The partnership speaks to a perceived need for advisors to help with business ownership tasks in an industry going through heavy change.

RISR, a business owner engagement platform for financial advisors, has partnered with Wealthcare Capital Management, an RIA with more than $8 billion in AuM that supports independent advisors.

Following the pact, Wealthcare advisors can take a deeper look at the needs of their business owner clients, Wealthcare and RISR said in a statement last week. RISR has also partnered with Philadelphia-headquartered FS Investments, an alternative asset manager with more than $83 billion in AuM . 

With RIA owners needing guidance as they seek to merge with others, sell up, restructure or otherwise change business models amid a multi-trillion dollar wealth transfer, rising costs and advisors eye retirement. This ferment has intensified with the involvement of private equity money in the North American wealth sector, as this article explains. (This related article looks at the challenges around business succession at RIAs, family offices and other wealth organizations.)

“Business owners have faced a relentless series of economic challenges over the past several years. First, the pandemic disrupted daily operations, causing significant labor shortages," the firms’ statement said. “Then, just as the economy started to rebound, inflation and rising interest rates left many business owners feeling the impact on a deeper level – tainting their outlook for the future. These ongoing pressures, among other factors, contributed to a sense of pessimism, resulting in paused succession planning and retirement preparations for many, which has in turn caused pent up demand.”

“Advisors can no longer treat the business like any other asset on the balance sheet of an owner. Being equipped with the tools and technology to help them navigate succession planning is critical as owners start to think about what's next,” it continued. 

Wealthcare Capital Management is an RIA running alongside Wealthcare Capital Partners and Wealthcare Advisory Partners; these RIAs form part of Wealthcare, a business unit of Financeware. 

“Business owners need an advisor who has the right data at their fingertips to guide them through critical decisions,” Jason Early, founder and chief executive officer of RISR, said. 

RISR, founded in 2024, is backed by financial industry veterans. Wealthcare, which built goals-based planning and investing methodology 26 years ago, boasts 12 patents in its goals management process.