Ep 388: Transitioning To Independent RIA With Only $7M Of AUM To Turbocharge Growth With Website Local SEO with Freeman Linde

Financial Advisor Success

Freeman Linde is the cofounder of La Crosse Financial Planning, an RIA based out of Wisconsin that oversees nearly $50 million in assets under management for 73 clients. Despite industry norms suggesting the need for tens of millions in assets to go independent, Freeman launched his own RIA with just $7M in AUM, shared with a business partner. Leveraging the freedom to create an SEO-optimized website tailored to their local community, they rapidly expanded the firm to $40M in less than four years.

Listen in as Freeman shares his strategic decision to operate as an independent RIA, utilizing a custom spreadsheet to analyze and favor the financial benefits over traditional broker-dealer models, including flat-cost expense management and the ability to offer lower client costs while raising AUM fees. He also discusses how adopting a focused local SEO strategy and creating distinct websites for niche markets accelerated his firm's growth, as well as his effective client-conversion approach. You'll hear how expanding his service offerings has solidified client loyalty and supported a sustainable business model that prioritizes recurring revenue over constant new client acquisition, inspiring newer advisors to start in fee-only environments.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/388