There’s a hard truth many independent financial advisors must confront: just because you run your own practice doesn’t mean you own a business.

Running a solo advisory practice can be deeply rewarding—but it’s also increasingly overwhelming.

You're not just an advisor. You're the CEO, COO, CCO, HR, tech support, and sometimes janitor. And as client expectations, compliance demands, and overhead costs rise, many advisors are rethinking the solo model entirely.

In today’s RIA landscape, growth is everywhere. Firms are merging, acquiring, and aggregating at a record pace. And while inorganic growth has undoubtedly been a powerful driver of scale, a hard truth remains:

Inorganic growth builds size. Organic growth builds value.

For many financial advisors, the idea of succession planning lingers in the background—something to consider “someday.” But the most successful transitions don’t happen in haste. They’re executed with intention, structure, and strategic runway.

The M&A environment for financial advisory firms is entering a new phase of sophistication, selectivity, and strategic alignment.