Massive AUM may earn a buyer’s attention, but it does not automatically earn a premium RIA valuation in the rapidly evolving M&A landscape. Increasingly, buyers want evidence that a firm can generate new business, retain clients, develop future leaders, and grow without depending on a single founder, a rising market, or one major client relationship. [...]
For an experienced financial Advisor, succession planning can feel like a distant concern; something to address when retirement becomes more immediate. For emerging Advisors, ownership can feel just as distant. They may be doing meaningful work, building technical expertise, serving clients, and contributing to growth, yet still have no clear idea whether they will ever [...]
Only about 20–25% of financial Advisors have a formal, documented succession plan, despite the fact that more than a third, managing roughly 40% of industry assets, plan to retire within the next decade. That gap is more than a retirement problem. It's a growth, valuation, and client-retention calamity hiding in plain sight. Let’s dive into: [...]
Succession planning is a powerful, value-creating lever, and a pivotal opportunity for RIAs. Over the next decade, more than 100,000 Advisors are expected to retire, representing approximately $12 trillion in AUM changing hands. Yet despite this looming wave of transitions, many firms remain woefully unprepared. A Cerulli Associates report indicates that one in three Advisors [...]
