How To Value Buy Or Sell A Financial Advisory Practice

Financial planning is a young industry. The International Association of Financial Planning—one of the predecessors to the Financial Planning Association—was formed less than forty years ago. But as the profession's first tier of advisers reaches maturity, the decisions that may be part of transition planning for their firms loom large. A sale? A partner buyout? A merger? No matter what the choice, its viability hinges on one critical issue—the value of the firm. Unfortunately, many advisers--whether veteran or novice—simply don't know the worth of their practice or how to influence it. That's why How to Value, Buy, or Sell a Financial-Advisory Practice is such an important book. It takes advisers carefully through the logic and the legwork of coming to a true assessment of one of their most important personal assets—their business. Renowned for their years of experience helping advisers tackle the daunting challenges related to the valuation, sale, and purchase of advisory firms, Mark C. Tibergien and Owen Dahl offer guidance that's essential and solutions that work.

The Authoritative M&A Guide for Financial Advisors Buying, Selling, & Valuing Financial Practices shows you how to complete a sale or acquisition of a financial advisory practice and have both the buyer and seller walk away with the best possible terms. From the first pages of this unique book, buyers and sellers and merger partners will find detailed information that separately addresses each of their needs, issues and concerns. From bestselling author and industry influencer David Grau Sr. JD, this masterful guide takes you from the important basics of valuation to the finer points of deal structuring, due diligence, and legal matters, with a depth of coverage and strategic guidance that puts you in another league when you enter the M&A space. Complete with valuable tools, worksheets, and checklists on a companion website, no other resource enables you to: Master the concepts of value and valuation and take this issue “off the table” early in the negotiation process Utilize advanced deal structuring techniques including seller and bank financing strategies Understand how to acquire a book, practice or business based on how it was built, and what it is capable of delivering in the years to come Navigate the complexities of this highly-regulated profession to achieve consistently great results whether buying, selling, or merging Buying, Selling, & Valuing Financial Practices will ensure that you manage your M&A transaction properly and professionally, aided with the most powerful set of tools available anywhere in the industry, all designed to create a transaction where everyone wins—buyer, seller, and clients.

A revised and expanded look at how to thrive and prosper in the financial advisory business A new and revised edition of the eye-opening, no-nonsense handbook on managing and growing a financial-advisory business, Practice Made (More) Perfect is packed with industry insight and practical ideas that every leader and manager within a financial advisory practice needs to know in order to get the most out of their business. Regardless of how little time is available or how seriously challenged a firm may be, this book contains the information that can help. The principles of sound management apply to firms of all types, and the tools provided in this book are guaranteed to be applicable under practically any circumstances. Written by industry expert Mark Tibergien, one of the "25 Most Influential" people in the financial services industry A new edition of a bestselling Bloomberg title Includes fresh insight on recent topics, including how advisors responded during the latest meltdown, the implications of the aging advisory profession, the challenges of attracting and keeping both clients and staff, the role of organizational design in a growing business, recent changes in compensation planning and implementation, and key information on leadership and management in today's financial world Many financial advisers run their businesses as if acquiring more clients will solve any and all problems, but without a strategic framework, more clients just lead to more demands and less time to meet them. The truly successful firm will build strategy, structure, and processes that will ultimately translate into increased profits, cash flow, and transferable value.

This book is going to challenge you and everything you think you know about succession planning. For independent advisors, succession planning is quickly becoming the cornerstone to a strategic growth strategy designed to perpetuate their business and their income streams beyond their own lifetime, while providing a multi-generational service platform that attracts and rewards younger advisors. This makes succession planning one of the most, if not the most, important practice management tools in this industry today. As an independent financial advisor, now is the time to address the question of what will happen to your practice and your clients after you “exit the building.” In most cases, the answers are right in front of you. Thankfully, Succession Planning for Financial Advisors: Building an Enduring Business has arrived to transform today’s practices into businesses designed to endure and prosper and serve generations of clients. Learn how to create a “Lifestyle Succession Plan” that can provide a lifetime of income and benefits to the founder even as he/she gradually retires on the job Unlock the power of equity management – the best planning and building tool an independent advisor owns Learn how to attract and retain the best of the next generation to help you build a great business and to support your succession plans and care for your clients and their families Determine precisely when to start a formal succession plan and related continuity plan so that your business can work for you when you need it most Understand why succession planning and selling your business are completely different strategies, but how they can complement each other when used correctly 95% of independent financial service professionals are one owner practices. To the positive, these practices are among the most valuable professional service models in America. But almost all advisors are assembling their practices using the wrong tools – tools borrowed from historically successful, but vastly different models including wirehouses, broker-dealers, and even OSJ’s and branch managers. Revenue sharing, commission splitting and other eat-what-you-kill compensation methods dominate the independent sector and virtually ensure that today’s independent practices, if left unchanged, will not survive the end of their founder’s career. It is time to change course and this book provides the map and the details to help you do just that. For independent practice owners and staff members, advisors who want to transition to independence, as well as accountants, attorneys, coaches and others involved in the financial services space, there are invaluable lessons to be learned from Succession Planning for Financial Advisors. Written by the leading succession planning expert in the financial services industry, former securities regulator, M&A specialist, and founder of the nationally recognized consulting and equity management firm, FP Transitions, David Grau Sr., JD, has created an unmatched resource that will have an enduring and resounding impact on an entire industry.

When financial advisers need guidance on running their business, they turn to Mark Tibergien, the most prominent, most respected authority and hands-on consultant on the science and practice of managing financial advisory firms. Together with Moss Adams colleague and principal Rebecca Pomering, they have combined their years of research and analysis to write the definitive book on the subject. The authors first identify how to assess the business and evaluate oneself as a manager. They then present strategic-thinking issues—such as practice models, business plans, and differentiators—in a Socratic style. This is followed by a detailed overview of critical topics, from financial management and human capital to IT and marketing—encompassing the management skills, approaches, and mindsets needed for success. With management tools, worksheets, and industry statistics, Practice Made Perfect is the authoritative book from the industry's expert.

A how to guide to avoiding the mistakes ineffective financial advisors most often make Based on a 15-year consulting program that author Steve Moore has led for financial advisors, Ineffective Habits of Financial Advisors (and the Disciplines to Break Them): A Framework for Avoiding the Mistakes Everyone Else Makes details proven techniques which allow advisors to transform their business into an elite practice: business analysis, strategic vision, exceptional client service, and acquiring high net worth clients. Told through the story of a purely fictional and completely average financial advisor, each chapter begins with an ineffective habit that is then countered with a discipline that improves business results and adds value. The book Details a step-by-step strategy for working through current clients, rather than relying on cold calling to form new relationships Includes anecdotes collected through both personal experience and stories relayed to him by clients and colleagues Provides question and answer segments, examples, and homework assignments Ineffective Habits of Financial Advisors (and the Disciplines to Break Them shows you how to deliver exceptional service while generating higher revenue per client.

Too many financial advisors simply close shop when they decide to exitthe business—squandering untold goodwill and legacy business. Why waste a great opportunity? By applying the advice of Al Depman, a.k.a. “The Practice Doctor,” you can transform your financial services practice into a legacy-focused business that will add substantial wealth to your retirement nest egg. How to Build Your Financial Advisory Business and Sell It at a Profit walks you through the steps of developing, managing, and growing a profitable practice you can sell for enhanced value or bequeath to family members. Depman guides you through the process of forming a sound plan for your financial services business, including how to: Create a team of advocates in marketing and administration Build a sophisticated referral process Develop sales and casedevelopment systems Write a best-practices operations manual Maximize new technology to streamline operations Put a succession plan in place Building a long-term business model is not just good for your future. It will also make you happier and more profitable today. You’ll be able to spend more time with clients. You’llput more energy into finding new ones. You’ll focus more on referral sources. And someone else will do the grunt work. Use How to Build Your Financial Advisory Business and Sell It at a Profit to build your business into more than a simple means to a paycheck—and reap the rewards of your hard work long after you choose to leave the firm.

The #1 way to start getting referrals? STOP ASKING In all his years of helping financial professionals build and grow their businesses, Stephen Wershing has learned that the number one way to make sure you don't get a referral is by asking for it. Why? Because studies prove that clients refer you not to benefit you but to benefit themselves. So you have to approach the challenge from a completely new angle. Stop Asking for Referrals helps you do exactly that. Inside, Wershing provides the tools you need to get more referrals than ever by designing your practice in a way that gets clients to mention you to friends when the opportunity arises. He calls it "the new referral conversation," and it works. Define your target market with accuracy and precision Communicate your value clearly and effectively Create your company's unique "brand" Harness the natural, normal social interactions of your clients to serve your marketing efforts You'll also learn how to use client feedback to benefit your business, create your service package, and bring in new business. "The way you have been told to attract referrals is based on an assumption that's wrong," Wershing writes. "And it is undermining your business and your relationships." You will come away with a deep understanding of why and where referrals actually come from, how to tailor your own practice to get people talking about you, and ways to develop a communication plan to project your reputation. So stop asking for referrals--and start attracting more new clients than you ever thought possible. Praise for Stop Asking for Referrals "Steve Wershing helps you unlock the untapped referral potential you have in your business today with an approach that is as comfortable as it is effective." -- JULIE LITTLECHILD, founder and president of Advisor Impact "The most comprehensive, practical, and engaging guide I know of for strengthening existing client connections and cultivating new ones in a way that is experience-based, respectful, and long-lasting." -- OLIVIA MELLAN, psychotherapist, money coach, author of The Client Connection, and columnist for Investment Advisor "Reading this book will revolutionize how you think about growing your business." -- MICHAEL E. KITCES, MSFS, MTAX, CFP, partner, Pinnacle Advisory Group, and blogger, Nerd's Eye View "This book will help you overcome . . . discomfort and show you how to engage your clients so that they will proudly help you build your business. Kudos for this powerful, one-stop marketing resource!" -- SHERYL GARRETT, CFP, AIF, award-winning author, advisor, and founder of the Garrett Planning Network "Stop Asking for Referrals is on my Top Ten list of books that I believe offer the most meaningful strategies for advisors. . . . Steve's ideas for referral marketing are brilliant and just plain common sense. Advisors will embrace his book as the new referral bible. -- SYDNEY LEBLANC, founding editor of Registered Rep magazine; partner of LeBlanc and Company "Embrace Steve's advice if you'd like to see your practice growth become effortless, boundless, and fun!" -- MARIE SWIFT, CEO, Impact Communications, columnist for Financial Planning magazine, and author of Become a Media Magnet