Arbor Point Fills Gap for Independent Advisors

Arbor Point Fills Gap for Independent Advisors

New Securities America Venture Unveils RIA "Easy Button" for Advisors Using Major Custodians

LA VISTA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Arbor Point Advisors LLC, a new SEC registered investment advisory firm, intends to fill the gap for advisors seeking the freedom of the independent advisory model and a choice of custodians without the need to form their own registered investment advisory firm.

Securities America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (NYSE MKT: LTS), and NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC recently formed Arbor Point as a joint venture. Arbor Point's fully integrated platform allows hybrid advisory firms to better serve fee-based clients directly with major custodians such as TD Ameritrade, Schwab and Fidelity Institutional, while retaining the ability to seamlessly service their commission-based accounts.

"The challenge advisors face in running their own RIA is the significant time spent on compliance, technology and administration - time they aren't spending with clients," said Jim Nagengast, CEO and president of Securities America. "We saw a need in the market for a turnkey RIA with a custodian-agnostic platform, and we partnered with another Omaha-based industry leader, NorthStar, to create an innovative and compelling solution."

According to industry research firm Cerulli Associates, RIAs collective market share of client assets will hit 14 percent in 2013. Over the past decade, several large RIA firms have combined to leverage overhead. Most of these firms target RIAs with $1 billion or more in assets - leaving a large portion of the independent RIA market struggling to compete on infrastructure. Advisors with $50 million to $250 million in assets who want to custody at one of the major firms is where Arbor Point expects to make its mark, according to its president, Curtis Reed, CFP^®.

"For every advisor with $1 billion in assets looking to form or join an RIA, there are hundreds of firms with $100 million who need the same support to serve their clients," Reed said. "We're not an RIA consolidator. We're a support platform - an RIA 'easy button,' so to speak - for independent advisors who want the freedom to choose a custodial firm and serve their clients the way they want."

Having operated his own RIA, Windy City Wealth Management LLC, Reed understands the frustrations of advisors who walk that path and the challenges they have seen in recent years.

"Many of the companies that service RIAs have moved their focus upstream to larger firms," he said. "In addition, the volatile markets and uncertain regulatory environment have heightened the challenges and complexity of delivering financial advisory services. The traditional advisor office is feeling less valued and a little lost. There is a strong need for focused practice management and business growth support. Advisors are finding they have to make choices about where to spend their time, and realizing they want to spend more of it with clients."

Though most advisors considering an RIA have embraced the fee-based model, many have legacy commission business they want to maintain with their clients. As a result, Arbor Point uses NorthStar subsidiary Orion Advisor Services, LLC to support its advisors' fee-based advisory business with new account processing, fee billing, performance reporting and technology. Securities America provides commission-based business processing and overall compliance and supervision, as well as industry-leading programs in practice management and retirement income distribution.

"We're not telling advisors which business model to use," Reed said. "We're giving them the solutions they need for the business model they choose. Partnering with Arbor Point allows independent advisors to devote their time and attention to serving clients first, relying on our professional staff to shoulder the compliance and operational duties."

About Arbor Point Advisors
Arbor Point is an SEC registered investment advisory firm headquartered in La Vista, Neb. Arbor Point's mission is to provide an all-inclusive advisory platform with world-class technology, compliance and business growth support, giving advisors the resources and support necessary to lead a client-centric practice.

About NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC
NorthStar is the parent company for several financial service companies with a common mission to empower investment advisors. NorthStar's subsidiary companies administer over $140 billion. NorthStar subsidiary Orion Advisor Services, LLC is the nation's largest privately held portfolio accounting service bureau for registered investment advisor firms. Orion's mission is to liberate advisors from their back offices so they can enjoy their business again. Additional information is available at www.nstar-financial.com.

About Securities America
Headquartered in La Vista, Neb., Securities America, Inc. is a national top 10 independent broker-dealer (as ranked by Financial Planning magazine). For more than 25 years, Securities America's mission has been to foster the success of financial professionals so they can provide quality, objective counsel and services to their clients. Advisors benefit from the firm's industry-leading programs in practice management, advisory services and retirement income distribution, supported by state-of-the-art technology. Founded in 1993, Securities America Advisors Inc. is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisory firm that offers investment management, financial advice and financial planning through a national network of independent financial advisors. Securities America Financial Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (NYSE MKT: LTS). Securities America received the inaugural Thought Leadership Award from the Retirement Income Industry Association in March 2011 and the inaugural Bank Insurance & Securities Association (BISA) Technology Innovation Award in March 2013. Additional information is available at www.securitiesamerica.com.

Advisory services offered through Arbor Point Advisors, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm. Securities offered through Securities America, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Securities America, Inc. and Arbor Point Advisors, LLC, are affiliated entities.

Securities America
Natalie Hadley, 800-747-6111, ext. 4606
nhadley@saionline.com

KEYWORDS: United States North America Nebraska

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