Financial advisors Michael Upton, Jeff Draughon and Joey Bollinger, leaders of an Alexandria, La.-based practice named UDB Financial, are celebrating a business decision made two years ago.
Formerly partnered with LPL Financial as an independent affiliate, the trio decided to switch to Ameriprise Financial in 2019 as employees, according to a recent news release.
At the time it switched affiliates, UDB—an anagram of the first initial of each of the partners’ surnames—reported $633 million in client assets under management (AUM). Two years later, the Ameriprise practice has grown its AUM 30% to $833 million.
The decision to join Ameriprise was not a quick or easy one to make. The UDB founders said they conducted extensive due diligence by interviewing many firms before deciding to partner with Ameriprise in 2019. Reflecting on the anniversary of their move, Draughon, Upton and Bollinger attributed their strong growth over the past two years to several factors that Ameriprise brought to the table as a partner.
The UDB team also includes advisors Sam Marino, Brian Flynn, Stan Bollinger, Crissy Shirley, John Lenahan, and Lori Decker, as well as client service associates Heather Parker, Monica Meche, Martha Bankston, Ann Murray, and Kimberly Braddy.
Founded in 1894, Ameriprise Financial, Inc., is a diversified financial services company and bank holding company incorporated in Delaware and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn.