Since its inception, TradePMR prioritizes service over size.
Being one of the biggest firms in any industry can have perks. With size comes scale, and a company can make significant acquisitions – in essence, buy their way to become the biggest (after complying with anti-trust laws). After proper approvals are gained, that mentality may work for a firm's bottom line, but what impact does it have on the clients it serves?
When Growth Trumps Service
Robb Baldwin experienced the impact of this approach first-hand.
Robb was an early adopter of the RIA business model in the 90s. Everything was going great until one day his RIA custodian announced that they had been acquired and would be merging with another custodial service provider.
Robb was assured that the transition would be smooth – it was anything but smooth.
During the transition, some of Robb's client’s account balances reflected zero on statements, with millions of dollars seeming to have disappeared overnight. As Robb looked to fix these issues, he couldn't get the service and support he needed from his newly merged provider. He was left hanging without answers to his and his client's questions.
It took months for Robb to resolve the problems and even longer to repair his client relationships. He felt that there had to be a better way.
Robb decided to launch TradePMR – a custodial service provider 100% dedicated to supporting RIAs. To meet this goal, TradePMR focuses on delivering white-glove service to every advisor with whom it works.
It's Not About Being the Biggest – It's About Trying to be the Best
TradePMR's approach to growth prioritizes service.
The firm knows that not every advisor is the right fit for TradePMR, just as TradePMR isn't the right fit for every advisor. Rather than trying to work with every RIA, TradePMR takes a more strategic and calculated approach to growth.
The firm looks to work with growth-minded RIAs that could benefit from TradePMR's comprehensive technology and high-touch service model. These are advisors that will be able to take TradePMR's offering and run with it – helping to build their businesses and expand the services they deliver to their clients.
These advisors also tend to be tech-savvy and look to take advantage of TradePMR's constantly evolving Fusion platform. With each new offering the firm releases, a flood of users seem to jump at the opportunity to use those new features.
If TradePMR were to add every advisor that expresses interest in the firm, the firm believes it would be nearly impossible to maintain the high level of service that the firm was built on.
Robb and the rest of the leadership team focus their efforts on growing TradePMR in a way that allows the team to scale appropriately. The team looks to never sacrifice service level for current clients in order to add new clients – they work to scale the firm's approach to service to win advisors' business, every day.
Feeling Big Issues from a Big-Name RIA Custodial Service Provider?
While TradePMR has maintained this focus on service for more than 20 years, we may not be able to say the same about all RIA custodians.
Long waits on hold, ineffective support from service team members, confusing technology that can be difficult to navigate – these issues can have a long-lasting and rippling effect on a growing RIA.
More time spent handling issues from a provider means less time to spend serving clients and building a business. It's an issue that Brian Bischoff of Bischoff Wealth Management understands intimately.
RIAs like Brian have felt the pains of working with a big-name custodian that fell short in service. Those problems are felt all too often by RIAs and can be a major barrier to success.
Do You Feel Like You Deserve Better Service from Your RIA Custodian?
If your answer is yes, we should have a conversation.
Let's talk about your experience, where you feel service could be improved, and if TradePMR could be the right provider to fit your needs.
There's no harm in having a conversation – no commitment, just seeing if the grass could be greener on the other side.
