FSI has added 2,500 new financial advisor members from NEXT Financial Group, Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc. and The Strategic Financial Alliance.
The financial advisors' first-year membership is offered on a complimentary basis by the firms.
"It's true that we intentionally grew our financial advisor membership this year, but this isn't and never will be a membership numbers game to us," said Keith Kelly, FSI executive vice president and COO. "This is solely about unifying all independent financial advisors, with various business models, to speak with one voice and bring about healthy regulatory reform, strengthen their businesses and protect their clients."
Barry Knight, president of Houston-based NEXT Financial Group Inc., said that by promoting representative level participation through FSI membership, "we believe we are serving our representatives, company and industry. No other organization better stands for the voice of independent representatives than FSI."
Clive Slovin, president and CEO of Atlanta-based SFA, said partnering with FSI, "helps ensure that our unique business model is understood and considered in the ongoing debate about regulatory and legislative reform that impacts our business and advisors clients."
Seth Miller, president of St. Petersburg, Fla.-based Transamerica Financial Advisors Inc., said financial advisory firms and their representatives "need to be informed and engaged on national and state regulatory matters."
The FSI is an advocacy organization for independent financial services firms and independent financial advisors. FSI has 125 financial services firm members and over 34,000 financial advisor members. FSI member firms have upwards of 180,000 financial advisors affiliated with them.