Platinum Wealth Partners plans 2013 as breakout

A new consolidator, Platinum Wealth Partners Inc., plans to open offices in five to six new cities next year with the help of a $1.5 million to $2 million private bond offering. As part of its growth plans, the firm on Wednesday also announced a new equity participation plan for its advisers. The Tampa, Fla.-based firm, quietly started two years ago by managing partner Dave Potter, a former executive in Canada with Raymond James Financial Services Inc. and TD Securities Inc., already has 15 advisers in five offices — two in Tampa and one each in Miami, St. Petersburg, Fla., and Boston. Those offices have served as a “beta test” for his concept of building out wirehouse-like office space for small groups of breakaways who work as independent contractors, Mr. Potter said. “We're typically in the same buildings where wirehouses exist, so all the adviser has to do is move to different floor,” he said. The plan is to open up to six new offices in the first half of 2013, Mr. Potter said. He is considering locations in Orlando and Boca Raton, Fla., Atlanta, Scottsdale, Ariz., California's Orange County and the New York City area. Mr. Potter said he has about 15 more recruits in the pipeline. Platinum offices are designed to accommodate up to six advisers and two support staff members. His firm targets wirehouse reps in the $250,000 to $600,000 production range. Platinum uses Fidelity Institutional Wealth Services as a custodian and LaSalle St. Securities LLC, which clears through Fidelity's National Financial Services LLC, for its securities business. Next month, Platinum plans to raise $1.5 million to $2 million in a private bond offering to finance recruitment packages for new recruits. “We replace [a recruit's] first year cash flow” with a transition loan, Mr. Potter said. The new equity participation plan for recruits and advisers will offer equity equal to 20% of an adviser's annual production at the time they join the firm. The plan has a five-year vesting period. Mr. Potter said he's been purposefully keeping a low profile. “We've been quiet so far because we've been fine-tuning the system,” Mr. Potter said. But next year should be a “breakout” year for Platinum, he added.