How I Became an Independent RIA

At 41, Jesse Giordano was at the top of his career. But he didn’t feel like it. He was no longer happy—and it was taking a toll on other relationships in his life. Then he launched his own firm and took back control.Learn how going independent can be emotionally—and financially—uplifting. Your clients aren’t the only ones who benefit from more meaningful service.

When the 2017 California wildfires threw their clients’ lives into disarray, Jim Aljian and Jessica Markarian were there for them—in ways the pair could not have been before going independent.Learn how operating an independent RIA firm gives investment advisors the flexibility to serve their clients the way they see fit, especially during times of crisis. 

Joe Zappia wasn’t sure he wanted to strike out on his own. So he didn’t. He joined an existing independent RIA firm instead, and he’s never looked back.Learn what investment advisors can gain professionally by partnering with others who have already cleared a path to independence.

Jill Reitmeyer, Nancy Mercado, and Dustin Bench felt limited at their previous firm. None of them possessed a sense of ownership or fulfillment in their day-to-day work. They couldn’t help asking, “Are we really living up to our potential?”Learn how the team pushed through discomfort to pursue a world of new possibilities by forming their own RIA firm.