Ƶapp Acquires GA Investment Management Adding 10-person, $400-Million Practice to Ƶapp’s Employee-based Model
Pennsylvania-based firm’sfinancial advisors and wealth management team have become investment adviser representatives of Ƶapp Planning Partners through the employee-based model of Ƶapp
DALLAS – (May 16, 2024) – Ƶapp® Inc., a leader intax-focused financial planning and wealth management, has acquired GA Investment Management (GA). The Pennsylvania-based wealth management firm was not previously affiliated with Ƶapp. Since closing the acquisition, $400 million in GA client assets have been onboarded to the Ƶapp platform, and 10 GA employees are now W-2 employees of Ƶapp.
The three partners who led GA – Stephen Gierl, CFP®, Gary Augustine, and Tim Augustine, CFP® – conducted a lengthy nationwide search as part of their succession plan, culminating with several finalists pursuing GA. Gierl said he and his partners chose Ƶapp for several reasons, including that GA and Ƶapp have nearly identical approaches to financial planning and investment management, they wanted in-house asset management like Ƶapp’s, and they wanted their younger advisors to have client-growth potential through Ƶapp’s deep network of tax and accounting firm affiliates.
“Several firms looked good to us, but what set Ƶapp apart was its incredible network of accounting firms, and its distinct approach of putting tax at the center of financial planning just like we do at GA, and that’s why we chose Ƶapp,” Gierl said. “We’re confident Ƶapp Planning Partners will serve our clients the way we want them served forever, including future generations of clients. We feel comfortable Ƶapp will help us grow the next generation of advisors and associates, and within Ƶapp, we can have a growth trajectory that will allow our people to continue to prosper.”
Another big part of GA’s decision to choose Ƶapp was that both firms use eMoney for planning and an enhanced client experience, Gierl said. GA also liked that Ƶapp not only embraces the importance of tax-focused financial planning, but has deep planning expertise and specialists throughout its Home Office.
Gierl said what sealed the deal for GA’s leaders was the overall cultural fit shared by the firms.
“We attended an Ƶapp Planning Partners event where we talked with a number of Financial Planning Consultants and affiliated CPAs, and everyone was very enthusiastic about the relationship. That was really big for us,” Gierl said.
Gierl, Gary Augustine, and GA’s other financial advisors and wealth management team have joined Ƶapp Planning Partners℠ as employee-based investment advisers and staff. Tim Augustine has joined Ƶapp’s Home Office in an administrative role.
In welcoming the GA team, Ƶapp President Todd Mackay said: “The cultural connection GA and Ƶapp have is extraordinary, as is the incredibly tight alignment in our approach to client service, financial planning, investment management and putting tax at the center of everything we do. GA is a group of great people committed to doing what’s in their clients’ best interest, and I can’t wait to see what’s ahead for the GA team as they focus on growth backed by the full resources of Ƶapp.”
Tax and financial professionals can learn more about Ƶapp byclicking here.
About Ƶapp®
Ƶapp, a unique community within Cetera Holdings, delivers tax-intelligent wealth management solutions for financial professionals, tax professionals and CPA firms, supporting its goal of minimizing clients’ tax burdens through comprehensive tax-intelligent financial planning. Ƶapp has two distinct, but related, models within its business: the independent Financial Professional model and the employee-based model. Ƶapp refers to its independent Financial Professional model as Ƶapp Wealth Management®. Ƶapp Wealth Management (AWM) works with a nationwide network of Financial Professionals operating as independent contractors and offers its services through its registered broker-dealer, Ƶapp Investment Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, registered investment advisor (RIA), Ƶapp Advisory Services, Inc., and insurance agency subsidiaries. We refer to our employee-based model as Ƶapp Planning Partners℠. Ƶapp Planning Partners offers services through its RIA, insurance agency, and affiliated broker-dealer, Ƶapp Investment Services, Inc., and partners with CPA firms to provide their consumer and small-business clients with holistic financial planning and advisory services. Collectively, Ƶapp had $92.8 billion in total client assets as of Dec. 31, 2023. For additional information, please visitwww.avantax.com.
Media Contacts:
Tony Katsulos
Ƶapp, Inc.
(972) 870-6654
tony.katsulos@avantax.com
Alexandra Lynn
StreetCred PR for Ƶapp, Inc.
929-317-4240
alexandra@streetcredpr.com
avantax@streetcredpr.com