Sheila Cuffari-Agasi
Vice President
Partner Development
United Planners Financial Services of America, LLPo

 

 

A Structure Built To Survive The Tests Of Time

 

Advisors are tired of being bought, sold and traded like a commodity. After all, the value of a Broker-Dealer is really in their producing advisors, so why don’t advisors have a significant voice when it comes to changes in ownership, especially in the independent channel? Independent Advisors are business owners. You would think they would have more “destiny control” over the ownership of their Broker-Dealer. They often make a decision to affiliate with one firm, and find themselves soon hamstrung and underserved by a completely different corporate partner.

 

United Planners created a very unique structure to prevent this from happening at its inception back in 1987. The founders structured the Partnership with the Limited Partners (Producing Advisors) having a majority ownership of the entity with voting rights on major issues. The firm is un-conflicted about putting the needs of the owner advisors first rather than subordinating their interests to public shareholders, private equity firms, or corporate parents. This ensures United Planners independent longevity and viability.

 

United Planners has high standards for the type of advisor invited to join the firm. It is because of these standards, including the unique structure, rich culture and way customer service is defined, United Planners has really set itself apart from other Independent Broker Dealers.

 

Now let’s talk profits. When the majority of the firm is owned by the Limited Partners, they receive an allocation of the majority of the profits every year. They also control, from an ownership standpoint the majority of the firm. No hostile takeovers here! Advisors can readily “lock elbows” and prevent a sale, even if the General Partner were to encourage it. This unique structure essentially offers that “destiny control” right back to the hands of the advisor and business owner.

 


UNITED PLANNERS (UP) is a Hybrid Friendly Broker Dealer and RIA structured as a Limited Partnership. Qualifying representatives share in the firm’s annual profits and receive top payouts. UP’s rich culture has manifested itself as a direct result of the high quality advisors and key back office personnel united over the last 28 years. Representatives benefit from business solutions created to make the advisor and their staff more efficient.  United Planners encourages the hybrid advisor and offers low cost open architecture options under the Firm RIA, or as an Independent RIA. We service. We care. We share (profits).

Contact Partner Development for more information at 800-966-8737.