For Advisors
Webinar Recap: Halftime Report: 2025 Market Trends, Turbulence and Takeaways
In our recent webinar, Merit Financial Advisors’ Brian Andrew, CFA®, Chief Investment Officer, and Joe Cilley, CFP®, VP of Financial Planning, shared critical insights into the evolving economic landscape shaped by new tariff policies and geopolitical uncertainties. Together, they explored how recent global policy changes and the introduction of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ may affect…
Read MoreWebinar Recap: FA Magazine – Smart Growth: Proven Strategies for RIAs in a Margin Squeezed World
In today’s margin-conscious environment, financial advisors are under pressure to grow smarter, not just bigger. This webinar, featuring leaders from Merit Financial Advisors and FMG, explored actionable strategies to scale marketing efforts efficiently without expanding budgets. From deepening client engagement through localized content to leveraging AI and automation tools, the discussion centered around creating meaningful,…
Read MoreMerit Financial Advisors Expands Pacific Northwest Presence Through Partnership with Olympic Wealth Management
ATLANTA — June 17, 2025 — Merit Financial Advisors (“Merit”), a Georgia-based financial advisory firm that specializes in financial planning and wealth management solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families and those navigating life transitions, announced today it has acquired Olympic Wealth Management, LLC (“Olympic Wealth”). This acquisition strengthens Merit’s footprint in the Pacific Northwest, adding…
Read MoreQ&A – Maximizing Your Firm’s Value: Preparing for Succession, Sale, or Transition
Following our webinar on maximizing firm value through succession, sale, or transition, attendees had insightful questions about when and how to start preparing. The most common theme? Start early—ideally 5–10 years out. Whether you’re a $500M or $3B firm, the focus should be on running your business like it’s for sale today: clean financials, streamlined…
Read MoreWebinar Recap: Maximizing Your Firm’s Value: How Financial Advisors Can Prepare for Succession, Sale, or Transition
At Merit, we believe financial advisors deserve more than a successful business—they deserve a legacy. Whether you’re considering succession, planning a sale, or simply preparing for the next chapter, knowing what your firm is worth—and how to maximize that value—is essential. In our latest webinar, “Maximizing Your Firm’s Value: Preparing for Succession, Sale, or Transition,”…
Read MoreMerit Financial Advisors Partners with Bill Spalding Wealth Management
ATLANTA — [April 14, 2025] — Merit Financial Advisors (“Merit”), a Georgia-based financial advisory firm that specializes in financial planning and wealth management solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families and those navigating life transitions, announced today it has acquired Bill Spalding Wealth Management (“Spalding Wealth”). This acquisition will add $119 million in assets. Spalding Wealth…
Read MoreMost Common Questions About M&A, Growth, and Succession for Financial Advisors
Straightforward answers to the top questions firms are asking as they navigate their next chapter By Rick Kent, Founder and CEO, Merit Financial Advisors At our recent virtual panel discussion with FP Transitions, we explored the evolving landscape of mergers and acquisitions, growth strategies, and succession planning in the financial advisory industry. The audience came…
Read MoreWebinar: How to Build a Sustainable, High-Growth Advisory Firm
Success Doesn’t Happen by Chance—It’s Planned. In this powerful webinar, top industry voices—Rick Kent, Kay Lynn Mayhue, and Eric Leeper—reveal the blueprint behind Merit Financial Advisors’ strategic growth and leadership continuity. Moderated by Suzanne Siracuse, this candid conversation dives deep into succession planning, scaling smart, and building a firm that lasts for generations. Whether you’re…
Read MoreMerit’s Female Executives Reflect on Mentorship vs. Sponsorship, Blending Work and Home Lives, and Building Wealth for Women’s History Month
Women’s influence in wealth management continues to grow. Fidelity’s 2024 Women & Investing Study found an 18 percent increase in women stock market investors from the year before. Merit is proud to share that women represent more than 50% of nearly 300 employees, a number that continues to increase. To celebrate Women’s History Month, four…
Read MoreMerit Financial Advisors Partners with Pillar Wealth Management Co., Adding Two New Offices in Wisconsin
ATLANTA — [January 28, 2025] — Merit Financial Advisors (“Merit”), a Georgia-based financial advisory firm that specializes in financial planning and wealth management solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families, and those navigating life transitions, announced today it has acquired Pillar Wealth Management Co. (“Pillar”). This acquisition will expand Merit’s presence by establishing two new offices…
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