Merit Financial Advisors is a national wealth management firm with over $8.0 billion* in assets that support advisors affiliated with independent broker-dealers, as well as those who are registered investment advisors.
Merit’s mission is focused on growth - both supporting clients in exceeding their financial goals and supporting advisors in evolving and expanding their businesses. Merit provides its advisors and offices with practice management resources, a technology platform, operational support, and investment experience to help drive growth and deliver a more positive client experience.
Merit's vision is to build a growth-focused enterprise for our team that offers best-in-class investing and planning solutions for our clients now, and for generations to come.
Merit serves as a true partner for advisors. If you are looking to take your firm to the next level, Merit can help.
To learn more, schedule a confidential meeting with a member of our executive leadership team.
*Of which $5.7 billion in advisory, $2.0 billion in brokerage assets and with $222 million in assets under advisement. As of January 31, 2023.
About Our Founder
Rick Kent discusses how Merit is helping to drive the growing interest among financial advisors to evolve their businesses, making the move to an independent business model, and a growing trend of consolidation among those firms. Watch the video to learn more.
About Our President
Read the top 3 things Kay Lynn discusses how to make clients feel comfortable and at ease when going through an M&A event. Click here to read the three significant themes concerning the impacts M&A activity can have on clients.
About Merit
The Merit team serves as a professional partner on your path to growth. Merit works with advisors equipping them with the tools and resources needed to build revenues, expand your practice and grow as a professional.
Our firm is led by seasoned advisors who have a deep understanding of the needs and goals of successful financial practitioners. Our team includes experienced professionals across disciplines, including in-house investment management and strategy, comprehensive financial planning and life transition support, wealth management insights, operations, and human resources support. Our partners have achieved exponential growth in their practices as they leverage our industry experience, and resources.
Merit fosters a relationship-based culture that is built on integrity and respect – among our colleagues, with clients, and within our community. Our mission is anchored by several key principles, including humility, flexibility, and objective and goals-based advice.
- Merit is committed to elevating and supporting diverse voices, experience, and expertise across the firm. As an example, over fifty-three percent of Merit’s staff is female and the firm has completed 4 acquisitions of female-founded firms since 2017.
- Merit upholds a team-based approach that facilitates leadership and collaboration across the group for the collective benefit of the team and our clients.
- Merit is focused on empowering growth and advancement among our advisors. We believe we are
Stronger Together.
At Merit, We Provide Full Service Support
We work with you and your team to make sure your transition is seamless. We take many carefully crafted steps to prepare, plan and execute the transition to make it as smooth as possible for you and your clients. Our process includes:
- Discovery: we take time to understand your staff and your culture
- Assessment: we review your book of client base and business practices
- Planning: we work with you to identify opportunities and challenges, as well as assign roles and responsibilities based on those.
- Implementation: we plan and execute complete support through client communication, consent, and repapering processes
- Go Live: we provide and oversee employee training, system conversion, and portfolio management implementation
To learn more about becoming a member of the Merit team or if you are interested in taking your company to the next level, contact us today!
Merit In The News
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Investor's Business Daily | 02/06/2023 | When Clients Want To Raid Their Emergency Cash, Advisors Weigh In
Tait Lane, Regional Director at Merit Financial Advisors, discusses the importance of discussing emergency savings with clients.
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Investor's Business Daily | 01/10/2023 | How Merit is Building Out Its Tax Offering
The $8bn RIA once aspired to buy a licensed CPA firm but has shifted to a strategy of sharing revenue with separately owned tax accountants.
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Merit Financial Advisors | 01/06/2023 | Merit Financial Advisors Partners with Financial Design Group to Expand Presence in Pacific Northwest
Financial Design Group, Inc., based in Des Moines, WA, expands Merit’s presence in the Pacific Northwest.
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Merit Financial Advisors | 11/16/2022 | Merit Financial Advisors Partners with Allegiance Retirement Solutions, Adding Fifth Georgia Office
Allegiance, based in Lawrenceville, GA, expands Merit’s presence in the state becoming Merit’s fifth Georgia location.
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FA Magazine | 11/14/2022 | 5 Ways To Set Your Business Up For Success In 2023 And Beyond
Kay Lynn Mayhue shares five ways to set your business up for success in the new year.
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Merit Financial Advisors | 11/1/2022 | Investment Adviser Representative David Elder Sr. Joins Merit Financial Advisors
David will join Merit as a Wealth Manager, and Merit will work with David to provide back-office support and an expanded service offering.
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FA Magazine | 10/21/2022 | NFL Hall Of Famer Steve Young Tells Advisors To Focus On Staff Culture
Young’s firm made a minority investment in Atlanta-based Merit Financial Group in 2020.
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InvestmentNews | 10/19/2022 | Why Advisers Should Go All In on Niche Markets
Rick Kent weighs in on how such a move can be the rocket fuel to grow a meaningful practice with long-term growth potential and a recession-proof business model.
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CityWire | 10/04/2022 | Merit buys $683m Seattle-area RIA
The acquisition of Triad Financial Strategies, based in suburban Seattle, closed on Friday.
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FA Magazine | 09/01/2022 | Merit Financial Acquires Two Conn. Firms With $277M In AUM
Merit Financial Advisors today announced that it has expanded its presence in Connecticut with the acquisition of two teams with a combined total of $277 million in client assets.
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WealthManagement.com | 08/25/2022 | Merit Gains New DC Division With Mersberger Deal
The acquisition adds $830 million in AUM and a new retirement plan division with $489 million in AUA.
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Inc 5000 | 08/16/2022 | Merit recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America
For the third year in a row, Merit Financial Advisors is on the Inc 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
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WealthManagement.com | 06/08/2022 | Top RIA's Discuss Pathways to Leadership and Growth
Merit president, Kay Lynn Mayhue, and other RIA leaders discuss the challenges and opportunities of running an advisory firm at the RIA EDGE conference.
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Merit Financial Advisors | 06/01/2022 | Merit Adds Fourth Office in Georgia with Acquisition of Dasher & Padgett Financial Advisors, Inc.
The firm, which has an office in Albany, Georgia, expands Merit’s presence in the region with its fourth Georgia location. The acquisition increases Merit’s assets by $118 million.
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Investment News | 05/09/2022 | Merit Financial Advisors’ Latest Deal Establishes Presence in Oklahoma
The acquisition of $370 million Union Financial Advisors, based in Tulsa, marks Merit's sixth deal since taking private equity capital two years ago.
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CityWireUSA.com | 04/06/2022 | Merit Scores $380m Double Acquisition in Colorado
Merit has acquired Tedstrom Wealth Advisors and I.M. Wealth Care, both in the Denver metro area.
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FA-Mag.com | 03/17/2022 | Kay Lynn Mayhue on Ways to Attract More Women to Your Practice
Merit President, Kay Lynn Mayhue, shares practical and profitable ways to attract more women to your financial advising practice.
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WealthManagement.com | 03/04/2022 | Kay Lynn Mayhue on Plotting and Aggressive Growth Trajectory
Merit president, Kay Lynn Mayhue, discusses Merit's aggressive growth and the firm's multimillion-dollar investment in technology.
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Investment News | 02/25/2022 | Rick Kent Gives 5 Essentials to Secure the Best Valuation for Your Firm
Merit Founder & CEO, Rick Kent, gives five essentials that every seller should institute to secure the best valuation of their firm
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Investment News | 02/07/2022 | Merit has been named a Best Places to Work For Financial Advisors for the fifth year in a row
For the fifth consecutive year, Merit has been recognized by InvestmentsNews as one of the best places to work for financial advisors
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Investment News | 01/13/2022 | Advisory Firms Managing $557 Million Merge Into Merit Financial
Merit has acquired Biltmore Capital Advisors and its affiliated form Stone Creek Capital Management, expanding its presence into New Jersey and South Florida.
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RIA Edge | 01/12/2022 | Merit's Kay Lynn Mayhue on Building A National Wealth Management Firm
Merit president, Kay Lynn Mayhue, provides a look at the firm's recent acquisitions and future growth strategy.
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City Wire USA | 01/10/2022 | Merit Pulls Off $2bn Double Deal as it Eyes Big 2022 Growth
Merit Financial Advisors completes merger with Biltmore Capital Advisors and Stone Creek Capital Management, enhancing presence in South Florida and New Jersey.
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Advisor Perspectives | 01/04/2022 | Ten Tips to Make Your Business Resolutions a Reality
Rick Kent, CEO and Founder, offers insights into successfully making your new year's resolutions a reality.
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Acquisition |12/16/2021 | Merit Financial Advisors Acquires Brian Fisher, an independent Texas-based advisor
Brian Fisher joins Merit as a wealth advisor and expands the firm’s footprint in Texas.