JOIN LPL TODAY RIA Solutions Integrated custody, clearing and broker/dealer services
RIA Solutions As a Registered Investment Advisor, you enjoy the freedom and rewards that come with successful business ownership. At LPL Financial, we re committed to helping you take your success to the next level. We understand the importance of choice and flexibility in fostering successful partnerships. Our experience, scale and commitment to service enable us to deliver the support and resources you require to operate a highly efficient and potentially profitable practice. These are among the reasons today s successful RIAs look to LPL Financial as their single source for comprehensive advisor solutions in an increasingly complex business environment. Build the business that s right for you and your clients 2
Value of experience When it comes to choosing the right solutions for your RIA, experience is everything. Growing your successful Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) practice today is no easy task. In fact, it s become increasingly complex as the regulatory environment continues to grow more challenging, technology changes rapidly and clients demand more and more of your time. These are among many factors driving the need for greater efficiency and increased productivity as you strive to meet your profitability goals. Operating a fully compliant practice can be expensive and time consuming. That s the reason so many RIAs choose LPL Financial s extensive custody platform and services for their growing business. With access to the right resources and support for your business, you can efficiently mitigate regulatory risks, creating more time to devote to clients and business development as you confidently take your practice to the next level. To accomplish this, you need a partner who is as devoted to your business as you are. For decades, our singular goal at LPL Financial has been serving the needs of advisors. As a result, we don t struggle with the channel conflicts that have proved highly distracting for many custodial service agents that can adversely impact your business. Because we do not have any retail branches or proprietary products and do not engage in investment banking, we are able to serve your needs in a highly focused and attentive manner. We remain steadfast in our commitment to building a custodial platform that supports your business, and in turn, allows you to better serve clients and grow your business. Because we do not have any retail branches or proprietary products and do not engage in investment banking, we are able to serve your needs in a highly focused and attentive manner. www.joinlpl.com 3
LPL Financial RIA Solutions Strength, stability and scale is only the beginning LPL Financial enables you to align your interests with those of your clients, providing the freedom, flexibility and scalability you require to grow your business in the direction you choose. Our universal platform is designed to accommodate any business model fee-based, commission-based or a combination of the two to make it easy and profitable to build your practice your way. An integrated platform for your practice The resources and infrastructure to help you grow The flexibility to evolve with your business Conflict-free support model Self-Clearing RIA Custodian LPL Financial Independent Broker/Dealer Our fully integrated RIA platform results in a seamless experience for you and your clients. We ve revolutionized the way independent advisors conduct business, providing greater choice than ever before. RIA Service360 Dedicated Service Teams focus solely on RIAs Compliance Tools to simplify and organize compliance responsibilities Technology Fully integrated technology is delivered seamlessly through our BranchNet system, always available when and where you need it Trading Trade processing and advanced trading tools save time while lowering expenses Wealth Management Broad choice among asset management programs provides flexibility in meeting a broader range of sophisticated client needs Business Consulting Business consulting teams support a wide array of business development needs Marketing Professional marketing services and a robust marketing support infrastructure featuring custom and turnkey programs Research Industry-leading, independent research provides actionable, objective investment advice and client support materials Training A wide variety of training and continuing education programs are available to you and your staff, including online programs accessed 24/7 The LPL Financial universal custody platform provides the flexibility to evolve with your business. 4
Dedicated RIA Support and Technology Service360 Service360 is the powerful, team-based solution that is raising the bar for service across the industry. We focus on the factors that matter most to advisors accuracy, consistency, timeliness personally delivered in the manner you prefer from a single point of contact. At LPL Financial, you are supported by a team of service professionals who focus exclusively on the dynamics and demands of RIA practices. Discover one of the most experienced teams in the business Because financial advisors are the center of our business, we ve structured our entire organization around meeting your needs. Dedicated team for your practice Focused exclusively on RIAs and Hybrid RIAs Specialists in transition, operations and advisor support You can directly contact your Service360 team which is comprised of knowledgeable representatives in various support areas, including advisory, brokerage, retirement, direct business, compliance, order fulfillment and research, and technical support. The RIA Service360 teams have an average of eight years of industry experience. Their industry knowledge helps them address issues and answer questions quickly and accurately, allowing you to serve your clients more effectively. www.joinlpl.com 5
Coordination of all your compliance needs Support from startup to ongoing management Registration & amendment assistance Best Practices white papers Access to templates & model documents Record keeping systems & monthly compliance workbooks Comprehensive self-inspection & testing modules Compliance Consultant Firm Relationships Compliance consulting your business partner We offer a robust platform of compliance technology and services, but the most unique aspect of our compliance team may be its supportive, collaborative approach. Our compliance team serves as a true business partner to advisors, working closely with you to provide guidance. Our goal is simple: By easing the often time-consuming burden that compliance presents, we enable advisors to concentrate on running and growing their practices. Streamlining compliance responsibilities LPL Financial can help simplify and organize compliance responsibilities for your practice. We make available systems and tools that help RIA and Hybrid RIA firms fulfill their compliance and regulatory obligations. Those systems and tools include: * Automated surveillance system with electronic notifications Execution quality scorecard Email surveillance tool and email retention Trade confirmations BranchNet idoc Personal securities transactions reporting Review for front running Quarterly performance reports Robust data back-up and recovery Extensive product due diligence Due diligence of Manager Access Select portfolio managers * Some compliance services listed may not be available to RIA-only advisors. 6
Increase efficiency as you streamline day-to-day operations The LPL Financial RIA platform integrates superior applications to simplify trading, portfolio review and management, compliance, billing and reporting. You can conduct the vast majority of your daily business activities online through our fully integrated web portal, BranchNet. Accessible 24/7 with a single sign-on, the system is an integral part of your business operations and provides straight-through processing of trade requests, execution of mutual fund, equity, fixed income, option, annuity and direct business transactions. You will receive documentation, tax reporting and trade confirmations through BranchNet, as well. Our system s streamlined account opening and maintenance programs simplify your administrative tasks, while comprehensive account search tools allow you to instantly retrieve information about holdings, transactions and client history. Its built-in account management software enables you to keep track of client account and personal information and provides you and staff members more time to focus on client acquisition and retention. Fully integrated suite of technology programs and tools provides a single source for all your needs 24/7 access ensures information and systems are available when you need them Instant access to account information and tools Automated fee calculation and billing Simplified administrative tasks reduces the need for additional staff and cumbersome paperwork Continual monitoring and enhanced security and reliability of the BranchNet system eliminates concerns about the security of company information and client data Resources for success As your business evolves, so do your needs. With Fortigent, LPL Financial advisors enjoy a robust platform of research, reporting, and alternative investment solutions created for the RIA and ultrahighnet-worth space. The scale and experience of LPL Financial, combined with the elite platform that Fortigent has established for the RIA and ultra-high-networth space, creates an offering for advisors unmatched in the marketplace. Spend less time managing business and more time focusing on clients. www.joinlpl.com 7
esignature: Sign, Send, Store, Secure. esignature and document submission, powered by DocuSign, provides you and your clients with a secure way to sign and submit documents electronically - at no cost - on the most commonly used operational forms at LPL Financial. RIAs can also add up to four custom firm forms that require a signature to esignature. Seamlessly integrated within BranchNet, this functionality is accessible via desktop or any mobile device, making working on the go easier. Forms completed using esignature are automatically submitted to LPL Financial and imaged into BranchNet, eliminating the need to print, fax or mail. In addition to a reduction in paper, esignature and document submission provides increased efficiency and an enhanced signing experience for you and your clients. BranchNet idoc Reclaim valuable office space and free up your staff, while meeting regulatory requirements for document storage. BranchNet idoc acts as an online vault a place where you can store account documents electronically and securely. Your faxes are automatically scanned and entered into the system. All the documents you store in BranchNet idoc meet SEC rule 17a-4(f) for electronic file retention, so you can safely remove the originals from your office. Your files are stored online and available 24/7. Enhance your business continuity plan by ensuring that critical documents are safe and readily accessible Enable multiple people to use a document at the same time Simplify satellite offices by storing documents electronically from your client files Portfolio Review Tool The Portfolio Review Tool from LPL Financial creates efficiencies in evaluating holdings for clients and prospects. Quickly organizes your clients account information Automatically populates report fields with LPL Financial and outside holdings Portfolio Manager Portfolio Manager enables you to streamline account management and create consolidated, client-approved performance reports. This tool provides a venue to analyze your clients holdings and, potentially, grow your assets under management. Organize your client database to show the aggregate value of all accounts within a household Provide added value to your clients with the ability to include unofficial accounts and nontracked securities 8
Salesforce CRM Salesforce CRM provides you with tools to help you significantly improve your client management and office efficiency, while maximizing profitability. Through the partnership of salesforce.com and LPL Financial, you have access to an industry-leading customer relationship management (CRM) solution. Provides a complete, 360-degree view of clients and prospects that combines a robust client profile built for advisors with best-in-class activity management capabilities. Seamless integration between BranchNet and Salesforce CRM enables you to see important financial information in a single application and in context with relationship and activity information. Streamlined practice management techniques via Salesforce CRM Workflow Salesforce CRM s built-in workflow engine enables you to streamline important activities, such as client reviews, based on client segmentation and automated reminders making it easy to systematize important business processes. Relationship groups and households view gives you the ability to create an aggregate view of households on a single screen so you can see the activity of an individual, family or group, along with supporting roles, such as accountants or attorneys. Enhanced Trading and Rebalancing The fast pace of business demands trading and rebalancing solutions built for speed and accuracy. That is exactly what you have with Enhanced Trading and Rebalancing an integrated single-platform solution for your advisory business. RIAs benefit by the integration between trading and rebalancing platforms as they can seamlessly move from model management through trading all in one platform. Enhanced Trading and Rebalancing will help give you more control and accuracy giving you hours back in your week. Advisor team collaboration allows collaboration with specialists and other advisors to provide superior client service. Salesforce CRM provides the tools necessary for advisors to effectively work together. You can access team calendars, task assignments and shared document libraries, which can be integrated with Outlook or Lotus Notes, and are available on your mobile devices. Easy analytics with more than 100 Reports and Dashboards provide you with insight into key performance measures and activities. These reports and dashboards are easily customized or can be created from scratch to fit the unique needs of your practice. LPL Financial solves our challenges... and frees us to focus on making smart investment decisions for our clients. - Ben Marks, Marks Group Wealth Management www.joinlpl.com 9
Account View Account View is a web-based program that gives your clients 24/7 access to their account information free of charge. By providing clients with this service, you can reduce call volume in your office and better identify potential opportunities within your book of business. With Account View, your clients can view the current market value of brokerage, advisory and direct business accounts online. They can also access account or portfolio information by balance type, asset type or asset class. Increase traffic to your website and become your clients primary resource for investment information Provide a valuable tool to your clients, free of charge Give your clients access to their account information 24/7 Reduce call volume to your office Identify potential opportunities within your book of business 10
BranchNet Resource Center The BranchNet Resource Center serves as a hub for other web-based advisor tools and programs. Through this site, you and your staff can access departmentspecific information, as well as exclusive LPL Financial research. It also acts as a central repository for all LPL Financial forms, policies, procedures, documents and FAQs. Superior business processing and client management tools Numerous resources for advice presentations and client communications A wide breadth of research services Direct access to knowledgeable and experienced functional experts Customizable marketing programs to drive business growth Best practices business process training and continuing education Annuity Order Entry Tool An electronic solution is vital to lessen the impact of variable annuity processing regulations on your office, while maintaining the open architecture of annuity carriers and the volume of annuity business that you have today. Streamlines processing to greatly reduce not-in-good order submissions Eliminates the extra steps to complete compliance requirements Reduces paper applications and client signatures Additionally, the following fee-based variable annuities (FBVAs), which provide access to lower-cost variable annuities, are available in Strategic Wealth Management (SWM) accounts: Allianz Retirement Pro AXA Equitable Structured Capital Strategies Series ADV Lincoln Choice Plus Assurance; American Legacy Discover the difference LPL Financial RIA Solutions can make on your practice. www.joinlpl.com 11
The highest level of service and training Succession Planning LPL Financial provides independent advisors with access to an experienced group of succession planning specialists trained to help advisors proactively build and evaluate practice value and develop effective business continuity and succession planning strategies. The LPL Financial Succession Planning Group can help you: Implement an effective plan to ensure the continuity of your business, mitigating any disruption of service to your clients Provide assistance in implementing a strategy to help you sell your practice Assist you in growing your practice through the strategic acquisition of other practices Business Consulting Support Access to professional business consulting services can play a vital role in helping you meet your business goals in a competitive marketplace. Yet finding professional consultants who really know and understand your business can be costly. Fortunately, practice management solutions have long been hallmarks of an LPL Financial relationship. Our sophisticated and tailored programs and support provide RIAs resources that support business growth efforts. Professional business analysis and consulting services can play a vital role in helping you meet your business goals in a competitive marketplace. We strive to develop a thorough understanding of your business goals, and then we act as your advocate to help you achieve those goals. Our experienced business consultants, and marketing experts work together to provide you with the support you need to run a successful business. This team helps you navigate the many tools and resources available to help you maximize profitability, better understand the financial aspects of your business and prepare for the future. Comprehensive practice management tools, programs and solutions Extensive online and on-site training in your office; continuing education and networking programs and events Advisor recruiting program Real estate, staffing and office management consulting Succession planning Professional business analysis and consulting services can play a vital role in helping you meet your business goals in a competitive marketplace. 12
Exclusive Marketing Resources At LPL Financial, we recognize that it takes a strong breadth of resources to support your unique practice. We have built a robust marketing support infrastructure for our advisors, featuring custom and turnkey programs and materials, multimedia campaigns, on-demand client newsletters and prepackaged seminars, among others. Access to customized branding, marketing, website and PR services Innovative client acquisition and marketing programs Print-on-demand capabilities for turnkey marketing programs Client facing research publications and educational materials We offer a broad range of marketing tools to help you attract and retain clients while building a more potentially profitable practice. Our Marketing Gateway provides a suite of tools in one easy-to-use website, including: AdvisorFirst Proven practice management tools and business development resources to help you grow and sustain your book of business. ClientsFirst Comprehensive acquisition and retention resources including marketing plan development, staff training, communication strategies and compliance-approved materials. SocialMedia Strategic techniques and materials to help you more effectively harness social networking to improve your current marketing efforts and connect with clients and prospects via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. WomenInvest A marketing and practice management program that helps advisors understand women s attitudes toward money and investing at four major life stages: in relationships, in transition, in business and in retirement. Brand and Marketing Consultation Services Professionally designed marketing materials that effectively convey your value proposition can enhance your image and increase your recognition in your local market. LPL Financial offers a cost-effective approach to branding and marketing your practice through our customized marketing consultations. The LPL Financial Marketing Consultation Team partners with you to create a robust package of marketing collateral and determine strategies to best market your practice. www.joinlpl.com 13
Discover how Admin U creates efficiencies that drive productivity and profitability across core areas of your business: Managing your business Client Service Build and maintain client loyalty by employing expertise, credibility and effective partnering. Office Management Coordinate activities, prioritize tasks and develop self and/or staff to ensure smooth and efficient operation of work. Technology Automate business processes to improve efficiency by maximizing the use of software and online tools and resources. Growing your business Sales and Marketing Use effective marketing, persuasion and sales strategies to generate interest and enhance demand for service. Training Resources Technology Training LPL Financial offers the support you need to use today s technology to its fullest advantage in creating a more productive, efficient and profitable practice. For new advisors and staff, we offer Advisor & Office Staff Fundamentals, an interactive, virtual training session that explores the core areas of BranchNet. During this live, online workshop, you will participate in hands-on exercises, polls, Q&A, hands-on training and interacting with other participants. Staff Development and Continuing Education We also offer ongoing training for you and your staff at your convenience through the LPL Financial Learning Center, an innovative learning management system designed to deliver and track learning opportunities. This tool is available to LPL Financial advisors and their staff. From customized learning plans to detailed training reports, the Learning Center is your hub for 24/7 training. More than 40 self-paced elearning modules are available. Our wide selection allows you to focus on those areas of value to your practice on your schedule. Admin U Creating a Admin U is a strategic education curriculum designed for deeper training of your staff to enhance practice effectiveness. It is designed for new or junior advisors, or licensed and unlicensed sales assistants (for RIA Hybrid offices), administrative assistants, office managers, operations managers and office support staff. Offering three distinct degree levels: Specialist, Associate and Bachelor s each degree program consists of a series of elearning modules. Admin U participants can take as much time as they want to complete each program. At the completion of each education level, the participant is awarded a certificate and the opportunity to graduate to the next proficiency level. 14
The power of one platform Integration Technology Compliance * Fully integrated between RIA and brokerage business (indifferent to business mix) Automated fee and/or commission billing E&O, email retention, automated surveillance system, document imaging Single technology interface (BranchNet) Salesforce, Portfolio Manager, WealthVision SM, Portfolio Review Tool, ASI, Folio Dynamix Dedicated LPL Financial RIA Compliance Team Single back office, single service group (Service360) No competing business lines Automated performance reporting for Advisory Accounts (no third-party software, no data scrubbing) RIA setup support, consultant relationships, best practices * Some compliance services listed above may not be available to RIA-only advisors. Why LPL Financial? Our fully integrated platform provides a seamless experience for you and your clients, accommodating any business model you choose the traditional broker/ dealer model, the RIA model, or a combination of the two the hybrid model. When combined with the industry-leading expertise, tools and strengths LPL Financial is known for, it is a proven formula that can translate into a more potentially profitable and efficient practice. The LPL Financial RIA custodial platform has grown organically since its initial launch in late 2008 to become one of the top RIA custodians in the industry*. RIA firms on the LPL Financial RIA custodial platform enjoy the highest average assets under custody (AUC) at $214 million per RIA firm, compared to the top five largest custodians at $136 million in AUC per firm, as validated by Cerulli Associates, RIA Service Agent Survey 4Q 2012. Contact us today and discover the difference LPL Financial can make for your practice. *Cerulli Associates, RIA Service Agent Survey 4Q 2012 Contact LPL Financial (888) 250-2420 www.joinlpl.com 15
About LPL Financial LPL Financial, a wholly owned subsidiary of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LPLA), is the nation s largest independent broker-dealer (based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine, June 1996-2013), a top RIA custodian,* and a leading independent consultant to retirement plans. LPL Financial offers proprietary technology, comprehensive clearing and compliance services, practice management programs and training, and independent research to over 13,000 financial advisors and approximately 685 financial institutions. In addition, LPL Financial supports over 4,500 financial advisors licensed with insurance companies by providing customized clearing, advisory platforms and technology solutions. LPL Financial and its affiliates have approximately 2,900 employees with headquarters in Boston, Charlotte, and San Diego. For more information about LPL Financial, please contact an LPL Financial representative at (888) 250-2420. Visit www.joinlpl.com to access additional resources and white papers addressing how to choose a practice model, manage RIA compliance, market your practice, develop your social media strategy and more. Member FINRA/SIPC A Registered Investment Advisor RIA-08118-0813 Tracking #1-192254 (Exp 08/14) *Source: Cerulli Associates, RIA Service Agent Survey Q1 2013