Take Your Advisory Firm to the Next Level.
Our team is here to serve as your professional partner on your path to growth. We are your back office support with the tools and resources to help you build revenues, expand your practice, and grow as professional. At Merit, we believe we are Stronger Together.
Why Join Merit?
Merit Financial Advisors is a national wealth management firm with over $8.86 billion* in assets that supports advisors affiliated with independent broker-dealers, as well as those who are registered investment advisors. Our team exists to enrich the lives of those we serve.
Our mission is focused on revolutionizing the client experience by building the RIA of the future. We aim to support clients in exceeding their financial goals and supporting advisors in evolving and expanding their businesses. Our goal is to provide our 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.
Our 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.
Acquisitions
28
Locations
38
AUM
$8.86 Billion*
Advisors
70
*$6.4 billion in advisory, $2.4 billion in brokerage assets, and with $56 million in assets under advisement. As of June 30, 2023.
We Offer 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
What Our Partners Are Saying
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.
Accolades
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.
Our President
Kay Lynn Mayhue discusses how Merit takes a dedicated approach to mapping out the future of the business, by setting an all-day annual planning session, which allows the team to highlight not only what's essential as a company but also to the teams.
Ready to discuss your future?
Schedule a confidential meeting with a member of our Executive Leadership today.
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RIA Channel | 07/28/2023 | Mayhue On Merit Financial Advisors’ Approach To Growth
Kay Lynn Mayhue, President of Merit Financial Advisors, joined Julie Cooling, Founder and CEO of RIA Channel, to discuss Merit’s integrated approach to growth and scale.
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InvestmentNews | 07/06/2023 | Return to office threatens to undermine advances for women
Cracking down on remote work could send stress fractures through women's advancement, pay equity and corporate returns. Kay Lynn Mayhue, President of Merit Financial Advisors, shares how Merit is utilizing remote work.
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Advisor Perspectives | 06/20/2023 | Know the Deal Breakers Before Selling Your Practice
Tait Lane, Regional Director shares four things to consider.
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Merit Financial Advisors | 06/20/2023 | Merit Partners with Financial Analysts to Expand Presence in North Carolina
The firm, based in Raleigh, North Carolina, will expand Merit’s existing presence in the region and increase assets by $100 million.
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CityWire | 06/14/2023 | Former LPL executive joins $8.1bn Merit's board
Andy Kalbaugh is the founder and managing partner of Cassique Strategies.
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InvestmentNews | 06/13/2023 | Women breadwinners less engaged with household finances
It’s important, though, not to assume that any woman client who works will take a step back in planning, cautioned Kay Lynn Mayhue, President of Merit Financial Advisors.
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CityWire RIA | 05/23/2023 | Merit strikes deal with $460m wealth practice
The Atlanta-area firm has purchased Planned Futures, a hybrid practice in Pennsylvania, in its fifth acquisition of 2023.
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FA Magazine | 05/04/2023 | How Much Are Rates And The Stock Market Hurting The Value Of Your Firm?
Kay Lynn Mayhue, President, shares her perspective.
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Merit Financial Advisors | 05/04/2023 | Merit Financial Advisors Partners with WealthPlan, LLC to Expand Presence in Wisconsin
The firm, which is based in De Pere, Wisconsin, will expand Merit’s existing presence in the region and increase acquired assets by $145 million.
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Merit Financial Advisors | 04/20/2023 | Merit Financial Advisors Partners with TFG Wealth Management to Expand Presence in Eastern Pennsylvania
Merit is expanding the firm’s presence in Newtown and Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
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Merit Financial Advisors | 04/18/2023 | Merit Financial Advisors Partners with INVEX Financial, LLC, Expanding Presence in Pacific Northwest
Merit is expanding the firm’s presence in the Pacific Northwest and adding team members to their Issaquah, Washington office.
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WSJ | 04/14/2023 | People Are Investing in Bonds Again—Once They Figure Them Out
Caleb Tucker, CFA Director of Portfolio Strategy, shares his perspective on bonds
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FA Magazine | 04/01/2023 | Merit Financial Advisors: How It Became A Hybrid RIA M&A Powerhouse
CEO & Founder Rick Kent and President Kay Lynn Mayhue, CFP®, AEP®, RFC® spoke with Financial Advisor Magazine to share their insights about Merit's history, growth strategy, and recent acquisitions.
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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.