Month: June 2022

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Advisor Innovations: Shirl Penney on The Modern Independent Advisor

Advisor Innovations: Shirl Penney on The Modern Independent Advisor

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In this episode, David Armstrong is joined by Shirl Penney, President and CEO of Dynasty Financial Partners, diving into the history and ecosystem of the independent financial advisor movement. 

Shirl discusses:

  • The problem Penney and his co-founder were looking to solve when they launched Dynasty.
  • How technology was the great enabler fueling Dynasty’s growth
  • Replicating wirehouse capabilities and financial products outside the wirehouse’s walls. 
  • What are advisors looking for as independent advisors, and how that has changed over time.
  • How newer investors in the independent channel of financial advice are changing the market, and what an economic downturn might mean for advisors.
  • Where the business of wealth management is going, and the role Penney sees Dynasty playing in the future.

Connect With Shirl Penney:

Connect With David Armstrong:

About Our Guest:

Shirl Penney is the founder of Dynasty Financial Partners. He currently serves as President and CEO of Dynasty and is a member of the Board of Directors. Shirl is a frequent speaker at industry events, often quoted in various financial publications, and was named to Investment News’ 2015 list of 40 most influential people in wealth management under the age of 40. Shirl was also named to the 2016 inaugural list of Icons and Innovators in wealth management by Investment News.



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Advisor Innovations: Robert Sofia on Bringing Digital Marketing to Advisors

Advisor Innovations: Robert Sofia on Bringing Digital Marketing to Advisors

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In this episode, recorded live at the Wealth Management EDGE conference at the Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood in Florida, David Armstrong is joined by Robert Sofia, Founder and CEO of Snappy Kraken, a digital marketing platform for financial advisors.

Robert discusses:

  • What problem Sofia was trying to solve when he founded Snappy Kraken.
  • Why each financial advisor requires marketing tailored to their own clientele and prospects
  • The importance of advisors finding their authentic voice when it comes to creating content
  • How technology has changed everything about how prospective clients see advisors, even if advisors don’t use any digital marketing platforms themselves.
  • How Sofia stumbled upon the RIA industry after successful stints selling everything from Knives to RVs to automobiles, his first job creating marketing for an RIA in Florida, and how that was the springboard to founding his own firm. 
  • What opportunities Sofia saw with the acquisition of the firm Advisor Websites, and where Sofia sees the company going in the future. 

Resources:

Connect With Robert Sofia:

Connect With David Armstrong:

About Our Guest:

Robert Sofia is the Chairman and CEO of Snappy Kraken, an automated growth program for financial advisors. He is the author of four books, including Blend Out: From Ordinary to Irresistible: How Advisors Can Market Like The Greatest Brands in the World, released in 2021.

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Advisor Innovations: Jason Wenk on Scaling Advisor Technology the Right Way

Advisor Innovations: Jason Wenk on Scaling Advisor Technology the Right Way

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In this episode, David Armstrong is joined by Founder and CEO of Altruist, Jason Wenk, to talk about the state of advisor technology and the move toward consolidation of onboarding, custodial services, trading, account management and portfolio reporting with digital applications. Wenk explains why the current state of advisory technology needed a kick to bring it closer to what advisors, and clients, expect. He shares his journey as an advisor and an entrepreneur, why he started Altruist, how it has evolved, and where it is aiming to go in the next few years.

Jason discusses:

  • The problems with the current slate of advisor technology that Wenk set out to solve with Altruist (hint: Smooth, free-flowing integrations between separate components in a tech stack is largely a myth.)
  • Why custodial services cannot scale by charging advisors a basis point fee—and in fact why that kind of structure, advocated by some RIAs,  would hinder custodial innovation and the democratization of financial services.
  • How an ability to sustain lower margins than other custodial services in the market allows him and his team to continue innovating new features on the platform.
  • Why Altruist charges new advisors nothing until they reach 100 accounts, and how the platform is designed to help advisors scale their practice alongside the platform. 
  • How Altruist is misperceived by some as a tech platform for new advisors launching practices, when in fact it has multi-custodial capabilities and advisors at RIAs with over $10 billion serving HNW clients just as efficiently—In fact, Wenk still advises 11 HNW clients himself. 
  • Wenk’s experience starting his first RIA, and building the technology he needed when he couldn’t get it from the marketplace—and his current relationship with FormulaFolios after the merger with Brookstone Capital Management.

Connect With Jason Wenk:

Connect With David Armstrong:

About Our Guest:

Jason Wenk is a fintech executive, writer, self-proclaimed math geek, and investment systems developer. He began his career at Morgan Stanley in NYC at age 20 as one of their youngest professional employees, working on investment research and asset management systems development. Jason entered the industry with a technology background, and one of his first experiences was to watch the stock market implode following 9/11.



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