New Corporate RIA Firm Gets Into The Game

Tom Burroughes

14 May 2019

US wealth management house Benjamin F Edwards, has launched a corporate registered investment advisor business, known as Edwards Wealth Management, based in St Louis.

And the RIA is debuting with Blake and Connor Dunlop of the Dunlop Investment Group, a father-son duo - both former professional hockey players. The Dunlops manage $230 million in client assets.

The launch of such a business comes at a time when some advisors are looking to transition and outsource in-house operations or partner with larger groups.

"The launch of our new enterprise RIA represents a unique opportunity for advisors to partner with Benjamin F. Edwards to help them build their legacy. EWM enables advisory business owners to maintain their full independence and focus on working with their clients and growing their practice, while outsourcing their middle and back-office to us," Chris Keller, managing director of Edwards Wealth Management, said.

The firm offers a turnkey suite of business services and technology necessary to build and grow a business. Other offerings include business and technology infrastructure, operational support, risk management, compliance oversight, and investment management services. For those advisors whose clients hold brokerage accounts, they will also have access to the firm’s broker-dealer, Benjamin F Edwards said in a statement yesterday.

The Benjamin F Edwards business dates back to 1887 when Albert Gallatin Edwards, who served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury under five presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, founded AG Edwards & Sons. Benjamin F. Edwards started its full-service broker-dealer in 2008 and now has more than $25 billion in assets under management.

Dunlop Investment Group, the first firm to affiliate with Edwards Wealth Management, was formed in 2010 when the father-son team merged their practices. Both are former professional hockey players: Blake played for the St Louis Blues, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, and Detroit Red Wings, and Connor, who attended University of Notre Dame on a full hockey scholarship, played professionally in the US as well as overseas.

“My father and I initially joined the Benjamin F Edwards broker-dealer almost ten years ago because we knew they would empower us to serve our clients and would provide resources to grow our business," Conor Dunlop said.