More than 100 independent financial professionals gathered recently for Affiliated Advisors’ annual Advance conference, a two-day retreat in Eagan, Minnesota, designed to inspire curiosity, spark connections and equip advisors to build their ideal practices.
With Affiliated Advisors having crossed $7 billion in assets just days before the event, the energy was high, the conversation candid and the message clear: Even fast-growing firms need to pause, ask the right questions and embrace transformation to reach the next level.
In his opening remarks, Tom Rippberger, managing partner of Affiliated Advisors, celebrated the firm’s $7 billion milestone and reminded attendees of the mission that drives this growth: helping independent advisors thrive. Curiosity, the theme of the conference, was woven through every session and conversation.
“When we ask better questions, we find better answers,” Rippberger emphasized.
Trisha Qualy, another managing partner, issued a call to rethink how advisors tackle growth challenges. Instead of asking how to do everything alone, she urged attendees to ask, who can help?
“DIY slows you down,” she said. “Finding the right ‘who’ unlocks capacity, frees up your time and gets you out of the weeds.”
A highlight was an interactive “Who Not How” workshop, where advisors reimagined their organizational charts and discovered how leveraging their peers, wholesalers, vendors and partners can remove roadblocks and accelerate growth.
While Affiliated Advisors — one of Osaic’s largest and fastest-growing offices of supervisory jurisdiction — provides business management, compliance, technology, marketing and investment advisory solutions and services designed to streamline workflows, the conference wasn’t just about operational strategy. It also offered sharp macroeconomic perspectives.
Phil Blancato, market strategist at Ladenburg Thalmann, pulled no punches in his economic outlook. From oil prices’ outsize impact to the mess in housing and the $1.3 trillion annual cost of servicing U.S. debt, Blancato made one thing clear: Advisors must be prepared to help clients cut through headline noise and stay calm.
His message was pragmatic: Recessions happen when money supply shrinks; black swans like housing and debt can spook markets, but strong recoveries tend to follow downturns. Blancato encouraged attendees to “buy the dip” and remember that operating profit margins are healthier than historic norms.
He also flagged long-term challenges, from shifting demographics to global tax disparities, and stressed the critical role that immigration plays in sustaining U.S. economic strength and vitality.
A major topic of conversation was how outsourcing investment management can create capacity and drive growth. The average advisor spends over 800 hours a year managing investments, Envestnet noted; that’s nearly 40% of their time. Those who outsource add $14.5 million in new assets annually and win more new clients.
With $84.4 trillion set to shift hands in the largest generational wealth transfer in history, personalization at scale is critical. Envestnet highlighted how direct indexing and tax-advantaged portfolio construction models can help firms deliver highly customized solutions without bogging down advisors in operational complexity.
For firms helping clients hedge risk, the conference covered insurance strategies and innovative annuity solutions. DBS reminded advisors that integrating risk products, like long-term care and income protection, often improves client retention and growth.
Allianz showcased its registered index-linked annuities, which blend market participation with downside protection and can help clients plan for rising health care costs in retirement by adding various riders to tailor investment solutions to their long-term plans.
With interest rates up, annuity products are seeing renewed advisor interest. Using insurance-based income solutions can offer clients downside protection while helping advisors differentiate their planning approach.
Affiliated Advisors’ commitment to community impact was also represented. Rita Robbins, the firm’s president and a member of Osaic’s national advisory board, highlighted how the Osaic Foundation backs advisors’ causes nationwide. Each year, the foundation gives more than $1 million to community initiatives, and advisors can apply for $10,000 grants to support local charities.
“We’re in a helping profession, (and) that means helping our clients and our communities,” Robbins said.
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