Cetera Financial Group Announces Affiliation of Girard's Advisors with Cetera Advisor Networks as Independent Financial Advisor Team

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group ("Cetera" or "the Company")*, a leading network of independent firms empowering the delivery of professional financial advice to individuals, families and company retirement plans, and Cetera Advisor Networks, one of its member firms, today announced that Cetera member firm Girard Securities has invited its advisors to affiliate with Cetera Advisor Networks as an independent advisor group operating under the Girard brand, founder-operated culture and leadership team. With 200 independent advisors supporting $7.7 billion in client assets, the Girard Region is expected to comprise one of the largest independent advisor groups affiliated with Cetera Advisor Networks, which focuses exclusively on supporting autonomous teams of like-minded advisors referred to as Regions.

Tom Taylor, President of Cetera Advisor Networks, said, "We're delighted to welcome the Girard organization to Cetera Advisor Networks as one of our largest independent advisor groups.  This step by Girard reflects our widely recognized track record of success for supporting the growth of independent advisor teams that want access to breakthrough technologies and tools, while preserving their own leadership team, culture and brand.  The fiduciary era that our industry is entering has translated into a rising demand among advisors and end clients for a truly advice-centric experience, in direct contrast to the sales or product-centric approach utilized by many in this space.  Our history of delivering a unique combination of large firm resources with the autonomy that independent advisor teams need to thrive under the advice-centric experience model of the future makes this transition a win-win for Girard and Cetera."

Cetera expects this move to more seamlessly and rapidly provide access for the Girard Region's advisors to Cetera's Advice Architect Ecosystem™ of integrated platforms and tools designed to support the creation of an Advice-Centric Experience for advisors and end clients.  This will include access to the My Advice Architect investment solutions offering as well as Cetera's revolutionary Decipher^TM emotional analysis software. The Girard Region will also benefit from tighter integration with Cetera's broader advisor technology platform and more streamlined access to its various flexible service models.

Girard Securities CEO Susie Woltman Tietjen will serve as Regional Director of the Girard team going forward, ensuring continued strong relationships with the Girard advisor community. The Girard Region's leadership team will operate from Girard Securities' current headquarters location in San Diego for the foreseeable future.

Susie Woltman Tietjen said, "Our transition to becoming an independent team affiliated with Cetera Advisor Networks marks the beginning of a new chapter of growth for our team, enabling us to leverage the full strength of Cetera's scale and resources to support the success of our advisors and the success of their clients. With the growing regulatory and operating burdens associated with running our own independent broker-dealer removed, the entire Girard organization will be able to devote our full attention to the mission of helping our advisors build the businesses they want. Just as importantly, our new structure positions us to maintain the close-knit, family-operated culture that has always formed the backbone of our organization."

The addition of the Girard advisors operating as an independent advisor team under its own brand, leadership and culture, follows closely on the affiliation in June this year of the advisors previously associated with HBW, formerly an independent broker-dealer, with Cetera Advisor Networks as an autonomous Region supporting 55 independent advisors and $820 million in client assets under the HBW brand and management.

Mr. Taylor concluded, "The transition of both Girard as well as HBW from broker-dealers to Regions affiliated with Cetera Advisor Networks is a trend that we're confident will continue.  Our firm is extremely well-positioned for continued success in recruiting, as smaller and mid-sized firms increasingly seek ways to remain together as autonomous entities, but without the administrative and regulatory burdens of being a broker-dealer in a post-DOL environment."

The Girard Securities broker-dealer wind-down is expected to start in early November, subject to FINRA approval.

About Cetera Advisor Networks
Cetera Advisor Networks LLC is an independent broker-dealer and registered investment adviser firm that utilizes a unique regional director model to support financial advisors through the entire life cycle of their business. As part of Cetera Financial Group^®, a leading network of independent retail broker-dealers, Cetera Advisor Networks is able to build and support regional teams through local service, regional offices and a national home office, facilitating the success of financial professionals.

Cetera Advisor Networks is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). For more information, see ceteraadvisornetworks.com.

About Cetera Financial Group^®
Cetera Financial Group ("Cetera") is a leading network of independent firms empowering the delivery of professional financial advice to individuals, families and company retirement plans across the country through trusted financial advisors and financial institutions. Cetera is the second-largest independent financial advisor network in the nation by number of advisors, as well as a leading provider of retail services to the investment programs of banks and credit unions.

Through its multiple distinct firms, Cetera offers independent and institutions-based advisors the benefits of a large, established broker-dealer and registered investment adviser, while serving advisors and institutions in a way that is customized to their needs and aspirations. Advisor support resources offered through Cetera include award-winning wealth management and advisory platforms, comprehensive broker-dealer and registered investment adviser services, practice management support and innovative technology. For more information, visit cetera.com.

* "Cetera Financial Group" refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors, Cetera Advisor Networks, Cetera Investment Services (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions), Cetera Financial Specialists, First Allied Securities, Girard Securities, and Summit Brokerage Services. All firms are members FINRA/SIPC.

Media Contacts: 

Matthew Griffes
Haven Tower Group
424.652.6520 ext. 103
mgriffes@haventower.com

Chris Clemens
Haven Tower Group
424 652 6520 ext. 102
cclemens@haventower.com

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SOURCE Cetera Financial Group