Just one day after signing on a half-billion-dollar advisory team, LPL Financial has announced another addition to its network.
Seasoned financial advisor Blair Waller brings approximately $150 million in advisory, brokerage, and retirement plan assets to the firm. Along with his executive assistant Cara Kokel, he's moving to LPL from Corebridge Financial, once known as Valic and a branch of AIG.
With this move, Waller is launching his Austin, Texas-based practice, Waller Creek Wealth Management, which is named not after himself, but after Waller Creek, a stream that runs through the University of Texas.
The move marks a significant milestone in Waller's nearly 10-year tenure in the financial services sector, emphasizing his commitment to fostering personalized client relationships and financial literacy.
"I have found that there can be a real fear around addressing personal finances, and my mission is to turn that fear into empowerment through education," he said.
In selecting LPL Financial as the partner for his independent practice, Waller said he was drawn to LPL's extensive support network encompassing over 22,000 financial advisors, and its integrated technological and business solutions.
"I am confident that by partnering with LPL, I will spend less time performing back-office tasks and doing menial paperwork which will allow me to focus on the reason I got into this industry in the first place – my clients," said Waller.
Just Tuesday, LPL welcomed Equity Design Group, a Wisconsin-based advisory firm with $520 million in assets, which had transitioned over from Osaic.
LPL showed seemingly unstoppable momentum in its efforts to sign advisors last year, closing 2023 with $80 billion in total recruited assets – and it's off to a strong start for 2024.
"At LPL, we recognize what it takes to launch and operate a thriving business, and we are committed to investing in streamlined and integrated business solutions designed to help advisors spend more time with their clients and differentiate their practice," said Scott Posner, executive vice president for business development at LPL.
"We look forward to helping Waller Creek Wealth Management create their perfect practice for years to come," Posner said.
Chatter about LPL, a behemoth, buying Commonwealth Financial Network, a boutique, has been building all week.
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