Beyond the Payout: How Advisors Should Evaluate Transitions for Growth and Resilience
- Jay Coulter, CFP®, CIMA®
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Practical lessons on leadership, technology, and long-term economics every advisor should use when choosing a new partner
Beyond the Payout: How Advisors Should Evaluate Transitions for Growth and Resilience
Making a move is more than a transaction — it’s a strategic business choice that affects clients, family, and the long‑term value of your firm. Too many advisors let headline payouts drive the decision and then call in a panic months later. Rich Landy’s “feel, fit, financials” framework cuts through the noise. It’s a practical way to evaluate opportunity and risk before you sign.
Feel: Meet the People
Culture is a lived experience. Multiple leadership meetings, advisor-to-advisor conversations, and a home‑office visit tell you far more than PowerPoint slides. As Rich put it, advisors almost always return to the feel when they reflect on a transition. If you don’t like the people or leadership philosophy, the rest won’t matter long term.
Fit: Test Technology with Your Team
Don’t let slick demos fool you. Bring your operations and tech staff into demonstrations and test real workflows. Ask who owns AI initiatives and how outputs will change tasks for your team. Technology is only fit when it improves client experience and staff productivity — otherwise it’s just another checkbox.
Financials: Demand a Pro Forma
Headline payouts are easy to sell. Net income to your household is what funds your life. Require a one- to two-page pro forma that breaks down platform fees, licensing, asset management costs, transition notes, and net-to-advisor results. Rich’s advice is simple and firm: “We require a pro forma.” Use it to compare options on a like‑for‑like basis.
Operations: Seek Hands‑On Support
Real growth comes from partners who do more than hand you templates. Look for firms that assign people to help with onboarding, compliance coaching, marketing, and business development. Firms that provide practical, guided execution beat those that send you a PDF every time.
Think Long Term: Build Equity, Not Dependence
If you want to build a business with resale value and control, don’t trade long‑term upside for short‑term checks. Prioritize structures that preserve independence and let you grow EBITDA and enterprise value over time.
Closing Thoughts
If you’re weighing a move, do the hard work now: validate culture, bring your team to tech demos, insist on a pro forma, and require hands‑on operational plans. Those steps don’t just protect you — they set you up to thrive after the transition.
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