Broker-Dealer Profiles 2019
The Incredible Rise Of IFG Continues: 2018’s Record-Setting Year
A conversation with IFG’s Founders, Scott Heising, Joe Miller and David Fischer
Q: 2018 was a very successful year for your firm. How did you do it?
A: We brought on advisors that share our business philosophy and corporate values and through our successful recruiting efforts, ended the year with nearly $175 million in gross revenues. We know what advisors want and what a broker-dealer needs to do and this is why we now rank among the highest ranking independents. We maintain a very personalized approach to service; carefully attuned to the needs of our advisors based on their individual practices as well as their personal goals. We’ve built a strong reputation based on relationships, one advisor at a time. This is a refreshing model compared to the total loss of independence we’re currently seeing in the industry, so we offer a unique value proposition.
Q: You’ve coined the phrase, “Independence, Perfected”. What does true independence mean to the three of you?
A: It means we do business every day with you, the advisor, in mind coupled with a simple, consistent, common sense approach to business. We remain privately-held when most independents have been sold or consolidated. We foster an environment free from quotas, bias, proprietary products, corporate influence and we keep an open line of communication with our advisors with trust and respect.
Q: You recently won a Wealth Management Magazine Industry Award in the category of “Corporate Social Responsibility and Diversity”. To what do you attribute your win?
A: We were honored to have won this award for our work with the charities we support: the Challenged Athletes Foundation, Mitchell Thorp Foundation, Wayfinder Family Services and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Over the years, IFG has given nearly $1 million to those in need; significantly impacting the valuable programs, research, and services offered by these organizations to support our communities.
Q: IFG has caught up—surpassed in some instances, its competition. How have you accomplished this in such a short amount of time?
A: We recognized the opportunity presented by the general disenchantment that advisors had with the rapidly consolidating independent broker-dealer space. Combined, we have nearly 90 years of experience and know our areas well— Scott—the entrepreneur and finance leader, Joe—the wise compliance and product expert and Dave—the recruiting and marketing genius. We provide a down-to-earth and personalized approach to back office support and make sure our advisor needs always come first. We’ve done this by staying true to the fundamentals and remaining a privatelyheld company. We stick to what we know and have combined our talents to build this powerhouse broker-dealer. We’re not only succeeding financially but we’re making a positive impact on the individuals we work so hard to support. That kind of reward is the most profitable.
IFG’s corporate office supports more than 650 independent registered representatives across the country, with 375 offices now including Puerto Rico. IFG has been named locally by the San Diego Business Journal as one of San Diego’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies for the past several years. Their notable success has been recognized in numerous financial services industry publications. Independent Financial Group has also gained Inc. Magazine’s Honor Roll status for multiple consecutive mentions on their annual Inc.500|5000 list.