A brother-sister team from Florida has joined LPL Financial’s broker-dealer and corporate registered investment advisor custodial platforms, according to a release from LPL.
Ed Bell III and Gretchen Collins of Cornerstone Financial Planning join from Securities Service Network, part of Advisor Group. They served about $160 million in brokerage and advisory assets. They join from Securities Service Network, part of Advisor Group.
Bell launched the Fort Myers, Fla., company with his late father in 2001, the release said, while Collins went the wirehouse route to establish her business before choosing to go independent. She joined Cornerstone Financial Planning in 2017. The firm provides full service financial planning with an emphasis on tax efficiencies to a client base that consists mostly of high-net-worth retirees.
Bell said their clients will benefit from greater transparency and more choice with LPL offering improvements in platform costs, cash management and expanded mutual fund and stock research capabilities. “With LPL’s self-clearing capabilities, trading and operations are in a single location so we’re able to eliminate third parties, further reducing costs,” he said in a statement.
Rich Steinmeier, LPL Financial managing director and divisional president, business development, said, LPL is inspired by Cornerstone’s family legacy of serving clients through trusted financial advice and guidance. “Our goal is to make it easier for firms like Cornerstone to operate efficiently, cost-effectively and with the best capabilities and resources that enable them to enhance their value with client.”