Raffety Adams works for advisors, not institutions. We help you see every option worth considering, from independent RIAs to boutique and regional firms, then negotiate the deal and stay with you through the move. Every conversation stays between us.
in client assets moved to new firms with our help
of deal negotiation experience at the table for you
managing members personally on every engagement, start to finish
firms we are captive to. We represent the advisor.
Advisors call us before they tell anyone else, including their own teams. We treat that trust as the job.
We never present you, your team, or your book to a firm until you tell us to. Early conversations with firms happen on a no-names basis.
We reach you on your personal phone and email, on your schedule, including evenings and weekends. Nothing goes to your work inbox.
Some advisors move in months. Others just want to know their market value. We are glad to have the conversation either way.
Leaving well matters as much as landing well. We walk through your agreements, Broker Protocol status and notice timing so the transition protects your client relationships.
Most recruiters lead with a deal. We lead with your practice. The right platform answers the questions that matter most to you and your clients.
Am I keeping enough of what my practice earns?
Do I own my book, my brand and the value I am building?
Can I offer the products, pricing and service my clients deserve?
Who decides my technology, my staff and my investment approach?
Will I have the operations and compliance help to grow, not just survive?
What does succession look like for my team and my clients?
A private call about where you are, what is working, and what is not. No commitment and no paperwork.
We learn your book, your service model, your team and your agreements, so options are built around facts.
We bring a focused set of platforms that fit your goals, with candid pros and cons for each.
We arrange meetings and visits, prepare the questions to ask, and help you compare offers side by side.
We negotiate on your behalf and review terms line by line, so the deal reflects what your practice is worth.
We stay close through resignation day, client repapering and the first year, and we are a call away after that.
We believe stepping away from the traditional wirehouse W2 model is often the most rewarding path for an advisor and their clients. We also know it is not right for everyone, so we cover the full map.
Launch your own RIA, join an established one, or partner with a platform that handles the back office while you keep ownership.
Higher payouts and more autonomy, with a broker-dealer behind you for brokerage business and support.
Firms such as Rockefeller offer a high-touch, private-client culture with W2 stability.
Firms such as RBC offer full-service resources with a smaller-firm feel.
For advisors who want to stay in a W2 wirehouse model, Wells Fargo is the one wirehouse we work with.
A plain comparison of the two models. Specific economics depend on your book and the platform you choose, which is exactly what we model with you.
| Area | Wirehouse W2 | Independent RIA |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership | The firm owns the platform and controls the client relationship on paper. | You own the business, its brand and the equity you build. |
| Compensation | Payout grid set by the firm, often with deferred compensation and retention notes. | You keep the revenue and pay your own expenses, which typically leaves more on the table. |
| Client offering | Products and pricing shaped by firm policy and proprietary offerings. | Open architecture as a fiduciary, chosen for each client. |
| Technology & staff | Firm-selected systems; staff are firm employees. | You pick the tech stack and build the team you want. |
| Succession | Sunset programs on the firm’s terms. | Sell, merge or pass the business on your terms and at market value. |
| Responsibility | Firm handles compliance, operations and infrastructure. | You run a business, with partners available to carry much of that load. |
Every practice is different. We will show you the numbers for yours before you make any decision.
You will not be handed off to a junior associate. Andrew and Charles are involved from the first call to the final signature, advocating for the best result for you.
Co-founder · Managing Member
Andrew is an experienced financial advisor recruiter who began his career in hospitality management with the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and W Hotels, where client service was everything.
He moved into advisor placement in Houston with Hughes and Associates Placement Partners, rose into management, and co-founded Raffety Adams to give advisors truly independent representation.
Co-founder · Managing Member
Charles is a Texas trial lawyer who has been negotiating deals and resolutions for three decades. He spent 15 years in public service, including as an appellate judicial clerk and a judge, and is a named member of Roebuck, Thomas & Adams.
He holds a BA from the University of Houston, a JD magna cum laude from South Texas College of Law, and an LLM from Harvard Law School.
Our team
Eric was raised in Sugar Land, Texas, and attended the University of Houston. Before joining Raffety Adams, he worked in natural gas sales in the oil and gas industry.
Ian is from Plano, Texas, and earned a civil engineering degree from UT Tyler. He built his career as a problem solver and executive at Avis Budget Group.
Bobby was raised in Bellaire, Texas, and served in the United States Marine Corps from 2008 to 2012. His experience spans oil and gas, manufacturing and the skilled trades.
Anything not answered here, ask us directly. Every question is confidential.
No. We contact you only through personal channels, we never share your name with a firm without your explicit permission, and early conversations with firms are anonymous.
Not at all. Many advisors talk with us simply to understand their options and their market value. If the right move is to stay where you are, we will tell you that.
We review your situation early, including Broker Protocol status, non-solicitation terms, promissory notes and deferred compensation, so your plan protects your client relationships and your money.
From first conversation to move, most transitions take a few months, depending on the platform, licensing and timing of deferred compensation. We set the pace around your needs.
Independence and the RIA space are our main focus, but we also place advisors with boutique and regional firms and with Wells Fargo’s W2 model. We also help independent business owners with growth, mergers, acquisitions and succession.
Both managing members, Andrew Raffety and Charles Adams, are involved with every advisor from beginning to end.
Email or call us directly. Your message goes only to Andrew and Charles, and we will reply from our own addresses to whatever contact you prefer.
Click below and your own email app opens a new message addressed to Andrew and Charles. Share as much or as little as you like: your name, the best personal email or phone to reach you, and what you are considering.
Your message goes only to Andrew and Charles. Nothing is stored on this site.