Horizon Financial Group has plans to generate accelerated growth under a new strategic vision for what Super-OSJ groups across the independent financial advice space must do to be successful in the new fiduciary era.
Under its accelerated growth plan, Horizon announced its intention to achieve the following key goals over the next four years:
- Recruiting an additional 55 new right-fit independent advisers to reach 100 overall affiliates, together with additional assets of more than $2 billion to $3 billion to bring total assets under advisement to between $4 billion and $5 billion
- Deploying between $1 million to $3 million to acquire independent financial advisory practices and 401(k) books of business across the country
- As part of this acquisition strategy, Horizon will focus on purchases of independent financial adviser businesses whose leaders are seeking to execute succession planning-driven transitions, as well as existing advisers exiting the 401(k) retirement plan business and whose teams and clients can be seamlessly folded into Horizon’s core wealth management operations as W2 employees (in the case of team members) or be tucked into one of the firm’s affiliate adviser locations around the country.
“We believe our firm’s future, and for that matter, the future for all Super-OSJs, will depend on three key future growth drivers: The development of a multi-channel approach encompassing both 1099 and W2 financial advisers; significant investment in a truly institutionalized brand that has value for end clients as well as advisers; and a diversified focus on growth that goes beyond recruiting, and spans acquisitions as well as organic expansion,” said Pete Bush, CFP ®, CEO and founder of Horizon Financial Group.
In a related development, the firm completed a comprehensive rebranding campaign, changing its name from Horizon Wealth Management to Horizon Financial Group. The rebranding recognizes the firm’s growing status as a truly national retail financial services company, as well as its expanded strategic focus, encompassing its rapidly-growing super-OSJ offerings and support for retirement plan sponsors and participants, in addition to its core W2 employee-adviser business supporting Horizon’s wealth management clients.
Horizon is the second-largest Super-OSJ affiliated with Cetera Advisors, one of the member firms of Cetera Financial Group.
The firm has 45 affiliated independent financial advisers across the country, and collectively manages, advises and consults on approximately $2 billion in assets.