A conversation with Paul Saganey, Founder and President of Integrated Partners

Most of the biggest “breakaway-turned-independent-business-owner” stories shared on this show are about gaining more control—both over the growth of the business and the ability to act as true fiduciaries.

It certainly was a motivation behind Paul Saganey’s 2016 decision to leave Lincoln Financial and build a multi-custodial hybrid RIA firm with LPL Financial.

At that time, most would say he was already pretty successful as one of Lincoln Financial’s largest independent groups, having grown his business to $3.5B in assets—some of which was a result of a CPA referral network they were building.

But with the DOL rule festering in the background, Paul said in an interview with InvestmentNews, “We felt having our own RIA and being able to control our own fee structure was the way to go in the future.”

So while the DOL rule never really came to fruition, you might say Paul was prescient in his desire for greater control, as the hybrid RIA he built, Integrated Partners, now manages some $12B in assets.

That’s pretty explosive growth in just 5 years’ time—leading Integrated to be recognized as one of the “Fastest Growing Financial Advisory Firms” by SmartAsset.

In this episode, Paul shares the incredible story of how making thoughtful decisions with an eye towards the future can pay off in a big way, including:

• The decision to leave Lincoln Financial to form a hybrid RIA firm with LPL Financial as the broker dealer—and how doing so enabled Integrated to scale its business and better serve clients.
• The CPA referral network that Integrated developed—and how their unique relationship influences growth for the firm and the CPAs who participate.
• Their ongoing relationship with Lincoln Financial—and how continuing to offer Lincoln’s products to clients is a win-win.
• The importance of vision and leadership—and how Paul’s strong focus on “where the puck is heading” serves to drive success.

It’s an episode that shares all of the ingredients that have come together to make Integrated a standout success story—and one of the industry’s hottest acquirers.

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Paul Saganey, CFP^®
Founder & President

Founded in 1996, Integrated Partners (Integrated) is one of the largest and most successful independent financial services organizations in the country, serving over 20,000 clients nationwide.*

As the leader of the firm, Paul** specializes in advisor practice acquisition, transition, coaching and enhancement. He leverages his extensive background to build a dedicated team ready to champion every step of this process – from an advisor’s first inquiries to an advisor’s preparation for major high net worth client meetings. Advisors are genuinely impressed with Integrated’s turn-key resources, systems and programs as well as the level of ongoing collaboration on best practices.

Today, over 200 Advisors and Accountants nationwide successfully partner with Integrated. A further testament to our overall support and process for partnering with advisors is our industry-leading 95% advisor retention rate* .

Paul collaborates extensively with industry professionals and peers, thereby gaining insights into the economic and regulatory landscape facing the industry. Integrated advisors feel well-positioned to take advantage of today’s opportunities and, in our rapidly changing industry, well-prepared to meet tomorrow’s challenges.

Paul has written numerous articles for prestigious local publications such as The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald and the Boston Business Journal. Paul has been interviewed and quoted by InvestmentNews (Crain’s Wealth), The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Financial Advisor-IQ, Financial Planning, Accounting Today, Proactive Advisor and PlanAdviser magazines.

*Integrated Partners was ranked as the fastest growing RIA by SmartAsset. Ranking was for organic growth over last 3 years.

**Paul was nominated for 2021 CEO of the year by Wealth Management Magazine. The nomination was for CEOs of RIAs and wealth managers.