Houston-Based RIA Firm Patron Partners Goes Independent with tru Independence

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Patron Partners (Patron) an independent wealth management firm registered with the SEC which serves wealthy individuals and families, small business owners and corporations, today announced their move to independence, with the help of tru Independence (tru), an open architecture platform that provides financial advisors with a full suite of business services needed to operate independently. Patron is founded by Stephen Caton, CFP®, CRPC®, Rick Figueroa CRPC®, CFM®, CSNA®, and Kelly Aimone, JD, a licensed Texas attorney. Caton and Figueroa have worked together as financial advisors for over 20 years.

The Houston-based Patron team previously managed nearly $300 million in assets and have more than 60 years of cumulative experience partnering with businesses, individuals, and families to build upon their success, achieve life goals, and leave behind lasting legacies. With a holistic, values-based planning approach, the Patron team aims to serve as financial life coaches, providing high-touch services and investment strategies to support clients' family, faith, philanthropic causes, or community.

"At Patron Partners, servicing our clients has always been our number one priority. We are eager to build deeper relationships with them, and more acutely customize financial strategies to match their values-based goals," said Figueroa. "We believe our role in our clients' lives is more than a business relationship and we are looking forward to continuing to deliver our services with a values-first mindset."

"We chose the name Patron Partners because we believe in helping our clients prosper financially, while succeeding spiritually. No matter what a client wants to be a patron of – the arts, their community, their legacy – their goals are bigger than us," continued Caton. "We are thankful to have had tru Independence as our partner on this journey. From the first conversation, we understood that going independent was a massive undertaking, and the expertise of their team has made us feel confident every step of the way. tru has served as the patron to support and encourage us in our business growth, allowing us to focus on our clients."

In addition to their work with clients, the Patron team is heavily involved in the Texas community, both personally and professionally. Caton volunteers with The Houston Food Bank, St. Vincent DePaul Society, and Habitat for Humanity. Figueroa, who was recognized by Merrill Lynch's Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion Award and the Greater Houston Complex Values Award, currently serves on the Hispanic Advisory Council for the President of the United States.  He also serves as Chairman of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.  Aimone volunteers with The Junior League of Houston and serves on the advisory board of Children's Health Fund. She was also appointed to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy by Governor Greg Abbott in 2019.  

"We embrace Patron Partners on their move to independence, and welcome them to the tru community," said Craig Stuvland, CEO, tru Independence. "It has been an honor to work with this group of professionals who are passionate about the well-being of their clients."

About tru Independence

Founded in 2014, tru Independence is an open architecture platform that provides the full suite of services needed for established wealth management firms and RIAs seeking independence to grow their businesses efficiently and effectively. Drawing upon decades of industry experience, tru Independence provides access to turnkey technology infrastructure, in-house C-suite level personnel, and expert practitioners that specialize in business management and fiduciary responsibility, including employee training, business consulting, operations support, and compliance. The breadth and depth of this expertise allow advisors to focus on client services, while tru focuses on growing and preserving their business. For more information, please visit www.tru-ind.com.

SOURCE tru Independence