Page 38 - Investment Advisor - November 2021

PRODUCTS, PROGRAMS & SERVICES – OTHER it enhanced valuations through its Maxval Predictor tool,
which helps solve the challenge of when to sell a practice.
American Portfolios Financial The tool provides a graphic representation of value over time,
Services put the Going Paperless demonstrating a growth scenario and one where a practice
Initiative into place to ensure the stops growing. This makes it easy to pinpoint the best time to
company’s future growth and suc- sell a practice and time an advisor’s retirement for maximum
cess through sustainable business practices. The initiative return. The firm also has presented more than 40 webinars,
improves the e-delivery of documents and helps investors including those on the pandemic’s effects on practice values
avoid paying statement and confirm-fee charges for paper and M&A.
statements and other mailings. In 2020, the firm enhanced its
AP Advisory Platform that provides a single interface to access LendingWell matches advisors
and manage third-party-managed and rep-directed accounts with financing solutions need-
on certain programs that default-set new accounts for going ed to achieve business goals,
paperless. Since its rollout, AP’s Going Paperless initiative has helping them access and filter the growing list of industry
seen a reduction in investor paper mailings move from 17% at lenders now available. The platform eliminates middlemen,
year-end 2018 to 44% in March 2021. and its proprietary algorithm saves advisors time by providing
them with specifically matched lenders based on each lender’s
LPL Financial in 2021 launched unique profile and the user’s defined search criteria.
M&A Solutions that simplified LendingWell keeps current on industry lending trends and
the M&A process for advisors, helping them execute their adds new lenders to expand lending options. Transactions
growth and acquisition strategies and monetize their business. include acquisitions, succession, partial equity buy-in/out,
The time to complete most transactions was reduced from six working capital, forgivable loan refinance and corporate real
to nine months to about 60 to 90 days. New features include a estate. Since its launch in 2020, the site has already had more
seller support program designed to facilitate the sale of an advi- than 1,000 users and upward of 400 loan requests.
sor’s practice. M&A Deal Support provides tools and resources
for advisors interested in growing through acquisition, with PPC LOAN, founded in 1998, lends
resources such as current deal trends and buyer development money to service sector cash-
techniques to support advisors’ goal of enhancing their buyer flow-based businesses. It devel-
acumen and readying their practices for future acquisitions. oped the first dedicated financing program to advisors and
has been a consistent source of capital for acquisitions, merg-
SS&C Advent partnered with DPL ers, buy-ins/buy-outs, equity purchases, successions plans,
Financial Partners in 2020 to build business debt refinances/consolidations, working capital and
the Advent Insurance Marketplace, lines of credit. Today, the firm helps level the playing field for
which gives fiduciary advisors direct integrated access to small advisory practices that otherwise would not have
commission-free annuities, life insurance, long-term personal access to capital or the ability to compete with large “aggre-
care and disability offerings. Enhanced reporting of insurance gator” firms. It also provides next-generation leadership with
holdings can be automatically pulled into a firm’s respective loan options that let them facilitate phased internal succes-
SS&C Advent platform from the Marketplace using the Advent sions. And it supports buyers’ needs to provide larger down
Custodial Data feed. This allows advisors to provide clients payments to sellers.
with comprehensive insight into their complete financial pic-
ture that reflects a full reconciliation of accounts, including Succession Resources Group, in 2020, put
position and transaction data and fee calculations. In June, together a four-part free webinar series to
Marketplace was released into Black Diamond’s Client View assist advisors who are actively looking to
application, the platform’s command center for advisors. grow inorganically, but who have limited or no acquisition
experience. The AUM Accelerator Series provides next-gener-
ation advisors with the tools and resources to grow their busi-
PRODUCTS, PROGRAMS & SERVICES – nesses and effect a smooth and orderly transition when they
PARTNERSHIPS AND CONSULTING GROUPS exit the business. The rollout of the series was timely, as the
advisor industry continues to gray and succession planning
Advisor Legacy over the past two years lags. Tax code changes loom and compliance and reliance on
has completed some 400 valuations, technology are increasing. Succession Resources wants as
closed three dozen deals and developed many well-educated and savvy buyers as possible for the wave
more than 25 continuity plans. This year, of advisor-retirees.

36 INVESTMENT ADVISOR NOVEMBER 2021 | ThinkAdvisor.com