Close Close
Popular Financial Topics Discover relevant content from across the suite of ALM legal publications From the Industry More content from ThinkAdvisor and select sponsors Investment Advisor Issue Gallery Read digital editions of Investment Advisor Magazine Tax Facts Get clear, current, and reliable answers to pressing tax questions
Luminaries Awards
ThinkAdvisor
Peter Mallouk, Creative Planning President and CEO

Industry Spotlight > RIAs

Has Creative Planning's Mallouk 'Nailed It' With Goldman Sachs Deal?

X
Your article was successfully shared with the contacts you provided.

Goldman Sachs and Creative Planning struck a deal on Monday for the RIA to buy the former United Capital business for an undisclosed sum, with industry experts largely praising the deal. 

“It’s a good move for all three firms,” said Mark Tibergien, a management consultant and the former head of BNY Mellon Pershing Advisor Solutions. “This fits more into the [business] model of Creative Planning. It makes sense.”

As for Goldman Sachs, its attempt at “getting into the retail [wealth] business was probably a dilution of its core strategy. Sometimes you do not need to go wider — just deeper,” Tibergien explained. 

On the down side, “It’s unfortunate that the folks employed by United Capital had to go through this. [Its former CEO] Joe Duran probably did well, and Creative Planning should do well. This is what happens when you take risks,” he added.

Other industry watchers agree. 

With this move, Creative Planning CEO Peter Mallouk “has nailed it,” said Morgan Ranstrom, head of Trailhead Planners, a national RIA

“A firm like the former United Capital, which puts financial planning first, was an unnatural fit for a bank like Goldman that historically has made money on high-end brokerage operations, investment banking, etc.,” Ranstrom explained.

“Creative Planning has been very successful and a creative acquirer (no pun intended). Its prior acquisition of the Lockton [defined contribution] business was also savvy,” said Chip Roame, head of Tiburon Strategic Advisors.

“The risk here would be the loss of advisors, but the reality here is that those advisors are going to an independent RIA, at least somewhat akin to [the former] United Capital. …  So maybe I think there is less risk of advisor loss here,” Roame added.

See: Goldman to Sell Former United Capital Unit to Creative Planning 

What Makes the Deal ‘Exciting’

The deal is “exciting” on several levels,” said industry consultant Alois Pirker. 

First, the business being sold is going to a buyer with a specific and common purpose, according to Pirker. “Planning is at the core” of Creative Planning and United Capital, so it’s a great match, he said.

“It’s not easy to find a strategic home” for many RIAs and other businesses being sold today, Pirker explained. “I do think [United Capital’s] planning focus and its FinLife [practice management] platform are unique.” 

This practice management effort was a bit short changed at Goldman Sachs,” he added. “It could get fully resurrected and more developed at Creative Planning.” 

The former United Capital wealth business includes roughly $29 billion in assets under supervision, while Creative Planning has roughly $245 billion in total assets — $110 billion of which are owned by private clients and the remainder by retirement plans and institutional clients.

“It looks like [United Capital] now has an ideal home,” said Larry Roth, head of RLR Strategic Partners and former CEO of Cetera Financial Group. Creative Planning and United Capital “should hold together very well. … I, for one, did not see this deal coming.” 

Deal Details

The news comes four years after Goldman bought the business for $750 million and three years after it changed the name of the unit to Personal Financial Management. When Goldman bought United Capital, the core RIA business had about $23.4 billion in assets; its white-label wealth management platform had $25 billion.

Just last month, Creative Planning announced that it had reached a custody agreement with Goldman, which is working to expand the business it does with third-party RIAs.

Goldman’s shares traded up 1.54% to $325.51 as of 1:50 p.m. Monday in New York. Year to date, they are down 6.09%. 

Pictured: Peter Mallouk. Credit: Janie Jones


NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.