Omaha, NE – October 10, 2016 – Carson Group, which consists of advisory firm Carson Wealth, advisor coaching program Peak Advisor Alliance, and turnkey integrated partnership Carson Institutional Alliance, today announced it is part of a group of private capital investors in Savant Capital Management, a nationally-recognized fee-only wealth management firm headquartered in Rockford, IL (see Savant press release here). As a minority owner, the investment by Carson is focused on partnership opportunities that will serve to further enhance the client experience for Carson Group Partners and clients. The transaction closed September 30, 2016.
Benefits of the strategic investment with Savant include enhanced institutional relationships and access to a broader suite of offerings for advisors and clients, including the Ideal 401(k) platform. The Ideal 401(k) is a CEFEX certified turnkey 401(k) platform. CEFEX certification attests that a fiduciary can demonstrate adherence to the industry’s best practices, and is positioned to earn the public’s trust. It provides fiduciary advisors with the ability to offer clients a comprehensive 401(k) platform that includes 3(38), 3(21) and 3(16) options. The turnkey platform expands service offerings while deepening the client relationship, for advisors who may otherwise have no 401(k) offering.
“We recently partnered with Savant to distribute their turnkey Ideal 401(k) platform to our clients and our Carson Institutional Alliance Partners. Becoming a direct investor in Savant helps deepen the relationship between our firms and opens the door for future collaboration. The breadth of our organizations working together also gives us increased scale for further efficiencies and pricing benefits for our Alliance Partners.” said Ron Carson, Founder and CEO of Carson Group.
“When it comes down to it, at Carson Group we practice what we preach and follow the same advice ourselves that we’d give to other advisors,” said Carson. “This investment is follow-through on our belief that advisors must focus on the benefits of partnering or merging with other firms with similar culture and values to achieve scale and remain competitive. Savant is positioned to attract and retain quality team members while maximizing their growth through scale. I couldn’t think of a better cultural fit to the way Carson Group approaches our profession and it’s a mutual win.”
According to Brent R. Brodeski, CEO of Savant, who led Savant’s recapitalization, “I am very excited about our new capital structure and ownership group, who bring added value and expertise to our firm. I’ve known Ron for many years so having him and Carson Group part of this chapter in Savant’s story means a lot to me personally and professionally. ”
“Our process was focused on attracting capital from highly strategic parties that not only could provide necessary recapitalization and growth capital but who shared our vision for the future and brought significant strategic benefit, key relationships, expertise or other prospective opportunities to Savant,” Brodeski continued. “Ron and Carson Group are the epitome of this strategic partnership approach and we are excited to continue to deepen our relationship.”
Carson concluded, “Carson Group and Savant share a common vision about what it takes to compete both today and tomorrow in the wealth advisory space. I’ve been telling advisors for years that it’s going to keep getting harder for the small independent advisor to compete. Looking to buy, build or partner to remain competitive and provide superior service to your clients is imperative. I look forward to the many collaborative opportunities for Carson Group and our Alliance Partners with Brent and the Savant team in the coming years, which should ultimately benefit our clients.”
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About Carson Group
The Carson Group serves financial advisors and investors through its businesses including Carson Wealth, Peak Advisor Alliance, and Carson Institutional Alliance. We prepare today’s advisors and investors for tomorrow’s challenges through guidance, execution and growth. Founded in 1983, Carson Wealth has grown to become one of the top wealth management firms in the country offering portfolio management and wealth planning services to high net-worth clients. Established in 1993, Peak Advisor Alliance is one of the leading advisor coaching programs in the country empowering advisors to overcome key business challenges through personalized coaching, proven content, and a passionate community of nearly 1,100 advisors. Carson Institutional Alliance empowers advisors to improve client service, efficiently run their practice, grow their business, and build a legacy through a turnkey integrated partnership. All three organizations are headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, but serve a broad base of advisors and investors across the country. More information is available at: