LPL welcomes $190M boomerang advisor

Justin Souma.

The broker-dealer broadened its advisory footprint in North Carolina as industry veteran returns from Benjamin F. Edwards & Co.

LPL expanded its profile in the Eastern US yet again as another veteran advisor makes his return.

The wealth management colossus has added a new independent practice to its network with the return of financial advisor Justin Souma, who now operates Hickory Ridge Wealth Advisors out of Highlands, North Carolina.

Souma, a veteran in the financial services sector since 2004, previously managed approximately $190 million in advisory, brokerage, and retirement plan assets. He transitions back to LPL Financial after a tenure at Benjamin F. Edwards & Co.

At Hickory Ridge Wealth Advisors, Souma offers a range of services tailored to individuals, multigenerational families, nonprofits, and corporations. These include advisory portfolios, financial planning, and investment strategies, with a strong emphasis on retirement and tax planning.

Barbara Fish, joining as a client services associate, supports Souma.

In discussing his decision to return to LPL, Souma highlighted the firm’s recent advancements, particularly in technology.

“During the due diligence process, I was highly impressed by the changes that LPL has made in recent years, especially in terms of all the innovative technology to help make our business easier to operate and less restrictive,” he said in a statement Thursday.

Souma highlighted the user-friendly client portal and account view functions on LPL’s tech platform, which simplifies clients’ engagement with their financial information, as significant factors in his decision.

He also praised LPL’s commitment to providing comprehensive market insights through its research team, which he says will enable him to provide “the highest level of service and guidance” to clients.

Souma’s return to LPL follows the firm’s onboarding of another boomerang advisor in Texas who made his comeback after a stint at Raymond James.