Executive Summary
Taking the leap to start your own financial planning practice can be a scary proposition. Not only is there the stress of starting up the business and figuring out how to market and find your own clients, but there's also the responsibility of making a huge number of key decisions about the business model and companies and services to engage, and just the outright cost of setting it up in the first place.
In this guest post, financial planner Sophia Bera shares what she went through in recent months in going out on her own and setting up her own independent RIA financial planning firm from scratch, and managing the expenses to keep them at only $5,000 in start-up costs and another $5,000 in ongoing costs in her first year (which is important, given the lack of startup funding for advisory firms!). Sophia also shares some of her own thoughts about why she decided an entrepreneurial path was right after spending years as a financial planning employee, and other tips she's found useful in helping to facilitate her early success.
If you've been thinking about what it costs to go out on your own - or to make a transition into financial planning for the first time - and wondering what the key issues and decisions are to consider, I hope you find today's guest post to be helpful!
In April 2013, I quit my job at a start-up and launched my own RIA, Gen Y Planning. By the end of May, I was a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) in the state of Minnesota and started working with clients. At the beginning of July, my website launched. Now, I have a dozen clients across the country that are in their 20s and 30s. A lot of financial planners have been contacting me to ask me how I did it. This is all quite new for me, but I’ve learned a lot in the past few months. This is one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I have never been happier. It’s been a roller coaster ride, but that’s how I work: my life is filled with extremes. You don’t get the highest highs without the lowest lows. So if that makes you want to vomit, then you might want to keep your desk job. However, if you know that your talent isn’t being maximized at your current company and you are willing to pull yourself up by your bootstraps to live the life you’ve envisioned, then hang on! Today, I will give you an inside look at what I did to launch my own firm, including the costs associated with my choices. I’ll also tell you how I think I could do an even better job, and how technology has made it much more affordable to launch a business than ever before.
This year I spent $5,038 in one-time start-up costs to launch my RIA Gen Y Planning. In addition, I spend about $224 in monthly recurring costs and $4,241 in annual costs to set up and run my RIA. For 2013, my total business expenses will come in right around $10,000. (This doesn’t include any conferences, travel costs, or food costs related to business). If we project these costs forward they would be around $7,000 annually, but I plan on hiring a Virtual Assistant next year so they’ll likely be higher. Plus, I’d like to add a video to my website and I’m considering paying for a co-working space.
Envision Your Ideal Life
Before you set off on your own, spend some time dreaming. Remember what that is? It’s that thing you used to do when you were 10 years old. Take some time to really think about what your ideal life would look like. How would you structure your time? Where would you live? Who is in your life? These things are all important because they shape the way you design your business. For example, I love working remotely. I like opening my laptop and being at work. I like working in yoga pants instead of a suit and heels. I want to make enough money so my husband can be a stay at home dad when we decide to start a family. We want to spend at least one month a year traveling. We want to be based in Minnesota because that is where our families are, but ultimately two weeks of vacation time a year wasn’t cutting it. I knew I wanted to spend more time seeing my friends and family. I also wanted to start singing again. Just like I used to do when I was 10 years old.
Why Entrepreneurship Works for Me
This totally shaped why I wanted to leave my old company and how I wanted to structure my new company. It also made me realize that I didn’t want to go back to working at a local financial planning firm. I knew that I wanted more time to travel, more time away from the computer, more time with my friends and family, and I needed more time to be creative. Therefore, I wanted to build a practice working with Gen Y clients across the country rather than just working with clients locally. I don’t ever want to pay for a permanent office space. It’s just not my style, and it’s also expensive. Yes, I am a financial planner without an office. If you do need a meeting space, I encourage you to look at co-working spaces which are much more affordable than a private office.
Choose a Niche
Your advisor niche should be something that comes very naturally to you and that you’re great at. Think of the client meetings that end and you think, “Wow, I wish I had 100 clients just like that!” because you had so much fun! Yep, I said fun! You should enjoy working with the niche that you choose. I have always LOVED working with clients in their 20s and 30s. Why? Because I can relate to them! I’m really good at helping Gen Y organize their finances to reach multiple goals so that they can achieve their dreams. Plus, I try to keep it fun! Why? Because there are a lot of boring financial planners out there, and just by being interesting, I set myself apart. The clients that tend to want to work with me are single businesswomen, entrepreneurs, and young couples because I can relate to them.
Find Your Special Sauce
Maybe you’re awesome at working with families, helping people through transitions, or working with people in the medical profession? If you’re having trouble figuring out what makes you unique, Derek Halpern from Social Triggers suggests answering these questions: How do you help people? What do you give them? What is your secret ingredient? What is your special story?
I know that most financial planners are “generalists.” They use phrases like “wealth manager” and “retirement specialist,” therefore, if you choose a niche, you will set yourself apart from 99% of financial planners. (How’s that for a quick way to make it into the top 1%?!?) Here’s the thing, if you don’t choose a niche, how will other people know what type of clients to send to you? They won’t. Therefore, most people won’t send you any clients. I am very clear about who I work with, and this has been a huge benefit. This will also help you gain recognition in the media, and press is a great way to build your brand. I’m now seen as a “Gen Y Expert” because I’ve made my focus Gen Y. I gear my content towards this demographic and I learn as much as I can about millennials so I can stay up to date on what is important to my niche.
The Details You’ve Been Waiting For On How I Set Up My RIA
RIA Compliance And Setting Up The Business
Choose a Business Name: I did a variety of different searches to ensure that no one else had my business name or anything close to it. See if you can also do a trademark search in case you decide to trademark your business name, logo, and tagline at a later date.
Determine Your Business Structure: I formed an LLC in the state of MN for $155. I was also advised to file a Doing Business As (DBA) in the state of MN for $50. Find out what business licenses you need in your city, county, and state.
Set Up a Business Checking Account: Once you’ve determined your business structure and received your Tax ID number (if needed), then you can sign up for a business checking account. I also decided to get a business credit card.
Get Your IARD Number: It takes two weeks, so do this early in the process. That way you can work on other business items while you’re waiting for this.
Hire an RIA Compliance Company: I made an early decision to hire a company to file my initial compliance documents. This was one of the biggest expenses in my initial start-up costs. This can cost between $1,800-$3,000 depending on your state, the size of your firm, the type of firm you’re creating, and you are going to think you are smart enough to do this yourself. After staring at the forms for a week, I finally bit the bullet after a strong recommendation from Blair Hodgson DuQuesnay, and I hired Comprehensive Securities Compliance Solutions, better known as CS2 (another alternative is Jim Cullen of WB Compliance at [email protected]). It was the best money I spent. Let me repeat: this saved me time and money! If you only take away one piece of advice, let it be this: pay someone who specializes in this to set up your compliance docs (especially if you’re in the state of California and it takes them 54 days to even look at your initial application. No joke). This cost me $1,800 and saved me a ton of headaches. Keep in mind that you also have to pay for yearly compliance costs.
A few things to note:
- Once your information is sent to the state, it can be anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months before you are registered. It took me just over two weeks.
- You may be required to buy a surety bond. A $25,000 surety bond is required in the state of MN, and the cost was $386.25 through Professional Liability Consultants, which was a recommendation from CS2.
Choose an RIA Custodian: I decided to go with Scottrade because they have low fees for my clients and no minimum assets under management required for advisors. (FYI: Schwab and Fidelity have $10M AUM minimums).
Update Your Info: Update all your information on the CFP Board website, FPA, NAPFA, and any other organizations that you’re a part of. I’m a part of FPA which costs $399 per year. In addition, I pay $325 per year for my CFP® dues.
Buy E&O Insurance: I decided to go with Calsurance because it was affordable and I could purchase it online. The policy was $1,250 plus taxes for a total of $1,323.25. It provides $1M in coverage and has a $5,000 deductible. You can often get a discount through your custodian or the associations you’re a part of.
Decide on Invoicing and Accounting Software: I’m currently using WaveApps because it’s free, but I might switch to Quickbooks Online because the starter package is only $12.95 a month and it would be easier to outsource at a later date. I also allow my clients to pay through PayPal and I can send invoices through PayPal, which I love! PayPal also allows you to set up buttons for recurring payments. Just call their customer service number if you need help setting this up. It was easy to do and you can even email your client a link to set up the recurring payment if you don’t want to have it directly on your website.
Write It Down: Develop processes and procedures so that as you grow, you are also able to scale your practice. (I’m working on getting better at this). In addition, this will make your life much easier once you decide to hire an intern, Virtual Assistant, or Para-Planner to join your firm. Start documenting and tracking things in your CRM so that others will understand your notes. I also recommend having a standard “notes template” so that you document notes in the same order for each client.
Technology (Part 1): RIA Hardware & Tools
Tools of the Trade: I bought a new MacBook Pro. It was expensive, but I love it. I paid $1,708.97 including Apple Care. I am entirely Mac-based, and it works great for me. You might not need to buy a new computer but I had to return my work computer, so this was one of my biggest expenses. I also bought a DoxieGo, which is a portable scanner with wi-fi and a case so that it fits easily in my laptop bag. This combo cost $217.86 from Amazon.com.
Cell Phone: I bought a new iPhone 5 for $221.81 and traded in my iPhone 4. I also pay about $125 a month for cell phone service and a data plan. You can get a discount on your cell phone plan through FPA. All of my prospect calls are via phone rather than Skype.
Back Up Your Computer: I chose Crash Plan Pro for Business so that my computer is backed up in the cloud daily for $9.99 a month.
Protect Your Network: I work from a lot of coffee shops, which is why I set up Private Wi-Fi which encrypts my data on open wi-fi networks for $9.95 a month.
Buy Your Business Domain Name: I bought my domain name from GoDaddy.com for $17.51 for three years. I also decided to keep it private so I don’t get a ton of spam and that’s an additional $9.99 a year. Total cost for 3 years: $47.48. You also need to get web hosting. One year of web hosting was included with my web designer so I didn’t have to purchase it initially but I am now switching to WpEngine, which is supposed to provide excellent security in addition to being able to deal with large spikes in traffic and costs only $29 a month.
Technology (Part 2): RIA Software Essentials
Free Stuff: I use Skype to have meetings with my clients in other states. I use Dropbox to create a shared folder with a client, and then the client can upload his or her statements. I then upload the statements to my CRM system. I have Google Alerts set up for my name and my business name. Some planners also do this for their clients’ names as well. I also use LastPass for my password encryption.
Sign Up for PreciseFP: This is an online data gathering tool that allows me to send my clients a link to a secure questionnaire. This costs $239.40 per year.
Financial Planning Software: I decided to forgo financial planning software until something better comes on the market for Gen Y. Right now, planning software is either cashflow-based or goal-based, but they are still geared towards Baby Boomers and beyond. I did have a friend build me a one-page retirement projection in Excel (I paid him $75). I write my 5-page financial plans in plain English in Pages and then print them to Adobe. I’ve found that nobody wants 50 pages of charts and graphs that they don’t understand.
Choose a CRM: I chose Less Annoying CRM because it is exactly what it sounds like. After years of using Junxure and other robust systems that had too many fields, I really like the simplicity of LACRM with the attention to functional design. It’s like the Mac of CRMs and since I’m a Mac girl, I heart it. It allows me to easily store client emails as well for compliance purposes. Did I mention it’s $10 a month and comes with amazing customer support? Shout out to Michael! ([email protected]). Tell him I sent you!
Online Scheduling System: I’m in a free trial with TimeTrade to see if I want to use this for prospects and client meetings. It’s $49.99 per year. I like that I can send an email from the system with times that I’m available or add it to my website and have people click on a time to schedule a prospect call.
Electronic Signature: I’m still debating which eSignature I want to use, so I have done a few free trials. A few popular ones are EchoSign for $14.95 a month and Docusign for $25 a month (or $180 if you pay yearly).
Google Apps and Google Vault: Alan Moore, CFP® already wrote a great guest post about these items, and together they cost $10 a month. Need I say more? I also added Boomerang for Gmail, which is an additional $4.99 a month or $49.99 for the year. In my opinion, this is the only way to get your email inbox to zero without forgetting to follow up with items later.
Build a Kick-Ass Website in WordPress: Have you looked at a financial planning website lately? Did it suck? Seriously, if you have a halfway decent website, you are setting yourself apart from most financial planners. Start working on your website during the time you are waiting for approval from your state registration. Pay a bad-ass web designer to do your website for you. Don’t be one of those people who does their own to save money unless you have been running your own successful blog on the side for the past few years and your undergrad degree was in graphic design and computer engineering. This is the first thing that people see to decide if they want to work with you. This is one area where most financial planners do not spend enough time and money investing their resources.
Marketing & Branding As An Independent RIA
Ditch Your Bland Brand: Consider hiring a web designer who is also a graphic designer and can do your logo and branding for you. I am absolutely thrilled with how my website turned out and I have the lovely, Hannah Loaring from Further Bound, to thank. She’s lovely to work with and affordable. I call her my “website fairy.” She will probably be twice as expensive a year from now, and you should still use her because she’s that good. Her current rates are $1,200 for a basic blog to $2,200 for an amazing package. Contact her today ([email protected]) because she’s booked out for the next few months. She also does branding, business cards, Twitter backgrounds, Facebook covers, PDF Design, and newsletter design for email marketing. You can use her for all of these things and she will make your branding seamless. You want a clear flow from social media, to print, to your biz cards. She prepared a business card template for me and recommended that I order them from Moo.com. I paid $69.99 for 200 cards plus shipping and handling.
I highly recommend that you spend a bit of time developing a brand and marketing strategy:
- Have a professional design your logo.
- Figure out a tagline that speaks to your target market.
- Decide your pricing and fee structure.
- If you are not an excellent writer, consider hiring a professional copywriter.
- Develop a social media strategy. Figure out which social media tools you are going to use, then pay a company to archive your social media. Arkovi and Archive Social are two to check out. I chose to go with Arkovi because it was less expensive ($39 versus $49), and it didn’t limit the number of social media accounts I could have, and I can archive my blog posts. I also like that you can schedule content.
- Blog at least once a week and send out a newsletter. (Hint: while your website is being built, have your web designer set up a landing page with an email sign up for your newsletter. This way you can start building a list before you even have a website). I blog every Wednesday, and the Gen Y Planning Newsletter goes out every other Friday. I am using the free version of MailChimp for my newsletter.
- Sign up for Help a Reporter Out (HARO) and start answering reporters' requests. I try to answer at least 3 HARO requests each week so that I can get my name out there. This is FREE publicity. You are your best agent.
- Write guest posts for other sites. I try to do this twice a month.
- Consider having an intro video on your website or try video blogging. Videos are an excellent way to communicate with potential clients. (I’m not currently using video, but I should be. I would like to create a marketing video through Show & Tell Stories in 2014).
Time for New Photos: You need new professional headshots, preferably from someone who has experience taking actors' headshots and doesn’t just work at the mall. Danielle Barnum took mine, and she shoots in Minnesota, Seattle, L.A., and New York. So if you’re in one of those places, I highly recommend her. Her business is called DB Inspired Arts. Her rates start at $275, which is an absolute steal! Feel free to email her directly: [email protected].
Other Tips For Success When Starting Your RIA
Focus on Helping People: Help your friends and they’ll become your clients. Help your clients and they’ll send you their friends and family. Help reporters and they’ll quote you in the press. Here’s another one: help other financial planners. We’re not reinventing the wheel here. The only reason I was able to accomplish as much as I did as quickly as I did was because of the help of other people who were already running their own successful practices that helped me out. Individual planners and mentors passed along the following information to me: the compliance company that they used, the CRM system they recommended, which E&O insurance to buy, and now I’m passing along all of these things to you J. Here’s a secret: some of them have even passed along prospects to me. In addition, I refer my prospects to other planners when they don’t fit my target market, so remember to be nice to each other and help each other when we can. Like Zig Ziglar said, “You can get anything you want in this life if you spend enough time helping other people get what they want.”
Keep Learning: Go to conferences outside of the industry. You can learn a lot from other people that are outside of financial planning. Check out some conferences that have to do with something you’re interested in and you will meet great people and maybe even gain a few clients. I went to Portland to attend the World Domination Summit this summer (not as scary as it sounds). The whole theme of the conference was, “how do we live a remarkable life in a conventional world?” I ended up landing two clients who were other attendees, plus I had a fantastic time!
Give Back: Help young planners gain entry into this industry. We need more great people to carry the torch. There are many ways to help out whether it’s mentoring another planner, volunteering through FPA, or taking a board position. Also, consider working with a partner charity so that as your business grows, so too does the charity. I’m incredibly passionate about financial education and I decided to partner with BestPrep, which is a local organization that I’ve been volunteering with for the past few years. Their mission is, “to prepare Minnesota students with business, career, and financial literacy skills through experiences that inspire success in work and life.” For each new client I bring on in 2013, I’m donating $50 to BestPrep. Now that you’re an entrepreneur and can create your own schedule, I encourage you to make time to volunteer. It helps keep us grounded and realize that even though we help people with their money every day, there are more important things than money.
The Abundance Mentality: I ascribe to the abundance mentality, rather than the scarcity mentality because I think that there are millions of people that would like to work with a financial planner and I will only be able to work with 100-150 of them. I’m really not worried about competition. My closest friends in financial planning have businesses that are very similar to mine. Therefore, I need your help. Now you have the tools needed to launch your own RIA, and you know the exact costs associated with doing it. What’s stopping you from launching your own firm? Are you terrified of entrepreneurship? If so, maybe you need to read my post on Why Entrepreneurship is the New Job Security for Gen Y. If I can do this, you can too! Envision your ideal life, find your special sauce, and go out there and launch your new biz! We need your unique skills in this world. Are you up for the challenge?
(Michael's Note: If you enjoyed this guest post on becoming an RIA, you might want to check out Financial Advisor's Guide To Establishing A Next Generation Financial Planning Firm as well!)
Great update!
Drop Private Wi-Fi in favor of WiTopia, Norton Hotspot Privacy, or even Cloak. At $50-$80/year, they’re at least 33% cheaper for the same features.
After my free trial of Private Wi-fi, I ended up getting a coupon emailed to me for an added discount off the yearly membership! I just paid $63.50 for the year and cancelled my monthly subscription. Seems to be working out well!
Thanks that’s a great tip. I didn’t realize she was simply referring to a VPN provider. $9.99 is very steep for what is a commidified VPN service.
Wonderful insight Sophia! Just one update – Jim Cullen is now with Financial Planners Assistance @
http://www.financialplannersassistance.com/ or [email protected]
Thanks for the great update, Mary Beth! I have noted that! (Good thing that he still has access to the email I referenced, but yes, this is his preferred email). You have a great practice as well: http://www.workablewealth.com. If other Gen Y planners are looking for great website, check out Mary Beth’s site!
Thanks for the kind words about Arkovi Sophia! If you are still exploring eSignatures I will add my support for DocuSign – an amazing service and what sold me was the ease of use on an iPad for handling even complex contracts and documents. To Bill’s comment below – I just recently discovered Cloak and will not look again for VPN tools for iOS and Mac. As easy as it gets to heighten security on WiFi.
I am doing a free trial of DocuSign right now! Thanks for the feedback on them. That’s really helpful! Thanks for the great tips!
Just curious – as and FPA member as well, I looked at the FPA website for member benefits and I don’t see any type of discount for a cellular plan. Which cellular company is it through and how were you able to get the discount? Thank you.
I guess it varies by local chapter, so the deal is through FPA of MN. I probably should not have included it. My recommendation would be to check with your local chapter!
Shane – I recently switched to a no-contract plan using AIO (http://www.aiowireless.com). If you bring your own smartphone you can choose the $40/mo plan, unlimited talk text and data. Data speeds throttle down after 250MB per month.
What an awesome and an inspiring story. I think your emphasis on branding and developing a professional web presence is spot on. Also can’t say enough about WordPress AND WPEngine. WP Engine has been a fantastic partner and it’s worth the investment for peace of mind and security. Thanks for sharing your story Sophia!
Thank you! I’m glad to hear that WP Engine has been a good fit for you! I’m signing up now! I hope my story inspires more planners to share theirs!
Thank you for the great insight Sophia. You candidly summarized books worth of information in a short blog (perfect for us Gen Y’ers). You have inspired me!
I’m so glad to hear I inspired you! That makes it all worth it 🙂 I’m glad you found it to be a nice summary. Michael really helped with the structure! I just threw a bunch of content in a word doc and he organized it beautifully! Thanks for your feedback!
If only I knew this when I started out. Would have saved me a ton of money & TIME! Thanks, Sophia.
Kristin! You are too kind! Thanks so much. If only more advisors found out about YOU sooner. Kristen has amazing resources on choosing a niche and then how to market to your niche! Check out her site: http://www.next10clients.com!
Great, comprehensive checklist. Thanks. One note: Custodians, a few months ago Schwab eliminated their $10MM AUM requirement.
Really?!? I was unaware of that! Thanks for sharing!
Sophia, this is so great! Not only did you spend time on the phone, you introduced me to Michael Kitces AND you wrote this blog. I guess I could ask you to pass the CFP for me too, but that might be too much 😉 THANK YOU!
You’re welcome! Glad you found it helpful! I can’t take the CFP(r) test for you but I recommend that you take a review course in person! That’s the only reason I passed on the first try!
Wow haven’t read a better article in years! I’m from India, our financial planning community is still at a nascent stage. We need to homework on the tools n techniques u have mentioned here. Although I’m sure most of them may not be available here. Thanks for this wonderful post..sure to apply them in my practice!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I literally had tears by the time I made it to the end. You are helping so very many people not only in your practice, but in this one piece. I have said for years that I have “abundance mentality” but you take that phrase to a whole new level by sharing so much with people who really need this advice. Thank you for caring as much as you do. You made my day.
I’m so glad it was helpful! But thank Sophia, it was her guest post! I was just the conduit! 🙂
– Michael
Very helpful article. I started my RIA about a year ago, and would have benefited if I read this piece before I started.
I used RIA In A Box for my registration and LogoTournament for the logo. I highly recommend both of them.
I also cheaped out by using Excel for accounting and CRM, and Google Calendar for scheduling. They all work just fine. I got Quick Books and then returned it, because I found Excel to be much easier for book keeping. I use Word to generate invoices.
Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks! I really appreciate it! Glad you found my article helpful as well!
Thanks for adding to the resources! I’ll have to check out a few of these!
Nice work Sophia! I enjoyed the article very much…will probably read it again (more carefully) when I have some time. I’d still like to connect with you sometime soon. Do you use Skype?
Sounds good, Michael! Shoot me an email: [email protected]. Yes, I use Skype.
I googled Professional Liability Consultants and couldn’t find the company. Do they go by another name? How can I contact them?
PLGC is now part of Lockton Affinity; here is the contact info:
Tom Schrandt, AIF®
Partner
Lockton Affinity, LLC
The Arborcrest II
751 Arbor Way, Suite 250
Blue Bell, PA 19422
215.583.9270
610.349.2098 (Cell)
E-mail: [email protected]
Exceptional article Sophia, congratulations on your success and kudos for sharing how you did it with others! I just shared this with someone I’ve been trying to coach into our business.
looked into instream? It’s free and pretty straight forward http://instreamwealth.com/
enjoyed the article!
Thanks for sharing so much!
For online accounting software you should check out XERO.com. I switched from QuickBooks and love it.
Sophia, your story is so inspirational. Good luck.
Very well written and informative!
Hi Sophia, This was a great post and really informative! The best one that I was able to find. I was just curious about one thing though. Do you find as a non affiliated RIA that you are unable to capture some business by not being able to sell annuities, or other insurance products for commission? I guess what I am worried about is meeting with a prospect with a wide variety of products and I am not able to move their insurance based products under one roof and therefore lose the whole relationship. I was considering affiliating with a B/D but I really do not want to lose any of my independence which is why I want to open my own RIA in the first place. Just was curious about your experience. Thanks!
Hey Patrick—not sure if this is too late to be useful, but depending on the b/d, you may be able to have almost all of the same freedom with a hybrid RIA setup (along with an independent b/d like LPL, Raymond James, Commonwealth, et al)…the marketing is a little tricky, but as long as you have “RIA only” focused material, you can get what most of us want there as well.
Awesome Article Sophia. Great tip with Help A Reporter Out. I just signed up.
Hi Sophia,
You registered your LLC in MN. Do you also have to register as an RIA in each state you do business/have a client in? Does this cost a lot of money?
Do you think there is an advantage to registering your LLC in an “LLC friendly” state such as Delaware or Nevada?
Thanks!
Gert
Great question
depends on if you maintain an office in said state and if you meet the de minimis exemption of the state.
1st off, I just want to let you know that I reference this article all the time! Great Job!
I am fed up with my current custodian (Folio), and I am looking for an alternative. Besides the high AUM that Schwab and the like require, I don’t like the idea that they compete for your biz. Alan Moore (also a fantastic blog!) uses Shareholder Services Group, but I cannot get past their 1990s website. In the a Weekend Reading, Michael Kitces discovered TradePMR’s tech upgrades. Are you still with Scottrade? Are you happy with them?
Ref:
Alan Moore Blog – http://www.kitces.com/blog/financial-advisors-guide-to-establishing-a-next-generation-financial-planning-firm/
TradePMR – http://www.kitces.com/blog/weekend-reading-for-financial-planners-apr-13-14/
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This is a great “evergreen” stuff — still very helpful for anyone looking to setup an RIA that does not need or want a b/d affiliation. If someone happens upon it that DOES need/want a b/d affiliation, this podcast episode I recorded recently may be helpful: http://howtogoindependent.com/htgi/2016/2/4/avioxab8s98bxnxspvggd7zn0zp6gr
Talk about timing! I just passed the 65 yesterday and was going to start looking for someone to assist with getting me registered with the state, starting tomorrow. Thank you so much for the info!
Great post Sophia. I’ll try to implement your tips on my journey to becoming an entrepreneur. Thanks.
Great and helpful, but sheeyow, the compliance and pricing costs are massive upfront!
Relative to most other businesses, it’s still pretty moderate.
You should see how much it costs upfront to start a restaurant. 🙁
– Michael
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Have you looked into http://www.chalicefn.com? They have partnerships that offer up 40% discounts on healthcare, insurance, marketing, lending and more. Saves a financial advisor thousands when going independent.