Merit Financial Group Announces Recognition of Rick Kent as a Financial Services Industry Top Advisor by Financial Times
ALPHARETTA, Ga., April 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Merit Financial Group ("Merit" or the "firm"), an independent registered investment advisory (RIA) firm supporting approximately $900 million in client assets as of March 31, 2017, today announced that its President, Rick Kent, has been recognized by Financial Times, a leading financial industry publication, as one of the 2017 Top 400 Financial Advisors nationwide. The list is produced by Financial Times in collaboration with Ignites Research, a subsidiary of Financial Times. Financial advisors named to this prestigious industry list were chosen based on several criteria, including years of experience, total assets served, asset growth and industry compliance records.
Merit Financial Group encompasses 26 independent financial advisors who serve mass affluent and high net worth individuals and families as well as company retirement plans across the country. Additionally, through its Worksite Financial Wellness platform, Merit Financial Group provides comprehensive, turnkey financial wellness resources to plan participants in company retirement plans, working either directly with retirement plan sponsors, or as a third party solutions provider in cooperation with retirement plan advisors, third party employee benefits consultants and other third party professionals who focus on supporting retirement plans.
"On behalf of LPL, I congratulate Rick Kent on being named to the Financial Times Top 400 list," said Andy Kalbaugh, LPL managing director and divisional president, National Sales and Consulting. "We are proud of the commitment Rick and his team have made to their clients by taking the time to understand their unique financial goals and providing objective financial advice that helps them work toward those goals. LPL is honored to partner with Rick and we thank him for the work he does to create value with clients every day."
Rick Kent is an LPL Financial-affiliated advisor. LPL is a leader in the retail financial advice market and provides resources, tools and technology that support advisors in the delivery of personal, objective financial advice to help clients work toward their financial goals.
Rick Kent, President and Founder of Merit Financial Group said, "We are proud and privileged to receive this recognition on behalf of Financial Times and its annual Top 400 list. We believe this honor reflects the strength of our entire team, along with the depth of experience and quality of the financial advisors affiliated with our firm."
Mr. Kent concluded, "Most importantly, we're grateful to our clients who trust us on a day-to-day basis to provide the service and support they need to achieve their financial goals and ensure their overall well-being. We are also excited about the ongoing growth opportunities afforded our firm in offering support as a third-party, turnkey financial wellness provider to retirement plan sponsors, plan advisors and other third-party consultants and professionals involved in the company retirement plan process across the country through Merit's newly launched Worksite Financial Wellness platform."
About Merit Financial Group
Based in Alpharetta, Georgia, Merit Financial Group ("Merit" or "the firm") is an independent registered investment advisory (RIA) firm supporting approximately $900 million in client assets. The firm is affiliated with Merit Financial Advisors, a leading independent Super-OSJ firm supporting over 26 independent financial advisors. Merit has longstanding experience in supporting the company retirement plan space, and offers the Worksite Financial Wellness platform, a comprehensive offering that provides customized, turnkey financial wellness education, coaching and training resources to retirement plan participants.
Worksite Financial Wellness can be used either directly by plan sponsors, or as a third party, integrated resource by plan advisors, third party employee benefits consultants, record keepers and other professionals who support plan sponsors. For more information, please visit www.meritfa.com.
About LPL Financial
LPL Financial LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of LPL Financial Holdings Inc., is a leader in the retail financial advice market and served approximately $528 billion in advisory and brokerage assets as of February 28, 2017. LPL is one of the fastest growing RIA custodians and is the nation's largest independent broker-dealer (based on total revenues, Financial Planning magazine June 1996-2016). The Company provides proprietary technology, comprehensive clearing and compliance services, practice management programs and training, and independent research to more than 14,000 independent financial advisors and over 700 financial institutions, enabling them to help their clients turn life's aspirations into financial realities. Advisors associated with LPL also serviced an estimated 46,000 retirement plans with an estimated $127 billion in retirement plan assets, as of December 31, 2016. LPL also supports approximately 4,000 financial advisors licensed and affiliated with insurance companies with customized clearing, advisory platforms, and technology solutions. LPL Financial and its affiliates have more than 3,200 employees with primary offices in Boston, Fort Mill, and San Diego. For more information, please visit www.lpl.com.
Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Merit Financial Group, LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser. Merit Financial Group, LLC, Merit Financial Advisors and Worksite Financial Wellness are separate entities from LPL Financial.
The Financial Times 400 Top Financial Advisors is an independent listing produced annually by the Financial Times (March, 2017). The FT 400 is based on data gathered from advisors, broker-dealer home offices, regulatory disclosures, and the FT's research. The listing reflects each advisor's status in six primary areas: assets under management, asset growth, compliance record, experience, credentials and online accessibility. This award does not evaluate the quality of services provided to clients and is not indicative of this advisor's future performance. Neither the brokerages nor the advisors pay a fee to the Financial Times in exchange for inclusion in the FT 400.
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SOURCE Merit Financial Group
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