In an industry where sales and production rankings drive everything from
compensation and fees, to the level of support, training, networking and
educational opportunities you have access to, it’s nice to know there’s
one place where numbers don’t define who you are or the importance of
your business. That place is HD Vest Financial Services
®— the one firm
you can count on to always put you first…period.
Just ask HD Vest Advisor, Mike Hammen, who must have felt like Goldilocks in his 16-year search for the right broker/dealer. Before joining HD Vest in 2012, Mike had partnered with four different independent broker/dealers since 1996 with mixed results. While several were too small to provide the flexibility he required, his experience at his last firm, a very large independent broker/dealer, was also disappointing.
“The production breakpoints were too high and I didn’t like the pressure of production requirements,” Mike stated. “HD Vest does not impose production minimums, yet they are more accommodating and supportive—they respect me and my business. That’s a huge difference from the ‘general support’ provided by my last firm.”
Many advisors face a similar conundrum. While large broker/dealers proclaim an attractive array of bells and whistles, they come at a high price. Production requirements and fees can be prohibitive. And while top producers are catered to with more personalized support services, advisors who fail to meet production minimums are provided a revolving door of support personnel, usually in the form of a toll-free phone number. That can be particularly challenging for tax professionals with a financial services practice, as broker/dealer call center representatives often have to be educated on their practices before a problem, issue or client challenge can begin to be resolved.
Whether you are a $5K Gross Dealer Commission (GDC) producer or a $1MM producer, as an HD Vest Advisor, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive level of support that enables you to focus on serving the full range of your clients’ needs without being handcuffed by production quotas or minimums.
AT HD VEST FINANCIAL SERVICES
®HOW DO WE DO IT?
•
Our model is designed around Advisors who often run a separate outside business activity such as tax practices•
We maintain and promote a family culture•
We require no production minimums•
Advisors receive dedicated support day 1: you do not have to earn your way upLOW FEES DRIVE GDC GROWTH
Providing the support you need, when you need it, in a highly affordable manner is a formula that not only makes good sense but is the cornerstone of our family culture. It enables you to focus on serving your clients and growing your business on your terms without the additional pressure, constraints and distractions that come with maintaining production minimums. And no one
understands the toll that high overhead expenses, insufficient resources and poor support can take on profits better than HD Vest Advisor Janice Borsch.
“My previous firm didn’t offer anything for free,” the Santa Maria, CA CPA explained. “I was
struggling and never made more than $2K in GDC. I was paying $230 a month in various fees and couldn’t grow.” Within two years of joining HD Vest Financial Services in 2012, Janice had increased her GDC nearly six-fold and was taking full advantage of the support, training and networking resources provided, including HD Vest’s Financial Planning Institute, which she found “extremely beneficial.”
THE SUPPORT YOU NEED, WHEN YOU NEED IT
At HD Vest Financial Services, we recognize that providing you with superior service and support enables you to do the same for your clients. That’s why we don’t attach our level of service to your production. When we say we’re here to support you, we mean it – no strings attached. Whether you are a $5K GDC producer or a $1MM producer, as an HD Vest Advisor, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive level of support that enables you to focus on serving the full range of your clients’ needs without being handcuffed by production quotas or minimums.
We offer truly affordable access to:
•
Multiple advisory platforms, including VestAdvisor® and VestAdvisor Select®•
Suite of insurance and banking products•
Product specialists in retirement, insurance, advisory and estate planning•
Training, coaching and mentoring•
Professional development programs and networking opportunities•
Advanced technology solutions•
Compliance oversight•
Comprehensive marketing, operations and practice management support•
Marketing and social media programsWorking with HD Vest means skilled home office employees are prepared to meet your every need. Our comprehensive array of business services and strategic support enable you to leverage our extensive resources, knowledge and experience while lowering your overhead costs:
•
Dedicated Wealth Management Services team members serve as experienced guides who will assist you in serving your clients and growing your business. Our knowledgeable consultants will provide guidance and answers to questions concerning client situations, portfolio reviews, product support, investment recommendations, advisory services,insurance analysis, retirement reviews, business-planning issues, legacy concerns, financial planning* needs and more.
•
No strings attached — Unlike other firms, you don’t have to “earn your way” up to this support. We recognize that providing you with superior service enables you to do the same for your clients. That’s why we don’t attach our level of service to your production.•
Specialized support when you need it — You have direct access to consultants in retirement, estate planning, advisory, insurance and practice management.•
Answers at your fingertips — The answers you need to any client scenario are always only a phone call away. Whatever your concern, be it business development or product placement – we’ve got your back.•
Each Wealth Management Support Consultant is insurance licensed and a general securities representative. In addition, most consultants have completed or are pursuing the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) certification.SPECIALIZED
SUPPORT SERVICES
Retirement Planning Support for technical retirement issues
Resources for growing your client base with retirement solutions
Training on retirement plans
Estate Planning Identifies your clients five basic estate planning needs
Assistance in setting up trusts
Profiling tools for client assessments
Advisory Services Open architecture, non-proprietary investment platform Multiple advisory programs including discretionary asset management Dedicated Advisory Specialists and Portfolio Management Team1
Insurance Full underwriting support
Delivers insurance illustrations within 24 hours
Full case design assistance Practice
Management
Sound and proven practice management techniques
Kolbe CertifiedTM
Assessments
Succession planning
1VestAdvisor Select Advisory platform offers portfolio management team services through HD Vest Advisory ServicesSM
GET TO KNOW US THE SAME WAY
WE KNOW YOU – BY NAME
Our family culture, based on full acceptance of your tax practice, forms the foundation of the success we enjoy today as one of America’s leading broker/dealers and Registered Investment Advisors (RIA). The HD Vest leadership team brings deep knowledge, understanding, and genuine enthusiasm to delivering what matters most to our Advisors and their clients. We remain committed to a culture built on independence, integrity, professionalism and support for the Advisors, clients and team members that comprise the HD Vest family.
An HD Vest Advisor since 2000, David Richardson said he conducted due diligence on 10 different firms before choosing HD Vest and has never had a reason to question his choice. “The other firms I looked at didn’t impress me as having the flexibility HD Vest offers,” he said. “They were pretty much set in their ways and weren’t going to change to accommodate me.” David said he knows a number of CPAs at other firms ‘who are not taken care of the way we are at HD Vest.’
“At HD Vest we’re working with our peers,” David said. “HD Vest understands us and asks us what we want the firm to be, saying ‘this is your firm.’”
“As a result, we see HD Vest as an extension of our family. My son recently joined our practice and he and my wife always come to the annual conference. We think of it as more of a family reunion. My wife looks forward to catching up with the many close friends she has made attending the conferences over the years,” David said. “The HD Vest experience has just had a very positive impact on our quality of life.”
“I feel like HD Vest will do anything to help me help my clients,” said Charlene Wehring, a CPA from Belleville, TX and an HD Vest Advisor since 1997. “Trust is critical,” Charlene added. “My clients are people I see every day—at church, at my children’s school. I have to be confident in and believe in the advice I’m providing them. As Advisors we help our clients resolve challenges. That’s what HD Vest does for me. I feel like we’re in sync.”
For more than 30 years, HD Vest has helped Advisors like Janice, Mike, Kerry, David and Charlene take the important steps required to achieve and sustain growth. We provide innovative resources, tools and solutions developed with a single objective in mind: to help you put the most effective and efficient practice in place to take your business to the next level.
TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP WITH HD VEST
As an HD Vest Advisor, you’ll have access to all the support and training you need to be successful. Whether you prefer instructor-led classes, online self-study, or peer-to-peer training events, all of our courses have been developed by leading industry education specialists to meet the specific needs of tax professionals seeking to grow their financial services practices.
Isn’t it time you learned more about the one firm that actually wants to
know you by name?
ABOUT HD VEST
Since its inception in 1983, HD Vest Financial Services® has supported an independent network of tax and non-tax professionals who provide comprehensive financial planning solutions including securities, insurance, money management services, and banking solutions. Ranked as one of the top 20 independent broker-dealer firms,1 we know what it takes to make your practice really flourish. Approximately 4,500 independent contractors manage over $37 billion in assets for individuals, families and small businesses in all 50 states.2
1Investment Advisor 2014 Broker-Dealer Reference Guide, which measured/ranked the top 25 independent broker-dealers by annual revenue. 2As of January 1, 2015
