Ric Edelman will transition by year-end from his role as chairman of financial education and client experience at Edelman Financial Engines to serve next year as strategic advisor to the firm while remaining on the board of directors. He also continues to be the firm's largest individual shareholder.
Edelman founded Edelman Financial Services with his wife, Jean, in 1986.
Edelman, a ThinkAdvisor contributor, is also founder of the RIA Digital Assets Council and creator of the Certificate in Blockchain and Digital Assets.
"Jean and I have decided the time is right for us to start our next chapter," Edelman said in a statement shared with ThinkAdvisor Monday. "With a team of talented and dedicated planners and staff, and an experienced and capable management team, we are confident in the firm's future. We are grateful to our friends, colleagues and, most importantly, to our clients for their faith in us. And we are excited about our new ventures — including RIADAC."
In 2018, Edelman Financial Services merged with Financial Engines to create the nation's largest independent financial planning and investment management firm.
The company "has completed its integration, successfully navigated the pandemic and grown to serve 1.3 million clients, managing $270 billion in client assets," the firm said in a statement.
