How to transform forced change into deliberate opportunity. The difference between people who thrive through disruption and those who don't is rarely about resources. It's about whether they're honest about what actually matters.
All M&A brings forced change along with it. The hope is that the acquiring company has enhancements and improvements that the acquired company lacked. In other cases, the opposite can be true. The acquiring company may have a reputation for subpar customer service. The new company may be a behemoth in size while the company that was acquired had more of a boutique feel. Personalized attention gets replaced by turnkey processes.
The real question is: does this matter to you?
If you're a financial advisor and the answer is yes, then the next focus needs to be on finding the most consistency with what you and your clients loved about the firm being acquired.
Having moved clients from multiple firms to others in my own career — in pursuit of finding the best structure and partner for the people I serve — I know what matters most to clients. And it's not what you might expect.
Clients don't care about the name on the door. They want to know the change was made for any reason other than financial. That it was made for them.
James Roberts, Intentional LLCThey want to understand why you — their advisor — believe this next firm is a better fit for both of you. If you can answer that question clearly and honestly, the transition becomes a moment of trust-building rather than trust-testing.
If you are being forced through M&A to leave a boutique custodian that has always prided itself on exceptional service to both advisors and their clients, you need to find a custodian or RIA that rivals what you're accustomed to. Not something close. Something that actually matches the culture you've built your practice around.
If you've fallen in love with the intricacies of being part of a smaller firm — the direct access to leadership, the ability to offer clients bespoke and alternative investments, the freedom to operate in alignment with your own values — then you have real choices to make.
Starting your own RIA is the right move if you intend to recruit and build a team. If you want to manage your own book and be left alone to do great work, joining an existing firm is likely the better answer. If maximizing your annual payout is the priority, an existing RIA may also be your best path.
Forced change has a way of surfacing the questions you've been too busy to ask. What kind of advisor do you actually want to be? What do your best clients need from you that you haven't been able to fully deliver? What does the next chapter of your practice look like if you build it intentionally rather than reactively?
Those questions deserve real answers — not just a quick decision driven by a transition timeline.
Thinking about making a move?
Our sweet spot is advisors who treat each client like a family member or close friend, have a network that includes HNW and UHNW clients they haven't felt confident enough to approach, and genuinely love the purpose-driven side of this industry.
If that's you, we'd love to have an honest conversation about what the right next step actually looks like. Call us at 866-752-6410 or schedule a conversation here.
Intentional LLC is a registered investment adviser with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice.
James Roberts is the founder of Intentional LLC, a private wealth advisory firm in Fort Mill, SC, serving high-net-worth individuals and families locally and nationally.
The conversation is where the real work begins. Schedule 30 minutes with James and see what an intentional approach to your financial life could look like.