Independent Advisory Firms

Independent advisors, whether operating as Registered Investment Advisors, Broker-Dealers, or as dually registered firms, face many of the same challenges that other financial advisors face in providing investment solutions to their clients.  However, being independent means not having the resources and infrastructure of a larger firm. Many independent advisors have opted to use the packaged solutions available from third-party platform providers, but generally these platforms have limited flexibility and cannot deliver highly tailored portfolio solutions for more complex client situations.

For independent advisors, Placemark employs several different operating models, depending on the size of the firm and the advisor’s preference.  Placemark offers services through the major RIA service agent platforms, including Charles Schwab Institutional, Fidelity, TD Ameritrade, Bear Stearns Global Clearing, and Pershing PAS.  For advisors with smaller businesses (i.e., less than $25M), Placemark offers services through a turnkey platform or as a manager option in many two-party contract platforms such as Schwab Marketplace.  For larger advisory firms, Placemark is able to construct custom Unified Managed Account programs that incorporate the advisor’s preferred roster of products, along with a custom Web-based application for profiling clients, creating proposals, and opening accounts.