that Beatty found most revealing.
  • How some firms are maintaining, or even growing,  profitability even as they add new client services on top of a fixed revenue base.
  • How the most successful advisors are evolving in their use of technology, including artificial intelligence.
  • The key to balancing scale and efficiency without sacrificing personalized client service.
  • The most critical metric RIAs have to track meaningful growth.

Resources:

 Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Jon Beatty:

About Our Guest:

Jon Beatty is a member of Charles Schwab’s Executive Council. As Managing Director and Head of Schwab Advisor Services, he oversees the business that serves over 16,000 independent advisory firms that trust Schwab with $4.7 trillion in assets under management. 

Schwab Advisor Services provides RIAs with everything they need for custody and beyond, including innovative technology, the latest wealth management solutions, and an unmatched breadth of solutions to help advisors take their businesses further, all powered by more than 3,000 dedicated Advisor Services employees. 

You likely won’t meet anyone more passionate about helping independent advisors succeed than Jon. He joined Schwab 28 years ago and has been a member of the Advisor Services leadership team for 16 years. Jon has dedicated his career to working with RIAs and loves to hear from clients and prospects on how Schwab can best meet their needs.

Jon has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wittenberg University. He is registered with the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., and holds Series 7 and 9/10 registrations.

RIA Edge Podcast: Redefining Growth in Wealth Management

RIA Edge Podcast: Redefining Growth in Wealth Management

David Armstrong talks with Jim Gold, CEO of Steward Partners, about the firm’s growth trajectory. Steward Partners, originally founded by wirehouse breakaways, has cultivated a unique approach by tapping experienced advisors with the independence of RIAs. With over $40 billion in assets, Jim shares insights into their robust M&A strategy and the importance of succession planning in an aging industry.

The main takeaways include:

  • Steward Partners’ M&A philosophy and its pivotal role in addressing the “succession crisis.”
  • The changing mix of advisor recruits and firm acquisitions as growth levers.
  • How Steward designs equity and partnership structures to attract and retain advisors.
  • Future growth ambitions and potential needs for additional capital.
  • Strategies for organic growth and how they differentiate Steward.
  • The importance of keeping advisors happy and well-resourced for their own success.

Resources:

Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Jim Gold:

About Our Guest:

Jim Gold serves as CEO, is a Founding Partner, a Board Member, and a member of the Executive leadership team at Steward Partners Global Advisory. He has extensive experience in the Financial Services industry, having held several senior-level roles, most recently as Executive Director at Morgan Stanley. Prior to assuming his current role, Mr. Gold ran the Southern Connecticut Complex, headquartered in Greenwich, Conn. Mr. Gold spent 18 years with Smith Barney, beginning in 1995 as a financial advisor. He went on to hold numerous management positions at the firm, including National Training Officer, Assistant Branch Manager, Branch Manager, and Complex Manager. Mr. Gold received numerous accolades from the firm during his tenure, most recently, he was recognized for his accomplishments in Diversity.

RIA Edge Podcast: Talent Development and Client Engagement with Nate Lenz

RIA Edge Podcast: Talent Development and Client Engagement with Nate Lenz

Learn how independent financial advisors can drive growth and streamline operations while maintaining their autonomy as David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, speaks with Nate Lenz, CEO & co-founder at Concurrent.

They explore talent development, organic growth strategies and the unique model Concurrent uses to allow advisors to thrive while maintaining their brand identity. 

David and Nate highlight the following:

  • The evolution of Concurrent and its transition to a fully independent RIA
  • Strategies for achieving organic growth and the critical role of talent development
  • The significance of minority non-control stakes in building advisor partnerships
  • Concurrent’s approach to expanding service offerings through strategic acquisitions

Resources:

 Connect With David Armstrong:

Connect With Nate Lenz:

About Our Guest:

At 25, Nate Lenz was the youngest vice president at Raymond James Financial Services, where he led the succession planning and acquisition team and helped recruit financial advisers from large, full-service brokers, providing them with the support they needed to grow their own businesses independently. That work helped shape his vision for Concurrent, which he co-founded in 2016 in Tampa, Florida, to build a better business model for advisers looking to go it alone. “Concurrent is a service provider to advisors that helps them make the jump to independence,” Lenz said.