LPL Financial announced that financial advisors James “Jamie” P. Debuque, CPFA, CPWA, CRPC, and Timothy M. Baltz, CPFA, CRPC, have launched a new independent practice Continuity Private Wealth, through affiliation with LPL Financial’s supported independence model, LPL Strategic Wealth Services. And they reported having served approximately $1 billion in advisory, brokerage, and retirement plan assets and joined LPL from Merrill Lynch.
Based in Doylestown, PA, the seasoned advisors partnered nearly 15 years ago to build a private wealth team focused on helping affluent clients manage sophisticated estate and tax planning and investment issues. They are joined by longtime Chief Operating Officer Wendy A. Fratrik, CRPC, Client Relationship Manager Nicole Ferrara, and Wealth Management Associate Lisa Baltz, all of whom share their passion for helping people connect pieces of their financial lives to work toward their goals.
With more autonomy as they create their ideal practice – along with the ability to enhance their offering with more high-net-worth services – the team turned to LPL Strategic Wealth Services.
The team was drawn to LPL’s comprehensive, supported independence solution, LPL Strategic Wealth Services (SW) – which combines the freedom and flexibility of entrepreneurship with hands-on business services and support to help practices thrive operationally and strategically. With access to LPL’s innovative wealth management platform and sophisticated resources, SW advisors benefit from a truly integrated service that includes simplified pricing, technology, and dedicated support to launch their practice.
After the transition is complete, SW teams receive ongoing operations support managed by their team of experienced professionals, including a business strategist, marketing partner, CFO, and administrative assistant. Advisors have one point of contact, a dedicated team, and priority access to advocacy and project management for complex business issues, ultimately allowing them to stay focused on the enduring needs of their clients and the culture and evolution of their practice.
Plus, because the Continuity team serves numerous high-net-worth clients, it was equally important to partner with a firm that offers dedicated Private Wealth resources and customized solutions to support those clients’ unique and sophisticated needs. And LPL currently serves $130 billion in high-net-worth AUM and has developed high-net-worth-specialized resources in areas like advanced estate and philanthropy planning, income tax strategy, trustee services, a robust alternative investment platform, banking and lending solutions and complex life insurance planning.
KEY QUOTES:
“We have a long history in the community, having built our practice through both M&A and a large referral network, and our team has cultivated meaningful relationships with multiple generations. It’s our goal to provide exemplary services and financial education to help each client understand complex topics without the financial jargon.”
- Longtime Chief Operating Officer Wendy A. Fratrik
“We were drawn to LPL’s advisor-centric culture that gives us the flexibility to run our business as we see fit. By making this move, we now have the freedom to follow a fiduciary standard for our clients without corporate influence. We have access to more investment selections, robust financial planning software and a group of specialists who will help us create differentiated experiences for clients.”
- James “Jamie” P. Debuque
“We are excited to be able to offer our clients comprehensive financial services in alignment with their personal tax and estate planning goals, without limitations. By making this move, we now have access to a combination of high-net-worth resources and specialists we can lean on for complex situations.”
- Lisa Baltz
“We extend a warm welcome to Jamie, Tim, Wendy and their team and congratulate them on the launch of Continuity Private Wealth. We are honored to be their chosen partner as they build out the next phase of their ideal practice. We’ve seen a growing trend of advisors looking for more autonomy; to be the CEO and call the shots for their practice while still having access to sophisticated resources and an open-architecture platform. LPL’s Strategic Wealth Services allows advisors to do just that—to run their business on their terms and decide what’s best for their clients, all while receiving comprehensive modern services and support. We look forward to supporting Continuity Private Wealth for years to come.”
- Scott Posner, LPL Executive Vice President, Business Development
