Transition support that stays with you.
With insight and onsite expertise from one of the largest and most experienced transition teams in the field, you’ll be supported at every stage as you prepare your practice, set up your office and complete your clients’ move to Raymond James.
Your transition, in step
We take the transition process in clearly defined, detailed steps but we also take it in steps with you – adjusting our approach to suit your unique perspective, your clients' needs and your goals for your business.
Explore the power of Raymond James
When you partner with Raymond James, you gain access to a wide range of departments, services and product offerings. Plus, you have the ability to leverage our strategic partnerships and vendor relationships. You can align your clients’ services with their needs, taking advantage of our diversified offerings. Discover a few of our wide range of offerings:
Step 1 - Explore
Initial contact
Talk with a recruiter who will listen to your goals and help you find the affiliation option that works for you.
Exploratory discussions
Dive deeper into your possibilities and all Raymond James has to offer to help you do business your way.
Home Office Visit
Go behind the scenes and meet one-on-one with firm leaders and relevant business unit professionals.
Step 2 - Target
Official commitment
Make the choice to transform the future of your business when you commit to affiliating with Raymond James.
Target date selection
Work with your team to determine an ideal transition date and start building your custom transition plan.
Key Contact - Transition Consultant
Step 3 - Prepare
Transition team introductions
Get to know the entire team supporting you through the transition process, including your dedicated transition and technology consultants.
Firm training and education
Take advantage of coaching, education and training opportunities informed and refined by the experiences of thousands of financial advisors.
Technology infrastructure
Work with your technology consultant to assemble your practiceʼs technological backbone.
Marketing and communication strategy
See how Raymond James Marketing + Agency Solutions can work with you to build and an impactful, personal brand and communications strategy
Step 4 - Transition
Official transition
This is day one – the reward for your decision and all the hard work that's gone into it. Take a moment to savor it.
Real-time transition team support
Lean on the support of your dedicated team who will continue to connect with you virtually and on site.
Communication plan launch
Communicate the change to your clients using the methods that best meet your needs and theirs.
Account transfer
Rely on our automated fee management process to handle Automated Customer Account Transfer Service (ACATS) fees and reimbursements and more.
Continued training and education
Explore the range of education options to help you and your team get up to speed on services and technology.
Key Contact - Technology Consultant
Step 5 - Thrive
Transition graduation
After the early flurry of activity, you'll settle to a more typical pace as you close in on your transition graduation.
Ongoing transition team collaboration
Transition may be complete, but your team is still there to help you harness the power of the Raymond James platform.
Practice vision planning
With day one done, think into the future and start building a plan for where your practice can grow from here.
Expand home office network
Start making the connections that will maximize your possibilities by reaching out to departments and professionals of interest.
Preparation
We have a plan for every step
Once you’ve made your decision, we’ll get right to work. Our transition teams have the planning and experience to create a smooth transition – and the authority and resources to untangle any snags along the way.
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You will be guided by a transition consultant, your home office liaison and point of contact for all operational aspects. You will also have a technology consultant who will help you develop and implement your customized technology plan.
Additionally:
For employee advisors
Branch support
Your branch manager and operations manager will be indispensable resources for questions, concerns and support.
For independent advisors
Independent business consultant
Your business consultant will be your partner, providing personalized guidance and an eye for details as you establish and build your business and make decisions large and small.
For independent RIAs
Business development team
During the process of establishing or transitioning your RIA, we will provide education and guidance around critical business decisions, such as engaging an independent compliance or legal consultant to set up your RIA entity.
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Informed and refined by the experiences of thousands of financial advisors, our business coaching, education and training opportunities are available to assist in your transition.
Topics include:
- Exploring and understanding your business
- Determining the appropriate account types and services
- Account opening process and implementation
- Privacy and protocol requirements
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Raymond James Marketing + Agency Solutions has worked with hundreds of advisors to build impactful brands that are uniquely their own, supported by communications strategies and engagement plans designed to keep your practice front of mind.
See how Raymond James Marketing + Agency Solutions can differentiate your practice
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Your technology consultant will start working quickly to begin assembling your practice’s technological backbone. You can select from a library of hardware, applications and entitlements.
Welcome to your new partnership with Raymond James
Congratulations on making a bold decision for your clients, your practice and you. These first moments are a good time to take a quick breather and think about all you’ve achieved so far. The next part comes fast, but trust the plan – we’ve got this.
Implementation
Let’s welcome your clients
Your dedicated support combined with the vast resources available on call work with you to bring your clients over quickly with as little friction as possible and address any challenges that arise.
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We take special care and focus to help you announce the change in your business, using an approach in line with your clients’ and your practice’s needs. Communication resources and platforms available include:
- Website development, which will become your main communication hub to help build a stronger brand and reach prospective and existing clients.
- RJ Connect, our tool for easy and systematic email and social media engagement.
- Advisor Texting in our mobile app, an additional communication channel for you and your clients that meets all communication retention and review requirements.
- Ready-to-go and customizable marketing materials at your fingertips.
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As you and your team continue to communicate with your clients about the move and their individual needs, transition team members will be coaching and assisting with:
- Information gathering
- Account opening
- Form creation and distribution
- Technology training and support
This stage can be hectic, but you’ll have the support of our experienced team to help you see it through.
eSignature ready
Where possible, and with your clients’ consent, they can execute essential documents with our secure digital signature system for speed and convenience.
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Our service and technology educational offerings for branch associates span a wide range of expertise levels, from introductory onboarding courses to subject mastery and long-term career development plans.
For advisors, we also offer a similarly expansive range of educational offerings. Some of these include, Tech Essentials and Tech Forward which provide a strong technology foundation to simplify work and increase productivity. Additionally, Tech Savvy provides advanced training on integrated practice management technology.
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Your dedicated support team – including branch managers, support staff, service advisors and divisional managers, depending on your affiliation – will continue to connect and support you through multiple channels – from Microsoft Teams, video conferencing, Raymond James BOX, and more.