HTGI 014: Helping BILLION dollar teams go independent

March 30, 2016PodcastSean KernanComment

Matt Sonnen coordinated the jump to independence for a team with close to $2 billion AUM. A few years later, the firm was sold to a bank for $100+ million....so he has helped create literally tens of millions of dollars of value for advisors in his career

HTGI 013 : Bouncing Back from an abrupt departure - why Todd Simmons needed two moves to get to independence

March 25, 2016PodcastSean KernanComment

Todd was comfortable at the only firm he only knew for his first 10+ years in the business, but had to transition to another firm under less than ideal circumstances. After realizing he wasn't in the right place for the long term, he was able to make a successful move to independence. Listen to his journey to hear what lessons learned he has for all of us.

HTGI 012 : Four ways my business and life have improved after buying a practice (and four things to consider before you buy one)

March 22, 2016PodcastBrian RuffComment

Considering buying a financial advisor practice to increase the size of your business? In this episode, I talk about the ins and outs of purchasing a book of business and how to make it a successful transition for you and the seller.

HTGI 011 : Flying High: Craig Cowles' journey from Pilot to Financial Advisor

March 17, 2016PodcastBrian RuffComment

In this episode, I interview Craig Cowles, an independent financial advisor who went from pilot to CFP to improve his quality of life. He talks about what types of clients he likes to work with and how he runs the day-to-day of his business.

HTGI 010 : Does your firm say "We'll pay you whatever we feel like"?

February 29, 2016PodcastSean KernanComment

In this episode, I talk about a few recent industry articles that give examples of how the employee financial advisor model might differ from the independent model. The articles discuss pay grid changes, advisor retirement payouts and business structures

HTGI 009 : Brian Ruff - how this former Merrill advisor getting a 117% payout - by joining a team

February 22, 2016PodcastSean KernanComment

In this episode, I talk to Brian Ruff - an independent financial advisor that I hired in 2013 to help me with my own practice. We talk about his start in the business, what lead him to going independent and what our agreement looks like today.

HTGI 008 : What's the minimum production I should have before I go independent?

February 4, 2016PodcastSean KernanComment

In this episode, I'll talk about how your production payout as an independent financial advisor can differ from the employee advisor model. I'll also discuss the various expenses a indpendent financial advisor might incur that employee-advisor might not b

HTGI 007 : Lessons From a Million-Dollar Practice

January 25, 2016PodcastSean KernanComment

In this episode, I talk to an advisor with over 25 years of experience in the independent financial advisor channel. He talks about how he structured and ran his business during his career.

HTGI 006 : Whose goals are you chasing?

January 21, 2016PodcastSean KernanComment

In this episode, I talk about goal-setting as an independent advisor and how it differs from the employee-advisor model. Whose goals are you working towards?

HTGI 005 : Don't be stupid -- have a contingency sucession plan

January 4, 2016Sean KernanComment

In this episode, I interview my business partner Brandon Day who talks about the importance of having a continuity plan in place for your practice.

HTGI 004 : How much will I have to pay for health insurance?

December 22, 2015PodcastSean KernanComment

In this episode, I discuss health insurance for independent financial advisors. We'll break down the costs and coverages and how it differs from your plan at your current employer.

HTGI 003: What will my payout be if I go independent?

December 15, 2015Sean KernanComment

In this episode, I'll break down the expenses an independent financial advisor might face and compare them to those you might see at a bank or wirehouse.

HTGI 002: Chad Atkins; journey from Wholesaler turned Financial Advisor -- a book buyout success story

December 11, 2015PodcastSean KernanComment

In this episode, I interviewed my business partner, Chad Atkins. Chad walks you through his career and how he landed on the independent model. He also discusses the process of two practice buyouts he did when he went independent and how each of them were structured.

HTGI 001: Welcome to The How to Go Independent Podcast

December 9, 2015Sean KernanComment

In the first episode of The HTGI podcast, I'll talk about what I hope to provide you with this podcast. In this episode, I'll talk about why I'm doing this podcast and why I think my experience in the financial planner business can help you if you are on the fence about taking your practice to the independent channel.

The HTGI Podcast

About Me

I help financial advisors who are currently employees explore information about independent business models. This site allows you to do so on your own time, in your own space, with unquestioned privacy. I am trying to build a resource that I would have loved to find when I was educating myself during the 7 years before establishing my practice.