How We Work With RIA Owners.
Three ways forward, one mission — helping accomplished advisors step back on their own terms, helping the next generation step up into practices built to last, and helping established firms keep growing past the point their custodian stops paying attention. Whether you’re looking to merge your RIA, find a trusted RIA merger partner, act as an independent RIA acquirer, or bring in growth consulting for a firm you already built, this is how Ritz Stevens works for every side of the business.
THE RITZ STEVENS PROMISE
One firm. Three paths forward.
We help accomplished advisors move into their next chapter while capturing full value for the practice they built — hands-on succession consulting at every step, from continuity plan to handoff, plus the matchmaking to find the right successor. We give successor advisors more than a practice to lead: marketing, business management, AI and technology coaching, and the backing of industry leaders. And for firms that have already found their footing, we stay on as a standing growth-consulting retainer — sales coaching, deeper research, and one point of contact every month — all under the Ritz Stevens umbrella, at a fraction of what you’d pay elsewhere.
FOR ADVISORS PASSING THE TORCH
What sets us apart
We do more than make the match — we consult with you on every step of your succession, then pair you with the right successor. A handoff built on respect, not a transaction that erases everything you created.
01
Your Legacy Lives On
Passing the torch does not mean disappearing. We consult with you to design a real practice continuity plan — valuation, structure, timeline — so the firm you built keeps serving clients the way you always intended, long after your final day at the helm.
02
No Selling Out
If you’ve searched “sell my RIA” and pictured losing everything you built, that is not how we work. No selling your firm and moving on as if you never existed. No taking a few dollars to become an employee for a few years inside a big rollup. We know you do not want a boss.
03
Worthy Successors
We pair you with a successor advisor who understands they are being given a privilege to take the reins — and who does not take that responsibility lightly. Neither do we.
FOR SUCCESSOR ADVISORS
Independence, without starting from zero
For driven, dedicated advisors — new or established, ready to leave your current firm or hearing the call of ownership without knowing where to start. A path to ownership that skips the hardest years, with real clients, real infrastructure, and real support from day one.
01
An Established Practice
Step into a thriving RIA acquisition opportunity — existing clients, systems, and reputation already in place. Not a blank slate: a firm you can lead into the future.
02
Independence, Not Isolation
Run your practice your way — backed by industry leaders whose expertise and experience make your chances of growth and success exponentially better than going it alone. A strong fit whether you’re already independent or making the move from broker-dealer to RIA. You are independent — never alone.
03
Built-In Business Support
Marketing, practice management, consulting, guidance on the right technology and compliance providers, and coaching on how to put AI to work in your practice are already part of the deal, so you can focus on clients instead of overhead — all at a fraction of what you’d pay elsewhere.
FOR ESTABLISHED FIRMS
The attention your custodian stopped giving you
Full Desk is built for firms that have already found their footing — $30 to $85 million in assets, a real book, a real team — and have hit the point where the custodian stops calling. It is a standing monthly relationship, not a project with an end date.
01
A Written Sales Process
Most firms sell however the owner always has. We sit in on the debrief after every new client meeting and turn what’s working into a process the whole firm can run, not just the one person who’s good at it.
02
Findings That Go Deeper
Vendor quotes and a negotiation script, competitor pricing, custodian fit, and an annual valuation review — the same research we run for every firm in the network, but for you specifically, updated every year.
03
One Person, Every Month
A standing monthly call with the same consultant, not a rotating account team. Flat $2,500 a month, three-month minimum then month-to-month — no revenue share, no equity stake.
ALWAYS IN YOUR CORNER
Support that never leaves
Whether you are handing over the reins or picking them up, the support does not stop at the handshake.
Ongoing Support
Always by Your Side
Marketing, coaching, and infrastructure stay in place for departing advisors and their successors alike, so the firm never loses a step.
Accountability
Accountable to Your Mission
We hold successor advisors accountable to the mission and values the practice was built on — giving departing advisors peace of mind and successors a proven playbook.
Flexibility
On Your Terms
Not ready for a clean break, or ready to move fast? Neither timeline is a problem. Our structures flex around both departing and incoming advisors’ plans.
More From Ritz Stevens
Related reading.
Take the next step only when it’s right for you
We understand this is a big decision on either side of the handoff — whether you’re weighing a registered investment advisor merger, building a financial advisor retirement transition plan, or stepping into a legacy that is not yet your own. So we say it plainly: departing advisors keep the rewards they earned for as long as they want, successor advisors get a real practice with real support from day one, and established firms get a consultant who stays past the diagnosis.
Never has it been easier to move to the next stage of your career — whichever side of the handoff you are on.