The destination does not come first.
We begin with your goals and constraints, then test the relevant landscape. The right outcome can be a move, a better deal, or confidence in staying.
Why Continuum
A second opinion with no single-firm agenda.
Most advisor recruiting starts with a destination. We start with the decision: what your practice needs, what your clients cannot lose, and whether a move improves the full picture.
Or call Rick directly: (303) 246-4352
100% confidential
No cost to advisors
Staying put remains an option
20+Years of advisor recruiting and transition experience
BroadBroker-dealer and RIA platform relationships
StayStaying put is a valid outcome when the evidence supports it
180Days of post-placement support after a transition
Independent by design
The answer is earned, not assumed.
A platform change can affect clients, staff, economics, operations, and the value of a practice. The process should be built to protect the quality of that decision.
Every option faces the same standard.
The 6C Framework keeps one attractive feature, including a transition check, from standing in for the whole decision.
The work continues after the yes.
We stay involved through diligence, negotiation, transition planning, onboarding, and the first six months in the new environment.
Compare the models
Ask what the process is designed to produce.
Not every recruiter works the same way. These are the practical differences an advisor should understand before sharing sensitive information or evaluating a firm.
Decision area
Typical recruiting model
Continuum Search Group
Starting point
Available firms and current recruiting priorities.
Your goals, constraints, client promises, and long-term definition of alignment.
Options considered
Often a limited set of contracted or actively hiring firms.
A broad broker-dealer and RIA landscape, including the option of staying where you are.
Evaluation method
Firm pitch, headline payout, transition offer, and production profile.
The 6C Framework, net economics, operational diligence, and multi-year implications.
Market evidence
Recruiting narratives, marketing materials, and current openings.
23,000+ SEC-reported registration changes in the latest 12-month research window.
After signing
The relationship may taper once the placement is complete.
Transition coordination and 180 days of post-placement support.
Staying put
A valid answer, but one that does not create a placement.
A successful conclusion when the evidence says your current platform still aligns.
A firm's internal recruiter can be the right resource when you already know the destination. The purpose of an independent process is to determine whether that destination is actually the right one.
The operating system
Alignment, evidence, and execution in one process.
A good decision needs a framework. A good transition needs an operator. Continuum brings both into the same engagement.
6C Framework
Define what matters, score the current reality, and compare alternatives across six connected dimensions.
Market Intelligence
Use SEC-reported movement patterns to challenge firm narratives and focus diligence on the right questions.
Transition Support
Coordinate terms, timelines, responsibilities, onboarding, and early-stage issues with one accountable partner.
01Culture
02Community
03Compatibility
04Capability
05Compensation
06Capital
How the work moves
From uncertainty to an informed decision.
Each step reduces noise, makes tradeoffs visible, and keeps you in control of when and whether the process moves forward.
- 01
Confidential discovery
Clarify the question, the timing, and the client or practice constraints that cannot be compromised.
- 02
Alignment analysis
Translate priorities into a decision standard using the 6C Framework and a clear economic baseline.
- 03
Focused diligence
Engage only the relevant firms, test their claims, compare terms, and surface the operational reality.
- 04
Decision and execution
Negotiate, coordinate the transition, and stay engaged through onboarding and the first 180 days.
After a yes
What the first 180 days actually cover.
The receiving firm owns the platform. Continuum stays on the decision and the issues that follow it. These are roles, not invented service-level numbers.
Window
Destination firm
Continuum
Days 0–30
Licensing, account opening, technology access, and the firm’s onboarding playbook.
Coordinate the plan, client-communication sequence, paperwork log, and the issues that show up in week one.
Days 31–90
Training, supervision, and the platform’s service model.
Stay on unresolved transfers, missed promises from diligence, and whether the 6C gaps are closing.
Days 91–180
Ordinary firm operations. Continuum does not replace that service model.
Scheduled check-ins on whether the capabilities that were promised actually showed up.
If you stay, there is no 180-day transition to run. The same process still applies: a documented case for remaining, and a record of why.
Advisor perspective
“Rick helped me see past the transition check and focus on what really mattered for my practice long-term. Best career decision I've made.”Pete R. - insurance broker-dealer to independent broker-dealer/RIA Meet Rick and the Continuum team
Before we talk
Questions worth asking.
How is Continuum compensated?
Advisors do not pay Continuum for platform-transition work. If you join a firm or platform we introduce, that organization compensates us. For M&A and practice-sale engagements, the acquiring party pays us. We explain the arrangement before introductions.
What does 180 days of post-placement support mean?
It is a role split, not a published SLA. The receiving firm owns licensing, onboarding, and the platform. Continuum stays on the decision, the issue log, and whether the capabilities that were promised actually showed up. If you stay, there is no transition window to run.
Will you tell me if staying is the better answer?
Yes. If the evidence supports staying, we will say so. The process is designed to improve the decision, not force a transaction.
When will firms learn that I am exploring?
Only after you give explicit permission. We do not share your identity or practice information with a firm before you approve the introduction.
Can I get a second opinion on an offer already in hand?
Yes. We can pressure-test the alignment, the net economics, the transition terms, and the long-term implications even if another process is already underway.
A confidential next step
Pressure-test the decision before it becomes a commitment.
A 30-minute conversation with Rick can clarify the question, the options, and whether a deeper review would be useful.
Schedule a confidential call
Prefer phone or email?
Prefer to write first?
Ask how Continuum would approach your decision.
Share the decision, offer, or platform question you want pressure-tested. A short note is enough to start.