Mariner Holdings Launches Mariner Retirement Advisors

LEAWOOD, Kan., Oct. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Mariner Holdings, an independent financial services firm recently ranked #2 on Barron's 2014 list of the Top 100 Independent Wealth Advisors* and the parent company of Mariner Wealth Advisors and Montage Investments, today announced that it has partnered with David Stofer and Mark Nothnagel to launch Mariner Retirement Advisors, a firm focused on providing 401(k) advisory services to plan sponsors throughout the country. In addition to David Stofer, Mark Nothnagel and their team, Mariner Retirement Advisors will consist of Mariner's existing 401(k) practice, which is led by Tim Helsel.

According to Martin C. Bicknell, chief executive officer of Mariner Holdings, "Retirement planning plays a vital role in helping individuals prepare for the future. Employees are increasingly relying on their employer-sponsored retirement plans to fund their retirement and help them achieve their long-term goals. The launch of Mariner Retirement Advisors puts us in an ideal place to advise plan sponsors on a wide range of issues, including plan design, investment selection, asset allocation and fiduciary concerns. Through Mariner Retirement Advisors, we will focus on helping clients create and maintain leading retirement plans with an ultimate goal of increasing plan participants' retirement readiness."

The team formerly with SageView Advisory Group brings more than 50 years of retirement plan services experience to Mariner Retirement Advisors. This team and Mariner Wealth Advisors' existing retirement practice team have, combined, managed more than 150 client relationships and more than $3 billion in assets. The new nine-member Mariner Retirement Advisors team will greatly enhance Mariner's ability to provide leading retirement plan services to a wide range of clients. In return, Mariner will support the team with additional resources, personnel and services.

"I am thrilled to be partnering with Mariner," said Stofer. "I am confident that this partnership will greatly enhance our ability to help plan sponsors create leading retirement plans and help employees prepare for retirement."

A rapidly growing and award-winning independent financial services firm, Mariner Holdings, through its affiliates, provides financial advice and investment management services that are based purely on the needs and interests of clients. The launch of Mariner Retirement Advisors is the latest in a series of initiatives the firm has undertaken to further its goal of delivering a wide range of services to meet diverse client needs. Other recent initiatives include the acquisition of Allied Business Group to provide investment banking, valuation advisory and forensic accounting services to business owners, the launch of Mariner Trust Company, which supports clients with trust and estate planning solutions, and the launch of FirstPoint Financial, a firm dedicated to providing personalized financial advice with no minimum asset requirements.

About Mariner Holdings
Mariner Holdings is a rapidly growing and award-winning independent financial services firm focused on wealth and asset management through its two subsidiaries: Mariner Wealth Advisors and Montage Investments.  Visit www.mariner-holdings.com for more information.

About Mariner Retirement Advisors
Mariner Retirement Advisors provides advisory services to retirement plan sponsors with a goal of improving employees' retirement readiness and enhancing clients' benefits packages. Mariner Retirement Advisors provides a wide range of services, including: plan design consulting, investment selection, asset allocation, ERISA compliance, investment policy statement preparation and maintenance, and fiduciary support.  Visit www.marinerretirement.com for more information.

About Mariner Wealth Advisors
Mariner Wealth Advisors is an independent, national wealth advisory firm that provides unbiased financial advice focused on meeting client needs. Mariner's expert wealth advisory teams help clients achieve and maintain financial peace of mind – preserving the wealth they have created and building a legacy for future generations of family and business leaders. The firm's wealth advisory services include:

• Financial planning
• Investment advisory services
• Multi-generational wealth planning
• Risk management
• Philanthropy
• Executive compensation planning
• Business succession planning
• Family office services
• Retirement planning services
• Insurance consulting

Visit www.marinerwealthadvisors.com for more information.

* Barron's ranked CEO Martin C. Bicknell and the teams at Mariner the #2 independent wealth advisor nationally in 2013 and 2014. Barron's also ranked Bicknell the #1 advisor in the state of Kansas for 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. The Barron's recognitions are based upon information compiled using data for Mariner Holdings, a global financial services firm that owns and manages both Mariner Wealth Advisors and its affiliate, Montage Investments, an independent asset management firm.

SOURCE Mariner Holdings