The Affiliated Advisor

Financial advisors always look for ways to build and grow their businesses while providing unparalleled client service. Many financial advisors opt to join an established RIA firm instead of taking on the challenges of setting up and running an independent practice.

By affiliating with an RIA, advisors can leverage these firms’ unique selling points. RIAs, held to a fiduciary standard, are legally bound to act in their clients’ best interests, ensuring a higher level of service. This commitment to transparency and client-centricity strengthens client relationships and boosts client retention, a key metric for any financial advisor.

Affiliating with an RIA can benefit your business as well as your clients. RIAs aren’t limited to specific products like many broker-dealers so that they can offer a broader range of investment options. This means the affiliated advisor can tailor investment strategies to meet clients’ needs better.

RIAs provide greater support and resources that can help grow an independent advisory firm. For example, Great Valley Advisor Group offers access to a customized technology stack, back-office and compliance support, and many other resources. Most importantly, GVA provides a family culture of support and collaboration. This can be especially helpful to solo practitioners or small firms that may need more resources to handle everything an advisor has to handle. For advisors looking to join an RIA, they should find one strategically aligned with how they conduct business and meet their clients’ needs.

In conclusion, affiliating with an RIA is smart for financial advisors who want to take their business to the next level and provide exceptional service to their clients. Offering clients a fiduciary standard of care and a wider range of investment options, affiliated advisors can position themselves as sophisticated and trustworthy, helping attract new clients and drive firm growth.

Securities offered through LPL Financial, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advice offered through Great Valley Advisor Group, a Registered Investment Advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial.

Compliance Tracking #: 575898-1

Mike Burke Manager, Advisor Websites & Marketing

After graduating from Penn State University with a B.A. in English, Mike began his career in B2B technology sales, learning how to close deals and, most importantly, developing thick skin. He then took on an operations and management role at a marketing firm, where he recognized a gap in the company’s capabilities and taught himself to design, code, and build websites while handling the day-to-day company operations and managing client relationships. Discovering his passion for design and technology and building up a web design and UX work portfolio, Mike spent the next six years at Comcast, fulfilling various roles on the digital and e-commerce teams, from UX designer to front-end developer to his final role as a Senior Art Director. After transitioning into management consulting, he was on the road for three years, working with enterprise-level companies such as Microsoft, Aon, and Vanguard and expanding his skill set from digital and web to organizational strategy and management.

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