Regardless of unprecedented rising rates of interest and elevated price of capital, the demand for monetary advisors, particularly retirement plan advisors, continues because the promise of the convergence of wealth, retirement and advantages on the office retains PE companies . The Q2 2023 Smart Rhino Group report observes that for those who have achieved scale, the purpose is integration, whereas different Aggregators nonetheless attempt for scale.
However as Ascensus CEO David Musto quipped lately at an business convention, “Scale is bullsh*t. Measurement alone is meaningless within the absence of the advantages.”
RPA M&A offers began heating up in 2017, with eight offers rising to 74 final 12 months in comparison with 96 RIA offers in ’17 and 273 in ’22. With an estimated 13,000 RPA specialists (outlined by Cerulli as these with 50% or extra of their income from outlined contribution plans) and a complete of 288,000 lively monetary advisors, the RPA deal market is six occasions extra lively, comparatively. RPA valuations stay excessive at virtually 11x EBITDA, however with much less money up entrance. There are a mean of eight patrons for every deal, however based on Dick Darian, WRG’s founder and CEO, the patrons might fluctuate by transaction.
The hope and promise of serving and monetizing contributors is driving curiosity in RPAs, as plan sponsors are more and more open to permitting and even asking suppliers and advisors to supply staff wealth and profit steerage and recommendation. And whereas there’s rising competitors between report keepers, RPAs and RIAs, the CEO of a prime three DC recordkeeper that gives wealth companies, famous {that a} 1% conversion fee can be a homerun leaving loads of alternatives for advisors. A number one consulting agency stated {that a} rising variety of PE companies, together with some sovereign funds, have an interest within the RPA market primarily based on a 1% conversion alternative.
The handful of scaled RPA companies are centered on integration and wealth, whereas the others proceed to climb that mountain. Darian acknowledged, “RPA Aggregators may have to herald skilled managers to construct and execute.” CAPTRUST CEO Fielding Miller added, “A very powerful benefit of scaling is the flexibility to draw the very best expertise.”
WRG estimates that there at the moment are virtually 100 RPA patrons together with:
- Present RPA aggregators;
- Rising RPA aggregators;
- RIA aggregators;
- Dealer sellers;
- Non-public fairness; and
- Strategic patrons.
RIA Aggregators are simply beginning to pay extra consideration to DC plans and RPA companies, led by Artistic Planning’s acquisition of Lockton’s retirement advisory division late 2021 and most lately Carson Group’s buy of Northwest Administration.
As extra RPAs at scale begin to successfully leverage contributors, it turns into tougher for independents to compete, famous Darian. Although most of the bigger RPA companies have already got been acquired, Darian noticed that there are nonetheless 50 teams with a minimum of $5 million in income and one other 1,000 engaging targets who selected to take a seat out the primary wave.
RPAs and RIAs are squarely within the second of 4 levels of consolidation outlined in a 2002 Harvard Enterprise Evaluation article “The Consolidation Curve,” by A.T. Kearny consultants, that studied 1,345 mergers in varied industries.
Throughout Stage 2 (Scale), main gamers emerge quickly shopping for up opponents, with the highest three gamers having fun with 15-45% market share honing integration expertise, core tradition, retention and a scalable IT platform. In Stage 3 (Focus) survivors look to broaden their core companies to aggressively outgrow their competitors, with the market share of the highest three (out of 5-12 total gamers) rising to 35-70%. This stage contains megadeals and large-scale performs as survivors ruthlessly assault underperformers, particularly start-ups. Revenue is essential, as is avoiding all-out assaults on different main gamers.
File keepers are within the midst of stage 3, with 5 dominant 401(ok) report keepers and 10-12 important opponents. When RPA aggregators begin shopping for up different aggregators, it’s a signal that they’ve entered the following stage.
Convergence historically refers to providing wealth, retirement and profit recommendation and companies on the office or the convergence of the concepts and practices from the institutional market to the retail sector whereas determining the right way to promote and repair the exploding micro and start-up market.
But it surely additionally might imply the convergence of report keepers, advisors and asset managers companies. These closest to the shopper have essentially the most energy, however asset managers, who’re furthest away, have the best margins. File keepers have and can proceed to look to supply advisory companies to contributors in addition to proprietary and co-created investments. Advisors are leveraging funding merchandise to spice up income whereas partnering with fintechs like Vestwell and leveraging PEPs to supply outsourced report preserving companies to purchasers.
As RPA companies develop, they not solely change into extra engaging to PE companies and RIA aggregators, they could additionally change into targets of report keepers. Stage 2 of the consolidation curve is simply preparation for the actual warfare in Stage 3 earlier than culminating in the fourth and last stage (Steadiness & Alliance) when the highest three entities, with 70-90% market share, focus on forming alliances as progress turns into more difficult.
The stakes are getting increased for RPAs. The competitors is more durable with new opponents rising. Only some could have the expertise, capital and capabilities to prevail.
