Ƶapp Acquires Integrated Tax & Wealth Strategies’ $760 Million Wealth Management Business
Ƶapp continues investing in advisor practices, complementing its suite of succession and buyout options
DALLAS – (May 1, 2024) – Ƶapp® Inc., a leader intax-focused financial planning and wealth management, has acquired the wealth management business of Integrated Tax & Wealth Strategies, an independent wealth management firm that is one of the largest businesses within the Ƶapp Community, with $760 million in total client assets, as of Dec. 31, 2023.
Integrated Tax & Wealth Strategies’ founder – highly successful independent financial advisor Brian Stephens – will continue with the tax practice. Integrated Tax & Wealth Management’s other financial advisors and wealth management team have become W-2 investment adviser representatives of Ƶapp Planning Partners℠.
Stephens said conversations about further deepening his partnership with Ƶapp began after he watched many of his peers pursue a similar path with Ƶapp Planning Partners.
“I’ve seen several other advisors align with Ƶapp Planning Partners, and while I looked at various options even outside of Ƶapp, I realized that other broker-dealers don’t understand our business model where tax preparation is such a key component of the investment relationship,” Stephens said. “I feel Ƶapp is the right answer because they are 100% aligned with my belief that the best solution for clients is to keep investment and tax preparation tied together.”
Stephens’ wealth team, including Matt Murch, CFP®, Joseph Webster, CFP®, Sabrina Pledger, Amy Villarreal, Kyle Pledger and Cheryl Wright, have joined Ƶapp as employees and will continue to support the relationships the team has built over the past 25 years.
The next evolution of Stephens’ relationship with Ƶapp grew from a customized approach for Stephens and his team; it was designed with long-term growth potential in mind.
“For each deal, the Ƶapp discovery process starts with what’s most important to that business owner,” said Michael Molnar, SVP of Corporate Development, M&A and Succession Planning at Ƶapp. “Brian outlined how he wanted his clients to be served, the growth opportunities he hoped to create for his team and partners, and what he wanted his next several years to look like. We successfully structured the deal to meet Brian’s goals while setting the stage for the next phase of growth.”
In welcoming Stephens and his team to the new relationship, Todd Mackay, President, Ƶapp Wealth Management, said: “Brian’s ability to expand his business, create growth opportunities for his team, and provide excellent service to his clients is exemplary. This new relationship between Brian and Ƶapp is a natural fit. We are eager to see Brian and his team continue growing the integrated tax and wealth management business with Ƶapp as we focus on further strengthening their already powerful client relationships.”
Tax and financial professionals can learn more about Ƶapp byclicking here.
About Ƶapp®
Ƶapp, Inc. (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