On the Sage website, Skeels Cygan said that she intentionally kept Sage small and personal, instead of growing it to be as large as Essential, which had five staff members when it was sold. Instead of a large staff, Skeels Cygan used a virtual office and limited the number of new clients to only four or five each year. All her clients are required to have a minimum of $1 million in investable assets, but most have between $1 million and $5 million.
She said in a news release that the Mercer family office business model, with in-house estate planning lawyers, tax return professionals and corporate trustee services, was a great value add and complemented her philosophy of holistic financial planning and wealth management.
“Dave Barton and I agree [that] high-net-worth clients want a one-stop shop, one-phone-call solution in a time-starved society,” she said.
Dave Welling, CEO of Mercer Advisors, said that Skeels Cygan was a great addition to the Mercer team.
“With the successful business she has built, we are now able to partner with her to grow our collective presence throughout New Mexico, a very desirable market,” he said in a news release.
Welling also said Sage would continue to make estate and tax planning guidance an integral component of financial planning.
“This was a great cultural fit with complementary and compatible business models,” he said.
Founded in 1985, Mercer Global Advisors is one of the largest RIA and financial planning firms in the U.S., with over $16.5 billion in client assets.