Merchant Expands Its Investment in AdvisorAssist

Expanded Relationship Provides Greater Collaborative Growth Opportunities to Independent RIAs

MARSHFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AdvisorAssist, LLC, the independent wealth management industry’s leading regulatory, compliance and business risk management consulting firm, announced its expanded partnership with Merchant to provide RIAs direct access to Merchant’s equity capital and debt solutions, strategic advisory and business support solutions through its collaborative ecosystem.

Since first partnering with Merchant in January 2018, AdvisorAssist has strengthened its internal resources and technology infrastructure, which includes the evolution of its proprietary compliance management technology solution, AdvisorCloud360®, to help advisors achieve maximum efficiency within an operational and risk management framework. Today, AdvisorAssist’s team of experienced consultants support over 700 registered investment advisory firms, with assets under management of more than $225 billion under its purview.

“Merchant’s decision to take an increased stake is a testament to an aligned vision of client-centric values and growth opportunities at AdvisorAssist,” said Bryan Staff, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Merchant. "We attribute AdvisorAssist’s scalability, operating leverage and growth to its dedicated and talented executive and management teams that are driven to provide best-in-class client service. Our two organizations share the philosophy that a people-focused approach and long-term durable capital yields true partnership and alignment.”

“Given the current landscape and volume of M&A deals in the RIA space, discussions with our clients are often centered around finding ways to build, grow, protect, and optimize their businesses,” added Christopher Winn, CEO and Founder of AdvisorAssist. “Our strategic partnership with Merchant, enables AdvisorAssist to expand its risk management services to better assist RIAs in scaling their businesses and creating value for their clients. Gaining access to permanent capital, lending, global capital markets, and an ecosystem of expertise are just some of the added benefits to our clients.”

“The Merchant partnership has helped AdvisorAssist evolve from a regulatory and compliance consulting business into a broad spectrum wealth management services business,” said David Mrazik, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Merchant. “The ability for AdvisorAssist to continually bring new services and value, and to be able to act as a one-stop shop for clients’ needs in a continuously evolving market is critical to helping RIAs achieve their growth, risk management and other objectives throughout their life cycles.”

About AdvisorAssist, LLC:
AdvisorAssist, the leader in driving advisor independence, provides comprehensive services focused on all components of advisory practice, including strategic RIA formation, regulatory compliance, risk management, operations, and technology. As a collaborative and strategic advisor to RIAs, the AdvisorAssist mission is to provide solution-based services centered around experienced consultants and scalable technology to help RIAs “build, grow, protect, and optimize” their advisory firms. To learn more about AdvisorAssist and the AdvisorAssist team, please visit our website at www.advisorassist.com.

About Merchant:
Merchant is a private partnership providing growth capital, management resources, strategic opportunities and direction to independent financial services companies, particularly those focused on wealth and asset management. For additional information, please visit www.merchantim.com.