Independent financial advisory firms constitute the fastest growing segment of the industry, but they face multiple pressures as the industry changes.
Among those changes: a greater concentration of assets at the largest firms — which intensifies competition — and a growing presence of private equity funding looking to invest in or acquire firms.
"The independent model is facing pressures to change," said Scott Slater, vice president of practice management and consulting at Fidelity.
Speaking to a room filled with independent advisors at this week's Fidelity 2018 Inside Track conference in New York, Slater described an industry that accounts for almost 60% of financial advisory firms and consists of RIAs, hybrid RIAs and independent broker-dealers.
Roughly three-quarters of the firms manage $100 million or less and control 10% of assets, 17% manage between $100 million and $500 million and oversee 20% of assets and 6% manage more than $500 million (including 4% who manage more than $1 billion) and control 70% of assets.
"It will be very hard to be in the middle," said Slater. "The most successful firms will collaborate."
He proceeded to explain the multiple options that firms can choose if they decide to collaborate — options Fidelity identifies as distinct RIA acquirer models — providing examples of each:
- Integration Platform Provider (Dynasty Financial Partners)
- Passive Investor (Fiduciary Network)
- Financial Acquirer (Wealth Partners Capital Group)
- Strategic Aggregator (Focus Financial)
- Branded Acquirer (Beacon Point, HighTower Partners and United Capital)
- Wealth Management RIA Acquirer (ACG Wealth, Atlantic Trust and Wescott Financial Advisory Group)
"There are more options today for advisors to choose where their independence goes," said Slater. He advised firms to prepare for the future.
"Know where you are in the business cycle, in your personal life cycle and where you want to be in three to five years," said Slater. "What are you trying to build? How big do you want to be? Do you want to be a seller or a buyer?"
