Ƶapp Welcomes Long Island-based S&P Financial Services with Approximately $150 Million in Client Assets
Growth-minded advisors John Surace and Kelly Powers attracted by Ƶapp’s network of affiliated CPAs, higher levels of service, and direct access to Ƶapp leadership
DALLAS – (July 17, 2024) – Ƶapp® Inc.,a unique community within Cetera Holdings and a leader intax-focused financial planning and wealth management, welcomes financial advisors John Surace, Kelly Powers and their S&P Financial Services team, based in Hauppauge, New York, in the heart of Long Island. Transferring to Ƶapp from Osaic, the team has approximately $150 million in client assets under administration as of June 2024*.
S&P Financial’s mission is to build strong, multi-generational relationships with clients by offering them clarity, education, confidence, and complete disclosure when approaching their financial strategies.
Prior to forming S&P Financial Services, Surace’s experience included being an executive with a global financial services firm where he supervised a location with more than 300 advisors, which won the President’s Trophy several times for being among the country’s top-producing branches. Powers has managed money for clients for 30 years, while having other roles such as vice president, sourcing, hiring and training new financial advisors.
Surace and Powers formed S&P Financial Services because they wanted to open an independent operation. But after their prior broker/dealer became part of Osaic, they began looking for a broker/dealer whose experience, service and focus on keeping commitments aligned with how Surace and Powers wanted to operate their organization.
“When we started talking with Ƶapp, things sounded so good that I was actually skeptical going in, but everything they told us came to fruition, and the entire company is very competent, from the top down,” Surace said. “Transitioning to a new broker/dealer is stressful, and in other places the level of services that were promised turned out to be subpar. We didn’t experience any of that with Ƶapp. We trusted our gut, went with Ƶapp, and it’s been all green lights from the beginning.”
Powers spearheaded the firm’s transition to Ƶapp, calling the experience “amazing.”
“The transition is a very stressful time for the advisor because it’s all new and it feels like your livelihood is in limbo, but the Ƶapp transition team was so professional, they took charge of everything and made me so comfortable,” Powers said. “On previous transitions we were busy filling out paperwork, but at Ƶapp they picked up the ball and ran with everything, allowing us to focus on our clients. My experience was amazing, it was seamless and it’s all working very well.”
In welcoming Surace and S&P Financial Services, the head of Ƶapp Business Development Tim Stewart, CFP®, said: “John, Kelly and their team are fantastic additions to the Ƶapp Community. Their experience running advisory practices at scale is impressive, and we’re looking forward to supporting them as they serve existing clients while planning to add advisors and grow their already highly successful practice.”
Tax and financial professionals can learn more about Ƶapp byclicking here.
*Value approximated based on asset-holding details provided to Ƶapp.
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 assets under administration as of Dec. 31, 2023. For additional information, please visit www.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