Advisor FAQ

SeaCrest supports Schwab, Raymond James and Interactive Brokers. If a custodian's asset minimums have put your current relationship at risk, we're open to a conversation about how our platform could serve as a solution for you and your clients.

It starts with a confidential conversation. Our team then builds a plan around your timeline and handles the paperwork, account transfers and technology setup, so you can stay focused on your clients through every step of the move.

Advisors at SeaCrest receive a very competitive quarterly payout as a 1099 Independent Consultant. Please contact Ron Lenihan at (203) 561-2867 (cell) for a confidential discussion.

Our compliance team handles marketing review, recordkeeping, filings and exam readiness. Our operations team manages paperwork, custodian coordination, technology and billing. Both are a direct call away, so you can focus on your clients.

Yes, a number of successful internal successions have occurred for Advisors who were looking to retire and those wishing to growth their book.

Please contact Ron Lenihan (RLenihan@seacrestim.com) at (203) 561-2867 (cell phone) for a confidential discussion.

Advisors typically control ~40% of fees at a wirehouse versus up to 100% at an RIA, net of expenses roughly 70%, because they own the practice and pay direct expenses rather than a captive overhead allocation.

The physical move takes 60–120 days; pre-departure planning is another 60–90. Realistic timeline: 4–7 months from serious consideration to running an independent practice.

Independence isn't just for large practices. Because joining SeaCrest removes most of the setup costs of starting your own RIA, advisors with books of many sizes can benefit from higher take-home pay, more control and ownership of their practice. Use our Transition Calculator to see how the numbers might work for you.

Wirehouse deals are typically forgivable loans over 7–9 years; leaving early triggers repayment of the unforgiven balance. The calculator shows whether independence still wins — for $300M+ advisors it usually does within 2–3 years.

Surveyed transitions average ~86% of clients moving with the advisor. Retention is highest with strong local relationships, a clean announcement, T+1 contact, and a steady follow-up cadence.

You don't have to start your own. Joining SeaCrest delivers the economics of independence — high effective payout, equity participation, control — without setup cost or year-one cashflow risk.

Starting your own runs ~$15K–$100K+ depending on size and complexity, plus working capital. Joining an existing RIA like SeaCrest eliminates most setup cost — you plug into the operational stack and produce immediately.

Whether you can bring client information depends largely on whether your current firm participates in the Protocol for Broker Recruiting. Participation varies and has changed over time, so every transition should be reviewed with legal counsel before you announce. Our team can help you understand the process from the start.

Five questions matter: economics (all-in payout), equity (ownership path), operational support (build vs. plug in), cultural fit, and succession. SeaCrest is built around all five.

Year 1 is typically lower — clients in transition, setup costs, ramp. Year 2 matches or exceeds your final wirehouse year. Year 3+ is where compounding kicks in: high retained revenue plus growing equity.

At a wirehouse, your book belongs to the firm. As an independent, it's a transferable asset with real enterprise value. The SeaCrest transition calculator estimates what your practice is worth today, how that equity grows over time, and projects your 10-year take-home, breakeven year, and lifetime value under both scenarios, adjustable end-to-end.

IBD: operates under a BD license, sells commission products. Hybrid: combines BD and RIA, the most flexible, common ex-wirehouse path. Pure RIA: fee-only fiduciary, no commissions, SEC- or state-regulated.

As an independent advisor, your growth shouldn't be limited by what you can do alone. SeaCrest connects you to FMG's marketing platform for content, campaigns and a professional online presence, so you stay in front of the clients you serve and the ones you want to reach. And when the right opportunity comes along, we can help you acquire another advisory practice, from first conversation through client transition.