Episodes

Learn how independent financial advisors can drive growth and streamline operations while maintaining their autonomy as David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, speaks with Nate Lenz, CEO & co-founder at Concurrent. They explore talent development, organic growth strategies and the unique model Concurrent uses to allow advisors to thrive while maintaining their brand identity. David and Nate highlight the following: The evolution of Concurrent and its t...

Schwab’s Lisa Salvi shares insights from the firm’s annual benchmarking report, revealing how top-performing RIAs are driving significant organic growth amidst industry challenges. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Lisa Salvi, managing director of advisor services at Schwab, about the firm’s annual advisor benchmarking report that reveals a strong rebound in 2023. While M&A remains prevalent, org...

Michael Conway shares how advisors at his firm, Conway Wealth, prioritize a deep understanding of each client’s values and puts health and well-being at the center of the planning conversation. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Michael Conway, founder and CEO of Conway Wealth, about their bespoke approach to wealth management services for the high-net-worth market. The firm has a unique process f...

Helium founder and partner Howard Morin explains the benefits of bridging financial planning with deep tax expertise. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Howard Morin, founder and partner at Helium Advisors, about integrating tax planning into the center of wealth management services. Located in Seattle and started in 2016, Helium has grown organically, with some M&A, to $270 million in assets curr...

President and CEO Phillip Hamman of Linscomb Wealth on how his firm outpaced market growth with a laser focus on client satisfaction. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Phillip Hamman, president and CEO of Linscomb Wealth, about the firm’s comprehensive financial planning services, where they leverage a team-based approach and institutional knowledge to address clients’ diverse needs. Founded over...

WEG CEO Jeff Dekko shares his company’s approach to staffing models, strategic decision-making, and the significance of organic growth in the financial advisory industry. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Jeff Dekko, CEO of Wealth Enhancement Group, about the firm’s history and active role in the M&A space. The company currently manages around $80 billion in assets, primarily in the RIA industry....

Marshberry’s director of financial advisory services on how advisors navigate their growth trajectories. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, and John Orsini, director, of financial advisory services, at MarshBerry, discuss the recent RIA Edge research study detailing how firms are navigating their growth trajectories and approaching decisions around service expansion, fee compression and specialization. Speci...

Brandon Kawal reflects on the RIA M&A shift from gold rush mentality to an institutional arms race. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Brandon Kawal, partner at Advisor Growth Strategies, about remaining buoyant in the M&A market despite the challenges of 2022. According to Kawal, factors such as ongoing interest from external investors and demographic changes have helped sustain activity. He emph...

Foster’s firm, Angeles Wealth Management, has a 40% compound growth rate without tapping the M&A markets by fostering a “culture of storytellers.” In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Jon Foster, president and CEO of Angeles Wealth, a firm that caters to individuals with investable assets ranging from $10 million to $100 million, bridging the gap between boutique advisory services and full-scale fam...

Savant CEO and founder Brent Brodeski shares his playbook of success through M&A as a means to fill service gaps and to expand his service model across 15 states, with national ambitions. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Brent Brodeski, CEO and founder of Savant, about laying a cornerstone to long-term success by drawing top talent and keeping relevant with clients’ changing expectations. Brodes...

An early architect of Joe Duran’s United Capital, and a former Goldman Sachs PFM exec, Mike Capelle and his partners secured $200 million to build a national RIA with a vision of bringing all a client’s planning needs—tax, insurance, estate planning—under one roof. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Capelle, co-founder and co-CEO at Modern Wealth Management, about the firm’s goal to serve the mass...

In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Craig Robson, founder of Regent Peak Wealth Advisors, about why, after 25 years at Merrill Lynch, he ventured into independent practice where, over the past five years, he’s built a growing practice catering to wealth creators by simply paying deeper attention and surrounding their families with advice. Specifically, David and Craig discuss: The specific situati...

Growth-minded RIAs often look to bring new services to clients. Research from WMIQ and Marshberry shows widely different motivations and approaches—and sometimes elevated expectations for the impact on firm value. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, managing director of editorial and content strategies for the Wealth Management Group at Informa, talks with Rob Madore, vice president of financial services for MarshBerry, about recent research the firm has done with Wealth Ma...

The seasoned RIA executive has penned a nearly 100-page whitepaper sketching a bleak but compelling future for the wealth management industry. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Mark Hurley, founder of Fiduciary Network who heads the cybersecurity firm Digital Privacy & Protection. Hurley’s recent white paper, “Welcome to the Jungle,” analyzes the trajectory of the RIA industry and sees a far more...

Wealthspire Advisors’ Mike LaMena on the secret to building a national RIA with a single identity that still empowers advisors to bring their “personal brand” and credibility to local communities and niche markets. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, editorial director for Informa Connect’s Wealth Management Group, talks with Mike LaMena, chief executive officer of Wealthspire Advisors, about how his firm navigates the shift from traditional stock-centric advice to a holist...

Dan Seder shares Blue Chip Partners’ unique approach to managing human capital and building a growth engine inside a $1 billion AUM firm. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, managing director of editorial and content strategies for the Wealth Management Group at Informa, talks with Dan Seder, managing partner with Blue Chip Partners, about the firm’s rapid, and continuing, trajectory from a modest $300 million firm just a few years ago to one now approaching $1.2 billion. H...

Marshberry’s Rob Madore shares strategies for growth, succession and the recent shift in how RIAs are approaching mergers and acquisitions. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, managing director of editorial and content strategies for the Wealth Management Group at Informa, talks with Rob Madore, vice president of financial services for MarshBerry, about the recent RIA Edge research study. Conducted by WMIQ in partnership with MarshBerry, the study uncovers how advisors view...

Ryan Parker, CEO of EP Wealth, sheds light on the firm’s intentional M&A strategy and what it means for the company’s development. In this episode of the RIA Edge Podcast, David Armstrong, managing director of editorial and content strategies for the Wealth Management Group at Informa, talks with Ryan Parker, CEO of EP Wealth, on the company’s robust growth in recent years by thinking big but keeping small. Smart acquisitions and steering their focus toward offering family-office level services ...

Lisa Salvi shares how successful firms leverage a comprehensive approach to long-term success. In this episode, David Armstrong, managing director of editorial and content strategies for the Wealth Management Group at Informa, talks with Lisa Salvi, Managing Director, Advisor Services, Charles Schwab, about Schwab’s RIA Benchmarking Study that highlights industry performance and where advisory firms achieve efficiency in sustainable growth. The conversation sheds light on the essential role of s...

Jonathan Hirtle, founder and chairman of Hirtle, Callaghan & Co., has been called the “Oracle of Outsource” by Pension & Investments magazine for his work pioneering the “outsourced chief investment officer” business model for families and institutions. Here, Hirtle speaks with Wealth Management’s David Armstrong about the opportunity he saw to start the firm 35 years ago to bring investment management services out of the banks, brokerages and product shops and offering it directly to wealthy fa...

Snowden Lane Partners: A calibrated blend of autonomy and support. In this episode, David Armstrong, managing director of editorial and content strategies for the Wealth Management Group at Informa, talks with Alison Burkett, head of enterprise development at Snowden Lane Partners, about the firm’s approach to growth: A carefully calibrated blend of autonomy and support. Targets for acquisition are largely experienced advisors with more sophisticated client relationships, eager to continue their...

This episode of the RIA Edge podcast features a conversation between David Armstrong, managing director of editorial and content strategies for the Wealth Management Group at Informa, and Molly Bennard, the CEO of Connectus Wealth Advisers. Connectus Wealth is a Focus Financial Partners-owned firm, but, unlike others inside that network, it acts more like a collective of smaller RIAs that benefit more from a shared back-office, while still maintaining their client-facing team and unique brands. ...

Uncover the latest trends shaping the M&A sphere in 2023, driving strategic decisions and future success. In this RIA Edge episode, Mark Bruno, managing director of the wealth management group at Informa talks with Catherine Williams, head of practice management at Dimensional Fund Advisors, about the changes in the M&A landscape and the noticeable shifts compared to previous years due to market challenges, changing talent dynamics, and client demands. Notably, deal valuations remain strong, but...

This era in wealth management has seen unparalleled growth opportunity. Lido Advisors has embraced this golden age of shifting demographics and technological advancements to be one of the fastest growing and successful firms in the industry. In this episode of the RIA Edge podcast, Mark Bruno, managing director of the wealth management group at Informa, and Ken Stern, president of Lido Advisors talk about Lido’s growth and strategies in the wealth management industry. Ken shares how Lido emphasi...