About
HOME > ABOUT
Featured In:
I’m Brad Wales. I started Transition To RIA to fill a void in the marketplace: A firm providing a consultative approach, focused solely on the RIA model, and which is completely independent of any one solution. (Read a full review of my offering here.)
The guiding principals of the firm include:
- Be the definitive source of information regarding transitioning to the RIA model. Scheduling a one-on-one Discovery call is the most effective way for me to provide you with value. In the interim though, I also provide explanatory videos, podcasts, whitepapers, etc. all focused on helping you to better understand the model.
- Be a specialist, not a generalist. For the same reason you seek out a specialist to assist with a particular health issue, you need the same level of specialty expertise regarding the RIA model when it comes to evaluating options for your practice.
- No question is too minor. I’ve learned first hand over the years that advisor awareness and understanding of the RIA model varies widely. I help advisors along all knowledge levels regarding the model.
- Provide advice that is independent of any one solution. I purposely departed working at a custodian so that I could be completely independent and provide unbiased advice regarding ALL of the options available when transitioning to RIA.
- Be approachable. This is not to imply that approaching me specifically might be intimidating, but simply a realization that the process of seeking out such information can seem daunting. I work to make the process as easy and informative as possible. Rest assured, I have discretely helped advisors of all experience and AUM levels. I’d be happy to help you as well.
About Me (Brad Wales)
“I wish every broker working within the wirehouse environment would get in the habit of reading Wales’ column in Advisor Perspectives” – Bob Veres
As Seen In:
- “Nearly 1/3 of IBD advisors are considering opening an RIA” (Citywire RIA)
- “What an RIA Can Learn from Buying a Clothes Dryer” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Lessons From a Dermatologist Practice” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “An RIA Custodians List Beyond The Big 3” (InvestmentNews)
- “Merit Rolls Out Independent Advisor Affiliation Model” (Financial Advisor IQ)
- “Will “Shared-Service Provider” be the RIA buzzword for 2024?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “RIA Startup Costs: A Guide For Advisors/Entrepreneurs” (InvestmentNews)
- “Performance-Based Fees Showing Uptick” (Citywire RIA)
- “Should Clients Own Bitcoin? Our Authors Respond” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “The Two-Step Approach to Transitioning to the RIA Model” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How Much Cash Do You Need to Transition to an RIA?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Modern Independence” (Sandbox Wealth)
- “What Can a Wirehouse Broker Learn from a Car Salesperson?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “IBD Elite 2023: What the heck is an OSJ?” (Financial Planning)
- “The Best $20 You Can Spend on Marketing” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “What is the Best “Independent” Path?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Why a $1bn RIA’s Wealth Advisory Head Left To Fly Solo On Mariner’s Platform” (Citywire RIA)
- “Do Broker/Dealers or RIAs Have Better Technology” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Father-Son FA Duo at Raymond James Launches RIA for More Control” (Financial Advisor IQ)
- “The Two Big Hurdles to Starting an RIA” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Beware False Prophets and Pundits” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Weekend Content for New Financial Planners – May 14” (The Advisor Project)
- “Brokers Cannot Depend on Managing Assets” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How Broker/Dealers Can Ruin a Rep’s Career” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How Custodians Set Interest Rates on Swept Cash” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “The Toxic Lesson from Dry Cleaners” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “What if My Broker-Dealer Terminates Me?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “The Super-OSJ Model is Doomed” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How to Explain the RIA Model to Clients?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Do You Rent or Own Your Advisory Practice?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How to Double the Value of Your Practice” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “The Absurdity of Annual Compensation Plan Changes” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Is Your Advisory Practice a One-Armed Basketball Player?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Pros and Cons of Pure Independence v. Partnering” (InvestmentNews RIA Summit)
- “Will the Independent Broker-Dealer Model Survive?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “The Two Big Reasons Advisors Don’t Transition to the RIA Model” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How Big Do You Have To Be To Transition to an RIA Or Should You Open Your Own?” (For Advisors By Advisors podcast)
- “The Top Reasons Why You Should Stay With A Broker-Dealer” (The Perfect RIA podcast)
- “How Long Does It Take to Transition to the RIA Model?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “8 Suggestions for How Wirehouses Can Retain More Advisors” (Barron’s)
- “How to Reduce Office Expenses (Part 2)” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How to Reduce Office Expenses (Part 1)” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “What Can an RIA Learn from McDonalds?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “The Outsized Role You Play in Attracting and Retaining Advisors at Your Firm” (HIFON – presentation to members)
- “Why Don’t Broker/Dealers Make Their Advisors Happier?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Weekend Reading for Financial Planners” (Kitces.com)
- “New Mariner Mega-Firm Seeks to Grow to 5,000 advisors” (Financial Planning Magazine)
- “You Provide More Value than You Realize” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How To Leverage Technology To Gain A Competitive Advantage” (RightSize Solutions webinar)
- “Get Ready to be Squeezed by Your Broker/Dealer” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Lies, Damned Lies, and Advisor Payouts” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “The Double-Edged Sword of a Producing Branch Manager” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How to Fire Your Compliance Department” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Help Clients With Other Tasks To Add Value To Your Firm” (FPA SmartBrief)
- “What Financial Advisors Can Learn From Irish Pubs” (LinkedIn Articles)
- “Adding Client Value In A Way Few Advisors Do” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Are You Really a Big-Rig Truck Driver?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Why You Shouldn’t Take an Upfront Bonus Check for Changing Firms” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Are Broker/Dealers Dead?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Trying to recruit advisors? Avoid these seven mistakes” (Citywire RIA)
- “When is the Wirehouse Model Better than an RIA?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How Does E&O Insurance Work as an RIA?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “What to Consider Before Going RIA” (AssetMark webinar)
- “What Should RIAs Outsource?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Comparing RIA vs IAR” (Dynamic Advisor Solutions webinar)
- “If College Football Was Run by a Broker/Dealer” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Transitioning to the RIA Model – What you Need to Know” (FPA Metro New York)
- “Scaling Your Business with Brad Wales” (Balanced Advisor Podcast)
- “Why Do So Many RIAs Fail to Launch?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Your Clients Don’t Need You” (FA Magazine)
- “Should Advisors Use More Than One Custodian?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “6 Things I’ve learned from Michael Kitces (That Have Nothing to Do With Financial Planning)” (Barron’s)
- “Is Your 1% Fee Too Cheap?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Beyond AUM: Eight non-standard fee models for RIAs” (Citywire RIA)
- “Are You a Steering Wheel Holder?’” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “What Are ‘Compensable Revenues?’” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Running an RIA: Client Management, Behavioral Finance, Sales Process, Differentiation, and More” (InvestmentNews RIA Summit)
- “Should I Join an Existing RIA?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “What Advisors Can Learn from Job Seekers” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “PE Firm Sells Part Of Its Stake In $40B Wealth Enhancement Group” (Financial Planning Magazine)
- “Raymond James Enterprise Hires Former Waddell & Reed Recruiter” (Financial Planning Magazine)
- “The Inconvenient Math of the W2 Model” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “LPL’s Hybrid RIA Power Play” (Financial Planning Magazine)
- “The RIA Wild West of Going Independent” (Coffee & Regs Podcast)
- “What is a ‘Hybrid’ RIA?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Information Sharing and Navigating the RIA Marketplace” (The Admired Advisor Podcast)
- “Increase Coming in Introducing-Custodians for RIAs” (InvestmentNews)
- “RIA Model: What You Need To Know” (Master Class series presentation) (First Ascent Asset Management)
- “Rise of Middle-Office Providers For RIAs” (InvestmentNews)
- “You’ve Been Calculating Your Payout Wrong” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Salary-Plus-Bonus Will Arrive at the Wirehouses” (InvestmentNews)
- “The Outlook for the Independent Broker-Dealer Model” (InvestmentNews)
- “Is Bigger Better?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “What Advisors Should Consider When Exploring the RIA Marketplace” (Thrivent Insights)
- “The Ridiculousness of the BrokerCheck System” (RIAIntel)
- “Money is Irrelevant When it Comes to Your Career” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Answering Questions About Going RIA” (InvestmentNews)
- “What Minimum AUM Do You Need to be Your Own RIA?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Warren Buffett On Up-Front Recruiting Checks” (FA Magazine)
- “How Do I Start My Own RIA?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Pros & Cons Of Building Your RIA From Scratch vs. Tucking Into An Established RIA” (InvestmentNews RIA Summit)
- “An Inspired Perspective with Brad Wales Founder of Transition to RIA” (Inspire Growth)
- “10 More FAQs About Moving to the RIA Model” (ThinkAdvisor)
- “The Overhyped New Marketing Rule” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “RIA Model” (presentation) (Financial Planning Association – Rhode Island Chapter)
- “Stop Asking If You Need A Haircut”(Advisor Perspectives)
- “Are RIAs Better Marketers?” (Financial Advisor Marketing Podcast)
- “The Math Problem Brokers Can’t Solve” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Brad Wales on Transitioning to the RIA Model” (ModelFA Podcast)
- “Is a CFP About to Become a Requirement for RIAs?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “RIA Model” (presentation) (Financial Planning Association – Southern Arizona Chapter)
- “Is RIA Firm Marketing Easier Than Broker Dealer Marketing?” (Sara Grillo Podcast)
- “Shawshank Redemption’s Lessons for Breakaway Advisors” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Transitioning to the RIA Model Under the Biden Administration” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How To Leverage the Power of Outsourcing Through a Network of Referral Partners” (Top Advisor Marketing Podcast)
- “10 FAQs About Moving to the RIA Model” (ThinkAdvisor)
- “Weekend Reading for Financial Planners” (Kitces.com)
- “Do I Have to be 100% Fee-based to Start My Own RIA?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “How Advisors Are Transitioning to RIAs” (Indigo Marketing Agency Webinar)
- “Transition To RIA” (SharkPreneur Podcast)
- “Do RIAs Have to Pay for Their Own Compliance?” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Why the Breakaway Broker Exodus Hasn’t Happened” (Advisor Perspectives)
- “Record Number Of US Business Applications Have COVID-19 Stamped All Over Them” (International Business Times)
“During our multi-year journey to creating our RIA we interfaced with several experts. Brad provided not only significant expertise but high quality unbiased advice. He was invested in us more so than the outcome and has become not just a trusted advisor but close friend.” – John L.