For many financial advisors, it has become commonplace to receive unsolicited offers in the mail. The offers to buy practices usually promise a competitive valuation and purchase price, great terms and future opportunities, and are backed by private equity, bank financing, or other cash reserves. More than anything, these letters bring hope, choices, and affirmation that an advisor has built something valuable and transferable.

Some of these letters arrive from well-known firms but many are from smaller, previously unknown suitors whose marketing strategy is to grow rapidly through practice acquisition. The advisors we talk to on a daily basis tell us about these letters dismissively at first, but they also say they keep the letters for future reference–just in case. Hope and choices are good things, even if they’re not needed today.

It is always flattering to be recognized, wanted, and valued, even if your name comes from a purchased mailing list. The more important point may be that these letters get many independent advisors, like you, thinking and wondering about the future. Questions arise: What is my value? What options do I have? Is this the best offer, or maybe the only offer, I’ll ever get? Can I sell my practice and keep working, given that I’m not ready to fully retire right now?

DENVER - The Financial Planning Association® (FPA®) is pleased to announce that FP Transitions is now FPA’s “Official Partner of the Next Generation of Financial Planners” in an effort to support young professionals on their career journeys in the financial planning profession.

This new partnership will leverage FP Transitions’ experience and thought leadership for the benefit of young professionals and financial planning firms looking to build plans for the eventual transition of firm ownership. With thousands of young Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) professionals among its member base and a vibrant NexGen community, there is an opportunity to help support members and firms that desire to establish an effective, efficient succession plan. 

“We are pleased to have FP Transitions join FPA as a key partner in supporting our members and their desire for a seamless transition of their firms to the next generation of firm owners,” says FPA CEO/Executive Director Lauren M. Schadle, CAE. “Their support and contributions will directly benefit our members by providing the necessary knowledge and resources to help our young members become firm owners.”

FP Transitions has developed strategies to solve the succession problem for owners of financial planning practices; the next step in supporting the founders cultivating the next generation.

“We’ve worked with RIAs expanding ownership to 20 new partners, father-daughter teams, and everything in between,” says Brad Bueermann, CEO of FP Transitions. “We designed the strategies and solved the financing issue, now the last thing is building the talent. Over two-thirds of our succession clients have executed their plan, transforming over 700 next generation planners into business owners. The greatest challenge for owners of successful financial planning firms is finding qualified next generation leadership. We want to make sure professionals entering the industry understand this opportunity and are prepared to act on it. Partnering with FPA was a natural decision to deliver that message.”