LPL acknowledged a uncommon lack of two advisor practices final month, which it attributed to not having constructed a lovely platform earlier for them to hold out succession planning. “These two examples, perhaps we didn’t launch ours in time sufficient to get a swing at these,” Arnold stated. 

Progress Planning

Going ahead, the agency expects its just lately launched liquidity and succession program to not solely please current advisors but in addition entice new advisors and property to the platform, Arnold stated, because it solves a main ache level for advisors round creating viable successions. 

The agency additionally sees big alternatives in offering extra outsourced wealth administration options to the big enterprise channel of advisors in banks and credit score unions. Arnold stated the whole marketplace for “outsourcing of wealth administration” to such purchasers is estimated to be round $1 trillion, and thus far the agency has captured “about $85 billion of property to our platform.”  

LPL has added options to that preliminary bank-focused providing since its launch, making it engaging to “insurance coverage firms or product producers that function wealth administration options” as properly, Arnold added. “Now that market represents an extra $1.5 trillion of alternative.” 

Lastly, LPL is banking on huge income from outsourcing providers for particular person advisor practices in its rising subscription channel. “On account of strong demand, the variety of advisors using our portfolio of over 14 accessible providers continues to extend, and we ended the yr with practically 3,900 lively customers, up 27% from a yr in the past,” Arnold stated.

In 2023, to maintain up with excessive demand from advisors, the agency grew from 2 digital hubs to 11, with the most recent one being the Tax Hub. In the end 50% of all help providers might be digital, he stated. 

Arnold added that advisors have been additionally in search of assist rising extra environment friendly and risk-ready “in a world that’s flipped on the facet” following COVID-19.

“The rising complexity of laws could drive up prices,” he stated, including that advisors had additionally digitalized their practices and have been below stress to maintain up with tech advances.

“And now you throw AI on high of that, which within the quick run, creates a number of noise and enthusiasm,” he stated, calling synthetic intelligence a “shiny penny” that won’t do sufficient by itself to help advisor progress. 

Arnold acknowledged, although, that the agency was trying to make use of AI to supply “a broad spectrum of service choices” for advisors that included human and digital help. 

The agency repurchased $225 million of shares within the fourth quarter as a part of a complete $1.1 billion in repurchases final yr, and plans to purchase again one other $200 million of shares this quarter, Audette stated, strengthening the hand of shareholders — who embody staff of the agency.