Linsco by LPL Financial last week signed the team of Jared West and Sandy Brown from the Fresno, Calif., office of Merrill Lynch, where they handled $390 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets, an LPL statement said.
Heading up a new office called West Wealth Advisory, also in Fresno, West and Brown bring with them client services associates Samantha Medeiros and Rachel Schwendiman and a track record of serving high-net-worth individuals and business owners.
According to the LPL statement, it was the dramatic downturn in both equities and fixed income in 2022 that prompted the team to consider a more independent and tailored approach to serving their clients, and what ultimately led to them making the transition.
“Moving to LPL opens the door for our clients to have access to the products and strategies that make the most sense for them, without restrictions on investments or influence from bank mandates,” West said in the statement. “This move is really about freedom for clients and doing the right thing for them. I’m excited to only work for my clients’ best interests.”
West, a certified financial planner and certified portfolio manager, began his career in 1998 when he joined American Express Financial Advisors, and went on to work with Salomon Smith Barney and Banc of America Investment Services before joining Merrill Lynch in 2009 as a dually registered advisor, according to BrokerCheck.
Beginning in 2000, Brown first worked with Citigroup Global Markets as a dually registered advisor, then had stints at UBS Financial Services, Princor Financial Services and SCF Investment Advisors before joining Merrill Lynch in 2017, also according to BrokerCheck.
This marks the 50th recruited signing for Linsco, which was launched in early 2021 as an LPL employee advisor channel specifically designed to provide support for advisors who want to go independent but are used to working in a fully supported wirehouse environment. Under the Linsco model, the advisor owns their client relationships but has access to the LPL wealth management platform, an experienced branch manager and other consultants.
