$1B Colorado-based RIA merges with $250M firm

Registered investment advisory firm Sargent Bickham Lagudis, with $1 billion in assets under management, announced Wednesday that it has merged with Colorado Financial Management, a firm that manages $250 million. “What we hope is that we can provide more comprehensive services to our clients and an efficient way that will make our firm better off,” said Rick Lawrence, president and chief executive of Sargent Bickham Lagudis. He noted the merger would help "position us to acquire more business in the future." Through the merger, the two firms will have one team in Loveland that specializes in tactical asset allocation using no transaction fee exchange-traded funds and another team in Boulder that focuses on individual stocks, bonds and actively managed mutual funds. Under the merger, the two firms will continue with the name Colorado Financial Management. The deal was made in an effort to expand Sargent Bickham Lagudis's presence in northern Colorado, with locations in Boulder, Denver and Loveland. Along with Colorado, the firm serves clients in 25 other states. Both firms were founded more than 25 years ago and, combined, will have 27 employees, including nine financial planning professionals and four chartered financial analysts. “This firm was founded on the principles of discipline, duty and hard work and our newest partners share that ethos,” Colorado Financial Management principals Josh Miller and David Eads said in a statement. “We are excited about what this merger means for our clients throughout the state and beyond, and to work with our new partners to take Colorado Financial Management to new heights.” Mr. Miller and Mr. Eads will be named partners in the merged firm.