Independent Financial Partners has brought on CenterBridge Planning Group, a five-advisor team overseeing more than $700 million in client assets, marking one of the firm’s most significant team additions to date.
The advisors join from Commonwealth Financial Network and expand IFP’s nationwide footprint with offices in Syracuse and Lockport in the Buffalo region while serving clients across Upstate New York and throughout the country.
CenterBridge offers comprehensive financial planning, retirement and estate strategies, investment management, insurance solutions, and business and tax advisory services. As the industry environment continued to evolve, the advisors evaluated platforms that better aligned with how they wanted to build and scale their practice. They determined that IFP’s open architecture, multi-custodian access, technology flexibility, and direct access to leadership provided a compelling fit for their long-term vision.
The CenterBridge team also highlighted IFP’s newly launched Project 3.14, a value participation program that allows advisors to share in proceeds from any future sale or recapitalization of the firm. The program reinforced an advisor-first philosophy centered on independence, choice, and economic alignment.
IFP noted that the team’s arrival reflects the platform’s broader effort to attract sophisticated independent advisors seeking greater autonomy and customizable workflows supported by institutional-grade capabilities.
KEY QUOTES:
“What set IFP apart was the freedom to customize our technology and maintain multi-custodian access without added fees or constraints. That level of flexibility is essential to serving clients the way we believe is best.”
CenterBridge Team
“We spent a great deal of time with the CenterBridge team as they evaluated their options, and it quickly became clear how aligned we were. Their experience coming from a firm that was acquired by a larger organization was a powerful reminder of what advisors often lose during those transitions. In many ways, CenterBridge was part of the inspiration behind Project 3.14 — our commitment to ensuring that advisors share in the value they help create if IFP ever pursues a future sale or recapitalization. They’re exactly the type of sophisticated, client-focused advisory business we built this platform for. Our open-architecture model, direct access to leadership, and boutique service structure are designed to support teams with bespoke needs like CenterBridge, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them to IFP.”
Bill Hamm, CEO, Independent Financial Partners
