Partner With Us

If you’re reading this, you likely have years or even decades of experience in the financial planning industry. You’ve built hundreds of memorable client relationships and a successful company.

But you’re planning to retire soon, looking for a team you can join on a glidepath to retirement, or perhaps want to expand growth opportunities with a larger organization. When searching for a succession or business partner you want an organization that rewards you for the business you’ve built, will take care of your employees, provide additional services to your clients, and expand your legacy.

If that’s you, we think you’ll find a home at HFG Trust. 

Most financial advisors sell only one business in their lifetime: their own RIA. The challenges financial advisors face in this arena are wide ranging but are typically economic, technical, and social.

From an economic perspective an RIA is usually an advisor’s most valuable asset. When examining any transaction an advisor must determine whether they are receiving fair value for their business, if incentives among all parties are aligned, and capacity to pay.

Technical challenges can be like death by a thousand cuts. Many items are easy to overlook yet all are important and can hinder a partnership. Sale Agreements must be negotiated, custodian integration planned, records retained, API infrastructure outlined, amongst many other tasks.

Lastly, we reach the social challenges. Change is difficult and advisors have only one opportunity to communicate it. A failure to plan communications can lead to a loss of clients, employees, and trust.

Any financial advisor exploring a transition should have a trusted partner. HFG Trust has the experience and infrastructure to navigate the economic, technical, and social challenges that can arise in a transition.

EXPERIENCE

HFG Trust has been expanding our industry’s frontier since the 1980s with our Founder Ty Haberling’s early adoption of the CFP®, to becoming an RIA in the early 1990s, to adopting the fee only standard, and finally to our transition as a trust company. Our clients, communities, and other financial advisors have noticed this innovation. We are experienced in practice transitions and have a dedicated support team to handle integration.

INFRASTRUCTURE

HFG Trust has a depth of personnel and resources that is uncommon in financial planning. Our financial advisory team consists of nine Certified Financial Planners™, two CFAs, and one CPA. Each financial advisor is supported by our Advisor Pod design which includes a wealth planner and client service team member. We have multiple custodian relationships and a technology stack including a Bloomberg Terminal, Tamarac, Dynamics, Right Capital, and Morningstar Direct.

INTANGIBLES

HFG Trust has been in business for over 38 years and has maintained a culture that is authentic, client centric, team oriented, and committed to advisor education. Our investment philosophy is defined by rigorous examination of academic and evidence-based factors.

Even during our initial conversations with advisors and firms, we have a defined process to understand your business, determine if there is a partnership fit, and navigate complexities that can arise.

CULTURE

Despite being headquartered in eastern Washington, we often hear that HFG Trust embodies Midwestern values. We want to partner with advisors and firms that share our strong work ethic, integrity, and are client and team oriented.

CLIENT SERVICES AND INVESTMENT PHILOSOPHY

We want to ensure we view client services and portfolio theory the same way. HFG Trust believes in the fiduciary, fee-only standard, and we are not active money managers.

VALUATION, AGREEMENTS, AND COMPLIANCE

After determining there is a cultural, client services, and investment philosophy fit, we arrive at the next phase. Valuation structure and agreements must be negotiated, and compliance maintained in various regulatory environments.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND EXECUTING THE PLAN

Communicating the transition to clients and employees as well as planning the integration of HR, accounting systems, trading, technology, and custodial relationships. We are then ready to execute the plan and a smooth transition.

One of the last questions we ask advisors and firms during our first meeting is, if they choose to partner with us, what would a successful partnership look like for them five years in the future?

Answers vary, but here are some common themes:

• Reducing responsibility and creating freedom to pursue new client relationships and invest in existing relationships
• Growth and flourishing of employees
• Enhanced client experience and new services
• Being part of a team with shared values

A measure of success we would like to add is the sustainable growth of each advisor and office that joins us. Each advisor and office has a treasured legacy, your story. We would be honored to have the opportunity to expand such a legacy in your community.