Episode 115: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Matt Matrisian, President of Signature Estate & Investment Advisors (SEIA). Matt is a pioneer in transforming the delivery of financial advice. His career has focused on simplifying the financial services industry, supporting its evolution, and enhancing the value to advisors. He believes the best investment outcomes begin with advisor-centric tools and capabilities that wrap around investors' needs. Matt's appointment as President of SEIA represents the culmination of a three-decade journey dedicated to reimagining how wealth management firms can scale with purpose while preserving the personal touch that defines the client experience.

Kyle and Matt discuss how SEIA builds a platform that enables advisors to thrive. From transitioning independent contractors to equity partners to driving double-digit organic growth, Matt reveals how the firm empowers advisors with infrastructure, flexibility, and support. Matt also talks about the race for talent in the industry and how firms should develop the next generation of advisors to sustain future growth.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(02:14) - Matt's money moment

(04:08) - SEIA's founding and growth trajectory

(08:17) - Making the move from 1099 to W-2 advisors seamless

(12:18) - Understanding the advisor lifecycle

(14:04) - The role of Signature Investment Advisors (SIA) in the industry

(15:51) - Should larger firms become their own TAMPs or asset management arms?

(19:43) - How outsourcing can accelerate growth

(25:19) - Delivering value that justifies the cost

(27:15) - The race for talent: The importance of developing G2 and G3 talent

(31:29) - How SEIA leverages technology

(34:17) - How SEIA utilizes the power of AI

(36:38) - Matt's outlook on the future of the industry

(39:29) - Matt's Milemarker Minute

Key Takeaways

Growth requires structure, not just ambition. Success stems from clear systems—shared equity, technology, and culture—that give advisors both autonomy and stability.

Outsourcing drives exponential growth. Advisors who outsource investment management and back-office operations free up valuable time to focus on relationships, growth, and client experience.

Know your "why" behind growth. Growth isn't about chasing numbers. It's about serving more families who need financial guidance, while creating space for advisors to live fuller lives.

Invest in G2 and G3 talent. To ensure long-term sustainability, firms must have a structured career ladder and a pathway for young talent to grow, get licensed, and eventually become equity partners. Actively recruiting and nurturing the next generation is essential in the industry's "race for talent."

Quotes

"I envision SEIA as always being a dual affiliation model. We will always have W-2 and 1099 advisors. We want to give the best of both worlds to advisors, and how they want to affiliate with us." ~ Matt Matrisian

"To provide that flexibility and eliminate the swivel-chair experience of advisors having to go across multiple platforms, to give them a technology platform that integrates everything and consolidates into a data lake solution, and to surface their assets regardless of the platform or investment vehicle used for advice to digest and monitor, that's where we need to be spending our time." ~ Matt Matrisian

Links 

Matt Matrisian on LinkedIn

Signature Estate & Investment Advisors

Raymond James

Charles Schwab

Fidelity Investments

Reverence Capital Partners

Signature Investment Advisors

Osaic

LPL Financial

AssetMark

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done

Connect with our hosts

Milemarker.co

Kyle on LinkedIn

Jud on LinkedIn

Subscribe and stay in touch

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

YouTube