Mercer Advisors Logo
Search
Close this search box.

You Work Hard for Your Clients.

Partner with Us and We’ll Work Hard for You.

You put a lot into building your RIA.

So, when it comes to RIA succession planning or reaching the next step of growth, you want to know you’ll get what you’re worth, your staff will thrive, and above all, your clients will be well cared for. Whether you’re thinking about retiring or becoming part of a firm with more resources for growth, talk to Mercer Advisors.

0
Acquisitions to Date

As of December 31, 2023. Figures provided also include the acquisition of Regis Management Company, LLC by Mercer Advisors, Inc. a parent company of Mercer Global Advisors, Inc.

 

Why Come to Mercer Advisors for Your Next Chapter?

Our family office services, like in-house estate planning and tax planning and returns, are big reasons why many owners come to us when considering selling an RIA.

We offer more services and expertise than most RIAs in the industry—including financial planning, estate planning, investment planning, tax planning and preparation, and corporate trustees—all under one roof.

You get a team of in-house investment strategists, CPAs1, estate planning attorneys2, and trust specialists to help manage your clients’ wealth, so you can offer more high-quality services than ever before. In fact, each Mercer Advisors client with more than $1.5 million in assets under our management receives a complimentary estate plan.

From the very beginning, Mercer Advisors has held itself to the highest of standards to always act in our clients’ best interests. We have, and always will, act in a fiduciary capacity.

1. Mercer Advisors charges an additional cost for the optional service of tax strategy and preparing clients’ annual tax returns.
2. Mercer Advisors is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice to clients. All estate planning documentation preparation and other legal advice is provided through its affiliation with Advanced Services Law Group, Inc.

While most wealth management companies choose only one type of valuation method for RIA acquisitions, we use several methods.

That includes multiple of net income, and multiple of revenue. This gives you a 360-degree view of your business and a competitive offer that you can feel confident about when selling an RIA. With dozens of acquisitions under our belts, we understand how to complete deals tailored to the goals of each firm.

Mercer Advisors’ scale helps you do the life planning for yourself that you’ve been doing for your clients. We take the middle- and back-office burden off your plate, allowing you more time to focus on your passions.

If you want to keep advising clients, we’ll enable you to focus 100% on meeting their financial needs. That’s because our teams handle all  activities, such as compliance, IT, accounting, HR, marketing, and legal, so you can do more of what you love, with less administrative burden. If you’d prefer to design a life after ownership, we’ll help you with RIA succession planning, too.

Like most RIAs that join us, you’ll benefit from our growth engines, which means you’ll get more business and enjoy it more fully.

That’s because we’re one of the fastest growing wealth managers in the industry, so you get more opportunities coming through the door. The best part is, you don’t have to spend time on business development, because our dedicated salesforce does it for you. As a national firm we receive referrals from the national exclusive referral programs: Schwab, TD Ameritrade, E*Trade, and Fidelity.

Our goal is to triple the amount of business the RIA’s that join us handled, while allowing them to focus on the part of the business they love. 

We offer professional fulfillment and leadership opportunities for you and your employees, so you’re well taken care of today and tomorrow.

Our size and scale provide clear career paths, with robust training programs and attractive compensation packages. Our advisors have a path to progress up the ladder, from office manager, to regional director, to managing director managing multiple regions across the country. You and your employees can enjoy full careers here at Mercer Advisors.

Our dedicated Integration Team has integrated many RIAs like yours into Mercer Advisors, so you can trust the transition to Mercer Advisors’ systems and practices to happen seamlessly.

Because we’re an integrator, not an aggregator, we don’t just buy organizations without blending the client experience. We think of ourselves as the ”Mayo Clinic” of wealth management. We develop best practices in each role, department, branch, and region, then bring them to everyone at all levels and locations. This enables our financial planners, accountants, lawyers, and other professionals in all our offices to offer your clients the same high-level experience of doing business on a personal level.

Our digital client onboarding process creates an easy and seamless transition from first contact through digital processing, with convenient features such as DocuSign digital document signing, streamlined account opening paperwork, and account registration.

It’s all supported by our robust technology systems, including:

  • Salesforce, featuring an Executive Dashboard that aggregates data to give you a full view of the business
  • eMoney financial planning software and its single-sign-on client portal, which have the same interface to ensure ease of use for you and your clients
  • Envestnet, the well-known turnkey asset management platform (TAMP)

All of these systems are overseen by our dedicated IT department.

With Mercer Advisors, you can rest assured that your clients will get high-quality advisory assistance with a unified customer experience that makes it easy for them, and for you, to do business.

David Barton

Vice Chairman, Mergers & Acquisitions Leader

David Barton

David Barton

Vice Chairman, Mergers & Acquisitions Leader

JD

David has held many senior leadership positions at Mercer Advisors including CEO for 9 years (2008-2017), President, Chief Operating Officer, and General Counsel.

David was the architect of Mercer Advisors’ Family Office business model, created its high quality / institutionalized service model, developed referral partnerships with TD Ameritrade, Schwab, Scottrade, etc., making Mercer Advisors one of the fastest organic growing RIAs in the United States.

David stepped down as CEO in late 2017 to focus on and lead M&A for Mercer Advisors. Since then, Mercer Advisors has become a leading acquirer.

Formerly a trial attorney, he earned his undergraduate degree at the University of California, Irvine, and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

*Disclosure

Wealthmanagement.com M&A Leader of the Year 2018, An individual executive leader (not limited to CEOs) of an independent Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm who has successfully led the growth of their firm through inorganic strategies such as mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures this past year. Criteria include demonstrable impact on their firm; financial gains; negotiating success, operational excellence in integrating merged/acquired firms; external benchmarks such as number of deals completed, total AUM acquired/merged, business value created, etc.

Private Asset Management Best M&A Deal of the Year 2020: Candidates are invited to submit responses in several categories to demonstrate developments to their business model, financial progress in business performance and service offerings. Selection is determined by growth in clients and employees, client satisfaction, and product Innovation over the course of the previous year. Winners are determined by an independent panel of industry experts and the PAM editorial team. Mercer Advisors purchased a table at the 2021 awards ceremony. For more information on Private Asset Management (PAM), visit fundintelligence.global.

Neither rankings and/or recognitions by unaffiliated rating services, publications, media, or other organizations, should be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if Mercer Advisors is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. Rankings published by magazines, and others, generally base their selections exclusively on information prepared and/or submitted by the recognized adviser. Rankings are generally limited to participating advisers (see participation criteria/methodology). Unless expressly indicated to the contrary, Mercer Advisors did not pay a fee to be included on any such ranking. No ranking or recognition should be construed as a current or past endorsement of Mercer Advisors by any of its clients.

Randy Magdaluyo

Vice President, M&A Program Management

Randy Magdaluyo

Randy Magdaluyo

Vice President, M&A Program Management

Randy joined Mercer Advisors in 2019 as a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Team. Previously, he served as a resource for RIA owners on M&A and succession at TD Ameritrade Institutional. Randy’s other past roles include Manager in the Capital Markets Group at Accenture and Vice President at Fidelity Investments serving independent RIAs. He also served as a Vice President at State Street, helping conduct due diligence and integrate global investment managers with $25 billion to €300 billion under management in the US and Europe.

Randy began his career in the investment management industry in 1999. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from San Diego State University and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Joe Pellizzari

Vice President, M&A Partner Development

Joe Pellizzari

Joe Pellizzari

Vice President, M&A Partner Development

Joe has worked exclusively with RIAs for over two decades. He has extensive industry experience in helping firms with a variety of practice management topics, including strategic planning, business succession, implementing growth strategies, and deploying technology solutions.

Prior to joining Mercer Advisors, Joe worked within the Advisor Services business enterprise of Charles Schwab. He was responsible for providing leadership, sales management, and coaching to a team of Senior Relationship Managers that covered the top firms in the Southeast territory, which included over $250 billion in assets. His territory exceeded its growth goals by more than 140% during Joe’s tenure. He began his career helping RIAs to implement software solutions to drive firm productivity and profitability.

Joe earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from North Carolina State University and completed the Personal Financial Planning Accelerated Program through the University of California at Irvine. In addition, Joe has obtained the CFP® certification.

In his spare time, Joe enjoys biking, swimming, and traveling with his wife and two children.

Andy Burgess

Vice President, M&A Partner Development

Andy Burgess

Andy Burgess

Vice President, M&A Partner Development

Andy has been serving financial advisors for 25 years. He has extensive experience helping financial advisors with technology solutions and various practice management topics. Andy understands the landscape of different business models, industry partners, and the myriad paths advisor businesses may take. He seeks to guide the choices presented to advisors as they consider, plan, and execute strategies for their clients, employees, and personal successes.

Prior to joining Mercer Advisors, Andy served in a business development role at NewEdge Advisors, where he supported advisors in transition decisions. He previously worked in similar business development and consulting roles at Fidelity Institutional, SS&C Black Diamond, and Schwab Performance Technologies, among others.

Andy holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh.

Greg Mayes

Vice President, M&A Partner Development

Greg Mayes

Greg Mayes

Vice President, M&A Partner Development

Greg has worked in the financial advisor space for 30 years. He has extensive experience helping RIAs and other financial advisors with a variety of business management challenges, including, business succession, implementing growth strategies, and technology solutions.

Prior to joining Mercer Advisors, Greg worked within LPL Financial in Strategic Business Development as a specialist who helped advisors transition to independence. He previously spent 25 years at TD Ameritrade Institutional and Schwab Advisor Services consulting with advisors about their businesses. He started his career as a financial advisor at Shearson Lehman Brothers.

Greg earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Oregon.

In his spare time, Greg enjoys golf, skiing and traveling with his wife and two daughters.

Jay Robinson

Vice President, M&A Partner Development

Jay Robinson

Jay Robinson

Vice President, M&A Partner Development

Jay has worked in the financial services industry for more than 30 years, with 20 years dedicated to the RIA industry. Jay has extensive experience helping RIAs of all sizes create stronger businesses to better serve their clients and teams. Prior to Mercer Advisors, Jay worked in the Advisor Services business of Charles Schwab. He was responsible for providing leadership, sales management, and coaching to a team of Relationship Managers who covered the Midwest territory, which included more than $325 billion in assets. Previously, Jay led regional sales teams at broker-dealers and began his career as a financial planner at Ameriprise.

Jay holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Start the conversation.