BKLM ADVISOR INTELLIGENCE · OCTOBER 2026
The offer gets your attention. The platform shapes your future.
A practical way to compare the business you would operate after the move.
Published October 20, 2026 · BKLM Consulting
A recruiting announcement tells us where a team landed. The more useful question for another advisor is what that move reveals about the choices available—and which of those choices would fit their own practice.
Three recent reports offer different examples. Janney announced a Houston office with four advisors overseeing a combined $3.5 billion. InvestmentNews reported October 5 that Merrill added teams from Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo with $770 million combined. AdvisorHub’s October 12 report covered Singer Maxey Wealth Management’s September move from Merrill to Raymond James Financial Services; a Forbes ranking cited in that report listed $450 million in assets. These are selected announcements, not a comprehensive recruiting ranking.
Start with the business you intend to operate
Before comparing offers, write down what works in your current practice and what prevents you from serving clients as you would like. The list should be specific: a planning capability you cannot access, a workflow that consumes too much staff time, an investment restriction that affects your clients, or an unclear path for the next generation of owners.
Use that list to evaluate each potential partner. Ask the people who would actually support your team to demonstrate the workflows that matter. A broad promise of flexibility is less useful than seeing how an account is opened, how an exception is handled, or how a complex client gets specialist help.
Compare the transition and the steady state
Recruiting conversations often emphasize the first year. A sound decision also needs a view of years two through five. Consider staffing, recurring technology costs, service capacity, supervisory expectations, access to leadership, and the practical ability to make decisions for your practice.
Clarify the transition plan as well. Who owns each task? What support is available during the busiest weeks? Which client services or account types require special handling? The purpose is to turn an appealing presentation into an operating plan your team understands.
BKLM Perspective
No single affiliation model solves every advisor’s problem. An employee platform, independent broker-dealer, supported independence arrangement, or standalone RIA can offer a different balance of resources, responsibility, and control.
For 2027 planning, build a written decision framework before negotiating economics. Include the capabilities clients need, the responsibilities your team is ready to assume, and the ownership outcome you want over time. Evaluate compensation within that larger picture. The right partner should make sense after the excitement of the announcement has passed.
Schedule a confidential conversation with BKLM Consulting.
Take to your next platform meeting
- Client service. Choose a demanding but typical client scenario. Ask the future service team to walk through it, including exceptions and specialist access.
- Decision rights. List the decisions you expect to make locally. Have the firm identify which require approval and who resolves a disagreement.
- Operating economics. Compare recurring costs, staffing responsibilities, and support after the initial transition period. Record assumptions beside each estimate.
- Continuity. Name the owner of each transition task and the person who will cover key relationships when you are unavailable.
Your next step: Use the same four questions with every firm. Record the evidence behind each answer and any follow-up still owed. A shortlist becomes useful when the differences are specific enough to discuss with your team.
Considering a different firm?
Clarify what matters to your practice, your clients, and your next chapter.
Sources
- Janney: Houston office and four advisor additions, listed October 16, 2026 on the company’s news index.
- InvestmentNews: Merrill recruits teams overseeing $770 million, October 5, 2026.
- AdvisorHub: Singer Maxey move to Raymond James, October 12, 2026; report identifies September 23 as the move date.