Integrated Partners, a Waltham, Mass.-based hybrid RIA, is helping launch a wealth management division for the accounting firm of Wright, Ford, Young & Co., (WFY) which is based in Orange County, Calif.
Integrated will provide two advisors who will form WFY Wealth Management within the accounting firm, the companies said. They will meet with WFY’s existing high-net worth and ultra-high-net worth clients to provide financial advice to go along with the tax advice the clients are already receiving.
“We wanted to create something where the talent was all under one roof and could deliver excellence to that client with a single meeting,” said Jeff Myers, managing partner at WFY. “With having our own practice, it allows us to deliver a better narrative to our clients.”
The advisors will have access to several support teams at Integrated’s San Diego office, including case design teams, investment planning, family office, compliance, and marketing, according to John Pastore, senior vice president of the professional partners program at Integrated.
“They utilize all of our systems that we’ve used for over 20 years, and they pick what they like, and we tailor it to them,” he said. “The key with support is we always want WFY to feel like they can introduce our advisors to any client no matter how complex.”
Leading the new division will be Brad Tedrick, who will become wealth manager at WFY Wealth Management. He has expertise in retirement income planning, investment management, business owner growth, and exit planning, the firms said.
WFY elected to create its own wealth division in response to requests from its clients, who want additional services beyond accounting, the company said.
“As a natural extension of our strategic tax services and our forward-thinking estate planning services, we have been asked by our clients to bring this service into the firm so they can have everything under one roof,” Myers said.
For Integrated, which traditionally brokers strategic partnerships between accounting firms and RIAs, it was the second time it has helped create a wealth management division from scratch. Last year it did so at another Californian-based accounting firm, Windes.