LPL Financial is developing technology, paraplanning services, insurance and strategic partnerships aimed at serving more high net worth clients, according to CEO Dan Arnold.
After LPL said on Feb. 2 that it had added nearly 1,400 financial advisors to reach a record headcount by the end of 2022, Arnold discussed in an earnings call the firm’s huge hike in profits, fueled by surging interest rates, investments in areas like high net worth customers and incoming teams of planners from recruiting and M&A deals.
Arnold responded to one Wall Street analyst’s question about LPL’s “opportunity to move upstream with larger advisors and higher net worth over time.” The evolution of advisors’ practices has “really driven the demand for services and capabilities that traditionally may not have sat inside our overall sweet spot,” Arnold said, according to a transcript by Seeking Alpha.
For example, the firm is working on “extended financial planning support” powered by technology tools, new tailored insurance products, consulting on sales of small and midsize businesses and potential collaborations with outside vendors, he said. The resources could eventually enable LPL to recruit more teams from private banks and other high net worth firms.
“We’re building some of these capabilities,” Arnold said. “We’ve been on a journey, we’re not completely there, but we’ve made some significant progress.”
To see the key takeaways for advisors from LPL’s fourth-quarter earnings, scroll down the slideshow. For further reading, use the following links to coverage of its earnings for the third quarter, second quarter and first quarter of 2022.