Securities America in the News

LA VISTA, Neb. – May 23, 2019 – Securities America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (NYSE American: LTS, LTSL, LTS PrA, LTSF, LTSK), announced today that it has successfully recruited three advisory practices with client assets totaling approximately $245 million.

The three groups are:

• Miller & Hurt Wealth Advisors, a two-advisor practice in Rockledge, Fla., with total client assets of $110 million;
• Hill & Associates, a three-advisor practice based in Lincoln, Neb., with total client assets of $82 million; and
• Duprez Financial, a two-advisor practice in Myrtle Beach, S.C., with total client assets of $53 million.

Gregg Johnson, Securities America’s executive vice president of branch office development and acquisitions, said, “We are excited to be able to grow the Securities America family by adding Hill & Associates, Miller & Hurt Wealth Advisors and Duprez Financial. Each of these practices has been built by hardworking, service-focused advisors that were seeking the cutting-edge technology and practice management expertise that define the Securities America platform and the resources available to advisors at Ladenburg’s IAB firms. We stand ready to help these three firms grow to the next level.”

Stephen Hill, founder and president of Hill & Associates, said, “We appreciated that the team at Securities America is focused on providing the best service and technology in the industry. Even more than that, we were very impressed that they are real people who care about making our experience and that of our clients the best one possible, and they back that up through their friendly, open-door culture.”

Richard Miller and Tony Hurt of Miller & Hurt said, “We believe in building longstanding relationships through mutual respect and appreciation, and our practice is built around helping our clients achieve their objectives, not around products or transactions. We joined Securities America because their team cares deeply about these things, too. Moreover, the company’s technology and culture will allow us to maintain our independence while continuing to advocate for our clients in the best way possible.”

Michael Duprez, founder of Duprez Financial, said, “We are passionate about the quality of the service we provide our clients, and it was very important that our IAB partner feel the same way. In affiliating with Securities America, we are joining an organization that has built a strong foundation that will help us do our best work for our clients, and help drive the long-term success of our firm.”

Mr. Johnson concluded, “Helping strong independent advisory practices flourish is the lifeblood of our business. The advisors we serve are an indispensable part of the tight-knit culture we have created at Securities America. In the end, people are what make any organization great, and we look forward to collaborating with these three firms in their future development and growth.”