Over the last five years, IFP's advisory asset base has grown from less than 50 percent of the total to about 80 percent. Hamm believes that breakdown could continue to rise to 95 percent, but he won't convert into an RIA-only platform because some advisors will always want to access brokerage services for various purposes.
IFP's decision to create a new B-D flies in the face of industry trends. Since the current bull market began in 2009, more than 1,000 B-Ds have ceased to exist; either they have been absorbed by mergers or simply closed their doors.