Advisor Group, one of the nation's largest networks of independent financial advisory firms, today announced its plans to acquire Signator Investors, Inc. (Signator) and merge it into Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. (Royal Alliance), one of Advisor Group's four existing independent firms. Signator is a dual-registered broker-dealer and investment advisor with more than 1,800 financial professionals overseeing approximately $50 billion in client assets. Signator is part of John Hancock.
Royal Alliance and Signator both operate using a Super OSJ (Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction) business model, which creates an ideal situation for Signator's Managing Partners to affiliate with a firm of like-minded peers and business owners. In addition, all advisors will benefit from being part of an organization that is 100% focused on serving the independent model. Signator's advisors will also gain access to Royal Alliance's industry-leading technology, holistic wealth management solutions, comprehensive marketing services, and broad-based business-building support.
"I believe that the most critical component of a successful acquisition is cultural alignment," said Jamie Price, President and CEO of Advisor Group. "With Signator and Royal, we immediately saw the compatibility between the two firms, which have a shared focus on the Super OSJ business model and independent advisor community. This is an exciting new chapter for us all."
"We are confident that our decades of experience working with business owners and independent advisors will enable us to deliver immediate value to Signator's advisors," said Dmitry Goldin, President and CEO of Royal Alliance. "We are excited to welcome them into the Royal Alliance family, and to provide access to the wide range of capabilities I believe will drive efficiencies and growth in their businesses."
The acquisition comes on the heels of a record-breaking recruiting year for Royal Alliance, which saw the addition of 171 new advisors, representing a combined $4 billion in assets, in 2017. Advisor Group saw double-digit growth last year in both revenue and assets as it introduced new products and services to help advisors continue to grow their businesses.
In the coming months, Advisor Group and Signator will work together to conduct a well-executed transition, which will include leveraging a bulk tape-to-tape conversion process for both Pershing and NFS accounts. The acquisition is anticipated to be completed in Q4 of 2018.
About Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. is part of one of the nation's largest independent financial advisor networks and a Registered Investment Advisor, member FINRA and SIPC. Royal Alliance is supported by Advisor Group, one of the largest truly independent broker-dealer networks in the industry. The firm has more than 1,800 affiliated independent financial advisors and is headquartered in Jersey City. Royal Alliance was founded in 1969 and employs a client-driven approach focused on meeting the unique demands of businesses and individuals. For more information visit www.royalalliance.com
About Advisor Group Advisor Group, Inc. is one of the nation's largest networks of independent financial advisors serving over 5,000 advisors and overseeing approximately $190 billion in client assets. Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, the firm is mission-driven to support the heroic role that advisors can play in the lives of their clients, offering securities and investment advisory services through its subsidiaries FSC Securities Corp., Royal Alliance Associates Inc., SagePoint Financial Inc. and Woodbury Financial Services Inc., as broker/dealers, registered investment advisors and members of FINRA and SIPC. Cultivating a spirit of entrepreneurship and independence, Advisor Group champions the enduring value of financial advisors and is committed to being in their corner every step of the way.
