D. Chris Brown, CFP
Industry Consultant
Report Authored In Association With
Financial Research Corporation

Session Description

Chris will discuss key findings from FRC’s recently released research study, Targeting Mainstream Advisors: Trends Among RIAs That Manage Less Than $100 Million. This second report in FRC’s RIA research series examines the elusive and geographically dispersed mainstream independent RIA market. Targeting Mainstream Advisors focuses on the 7,500 advisors that collectively control more than  $226 billion. Chris will discuss the market segments of financial planners, money managers, and market timers, revealing the types of investment products these mainstream RIAs use, as well as their investment strategies. He will also disclose the top metro areas to target for mainstream RIAs and a number of other useful metrics for firm’s attempting to target this important market segment.

The presentation will help you:

1)Size and segment the market opportunity for your products within the multiple RIA business models—Financial Planners, Money Managers, and Market Timers.

2)Understand the metrics of the mainstream RIA opportunity, including average account size, number of clients, median investable assets per client controlled by the advisor, and other important statistics.

3)Develop new products and marketing programs to target this geographically dispersed group.

Survey Population
The study’s findings are based on an analysis of 7,548 geographically dispersed independent RIAs, all of which manage less than $100 million. As a whole, the group controls over $226 billion of investor assets, and average assets under management per firm equal $30 million. Just over 200 firms manage $90 million or more (about 2.5% of the total group), and 430 practitioners have $1 million or less under management.  All study data is derived from Discovery™, a product of Financial Information Group, and is as of September 30, 2002.

This program is appropriate for senior financial executives with responsibility for Affluent Marketing, Small Business, Investment Services, Product Development, Market Research and Strategy Teams.

Attendance Fee:

$275.00 plus $50.00 per telephone line used.  

If you are not satisfied with the program for any reason, just let us know and you will not be invoiced.

About D. Christopher Brown, CFP®

Chris has been an independent financial-services consultant since April 2001. In this capacity,Chris conducts market and industry research and consults on both strategic and tactical assignments across a wide range of financial-services markets, business lines and products. Areas of specialization include intermediary trends (including broker-dealers, independent investment advisors and CPAs), wholesaling and relationship management, distribution-cost dynamics, and financial services technology.

Prior to forming his own independent practice, Chris spent four years with Financial Research Corporation. He was jointly responsible for the firm’s value-added research business, which primarily involved developing comprehensive studies of key trends in the marketing and distribution of investment products through all U.S. retail channels. In addition, Chris was responsible for leveraging the intellectual capital acquired through these research initiatives into consulting engagements. 

Industry studies that Chris co-authored for FRC include:

1. The 2002 Advisors to the Affluent Report
2. Money on the Move: Strategies for Capturing Retirement Rollovers
3. New Strategies for Intermediary Distribution: An Examination of the Costs and Structures Driving Wholesaling and Relationship Management
4. Winning in an Uncertain World: A Study of Mutual Fund Distribution Cost and Strategy
5. Examining Trends in the RIA Marketplace
6. Intermediary Use of Alternative Investment Products
7. Advisors to the Affluent and the Broker-Dealers that Service Them
8. Standing Out in a Crowded Marketplace: A Study of Mutual Fund Company Brand Strength

Before joining FRC, Chris spent three years with Putnam Investments, where he held the position of Vice President, Retail Marketing Manager. Chris was responsible for developing business support programs and Web site content for financial advisors. In addition, Chris played a key role in the development of several successful equity funds through his contributions in the area of competitive marketplace research.

Prior to joining Putnam, Chris spent five years as a Certified Financial Planner and Registered Investment Advisor. Initially, he worked for American Express Financial Advisors, and later formed his own independent practice in affiliation with Commonwealth Financial Network.

Chris received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Geneva College.