Perspective

Ensuring the future: Strategic transition planning for RIAs

From internal succession to external acquisition, helping firm leaders prepare for possible pathways to long-term success.

By: Fidelity Investments

Updated: 8/26/2025

Key Takeaways

For RIA firm leaders, transition planning should be a deliberate and strategic process. Leaders need to identify the ideal model (even if that means not transitioning at all) for their businesses, structure a platform search to identify the right partners they may want to involve, design compensation and partner equity models, and project manage the transition effectively so they can focus on client transition.
However, not all firm leaders realize how important it is to get a head start on these decisions, which can lead to risk for themselves, their associates, and the clients they serve.
Fortunately, there are options firm leaders can explore when considering the next stage of their business.
This paper, in collaboration with Advisor Growth Strategies, will highlight the evolving RIA landscape, weighing the case for internal succession versus external acquisition, and staging a firm for success, no matter the path.

Get the full white paper

Ensuring the future: Strategic transition planning for RIAs