Punching above our weight class, and winning!

In the independent advisory space, talented professionals with decades of experience, loyal clients, and hard-earned knowledge are winding down – pulling back, riding margins, and waiting for an exit.

At the same time, we’re in an era of staggering opportunity: by 2034, the industry is projected to have 33% fewer advisors than it needs while roughly 71 million Americans will have a million or more in assets.

The advisors best positioned to close that gap are the ones coasting to the finish line.

In his latest Linkedin article, Silver Oak CEO Billy Hopkins explores the concept of Level 5 Ambition, a philosophy drawn from Jim Collins’ work on Level 5 Leadership. The best builders aren’t grinding for the sake of a bigger number. They’re disciplined, humble, and focused on building something that outlasts them.

That’s what this industry needs more of right now.

If you got your license in the 1990s, you carry with you knowledge that no seminar or AI chatbot can replicate. You survived the dot-com crash, 2008, the pandemic. Your clients, their children, and the next generation of advisors need the wisdom that will walk out the door with you if you don’t make it a point to pass it on.

Read the full article for a closer look at Level 5 Ambition, the business case for building a firm that lasts longer than you, and small moves you can make right now to ensure the independent advisory world endures.

Read More

Silver Oak Recognized as the Sixth Fastest-Growing IBD in America by InvestmentNews

We didn’t start Silver Oak with the goal of winning awards or earning accolades.

Our CEO, Billy Hopkins, founded the firm with a simple but unique vision – to do the right thing for independent financial professionals.

You don’t always get rewarded for doing the right thing – that’s not the point, after all – but we’re ecstatic to have been recognized as the sixth fastest-growing independent broker-dealer by InvestmentNews.

This honor isn’t just about growth, even though that’s the criteria for putting the list together. When you look at the firms making up the majority of the list, the names probably won’t surprise you. To be in their company in spite of building Silver Oak in a radically different way is a compelling testament to what today’s independent financial professionals really want: independence without compromise.

And that’s the foundation of the Silver Oak difference. We set out to marry institutional-grade resources with the flexibility, autonomy, and support you’d expect from a much smaller shop. What does that look like?

Looking for ways to say ‘yes’ instead of ‘no.’ Behemoth broker-dealers aren’t in the business of trying to make things work differently, or even better, for their reps. But we believe in acting as consultants, problem-solvers, and even cheerleaders for our financial professionals.
Technology and resources that put financial professionals in the best position to succeed by enabling them to personalize the tools they use to the strengths and goals of their own practices. It’s about more than tech: it’s about freedom and trusting the financial professional to make the best possible decisions for his or her clients.
Growing intentionally by being purposeful about the reps we bring on. Growth for growth’s sake is never the goal; we’re here to create a firm culture built around authenticity, future-forward thinking and a laser focus on client service.

We’ve never wavered from exactly who we are; being named to InvestmentNews’ list of the fastest-growing independent broker-dealers in America proves we shouldn’t.

Read the full article here.