Chris Clemens
Haven Tower Group, LLC
424.652.6520, ext. 102
cclemens@haventower.com
OMAHA, NEB. - Sept. 23, 2010 – Verus Capital Partners, LLC, a SEC registered investment advisory firm in Scottsdale, Ariz., has become a branch of independent broker/dealer Securities America.
Verus, which has about $225 million in assets under management, was formed in August under the leadership of branch manager Steve Bull, formerly with NEXT Financial Group. With 20 advisors, Verus has its main office in Scottsdale with additional offices in New Jersey, North Carolina and Minnesota.
“The formation of Verus, and our selection of Securities America as our broker/dealer, will enhance our service for private clients, and leverage our experience in managing money for institutions and other investment advisors,” Bull said. “Securities America has had a hybrid RIA platform for many years, so they embraced our model as an independent RIA.”
Bull joined AXA Advisors in 1993 and within two years had moved into management, establishing and building offices in his native Wisconsin as well as Arizona and Nevada. In 2004, he joined NEXT Financial Group as an individual advisor, growing his group to more than 20 advisors and ranking among NEXT Financial Group’s top 15 branch managers for several years.
As an independent RIA, Verus uses fundamental equity analysis and a value style to build personalized portfolios with preservation of capital as a key driver. Using an active style of management, Verus believes preservation of capital is paramount in managing client assets, Bull said.
“We’re extremely pleased to have Steve and the other advisors with Verus as a part of the Securities America family,” said Gregg Johnson, senior vice president and director of branch office development. “Securities America has a strong commitment to supporting the particular needs of branches of all sizes. We look forward to assisting Steve in building Verus by providing growth-oriented programs to current advisors and by attracting more advisors throughout the country.”
About Securities America
Headquartered in La Vista, Neb., Securities America Inc. is the nation’s eighth largest independent broker-dealer (as ranked by Financial Planning magazine, June 2012, based on 2011 total revenue). For more than 25 years, Securities America’s mission has been to foster the success of financial professionals so they can provide quality, objective counsel and services to their clients. Advisors benefit from the firm’s industry-leading programs in practice management, advisory services and retirement income distribution, supported by state-of-the-art technology. Founded in 1993, Securities America Advisors Inc. is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisory firm that offers investment management, financial advice and financial planning through a national network of independent financial advisors. Securities America Financial Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (NYSE MKT: LTS). Securities America received the inaugural Thought Leadership Award from the Retirement Income Industry Association in March 2011. Additional information is available at www.securitiesamerica.com.