Your Journey Starts Here
At EverSource our calling is to give flight to your calling. Our Advisor’s Ideal Life® relationship development process is designed to help you discern whether EverSource is the right partner to help you build the practice you’re called to lead.
A Collaborative Process
At EverSource, we believe affiliation isn’t a transaction, it’s a partnership. That’s why our process is designed to be collaborative from the very first conversation.
We don’t rush or push you toward a decision. Instead, we invite you into a structured journey that balances clarity with flexibility. You’ll always know the next step, but you’ll never feel pressured.
Our business development process is built on three simple commitments:
Collaboration. We’ll walk with you step by step, from discovery calls to financial modeling to transition planning, so you’re never navigating alone.
Transparency. We’ll lay out the economics, expectations, and opportunities clearly, so you can see exactly how affiliation would impact your practice.
Alignment. Beyond services and pricing, we care about values and calling. Our process is designed to discern whether EverSource is not just a business fit, but a cultural and spiritual fit.
Affiliation Models
Have it Your Way
We believe structure should serve freedom, not stifle it. That’s why we offer two flexible ways to affiliate: as an IAR under our RIA, or as an independent RIA who partners with us for investment support and operational scale.
IARs get the full-service experience, including compliance, operations, marketing, and a robust tech stack, all with the freedom to build your own brand and retain book ownership.
Independent RIAs tap into our internally built TAMP, outsourcing trading, billing, and reporting while gaining access to faith-based and values-aligned portfolios, private assets with Kingdom impact, and a like-minded advisor community. No matter how you affiliate, our calling is to give flight to yours.
Investment Support
Every advisor works differently: some want full control of portfolio design, while others prefer to outsource investment management so they can focus on planning and relationships. We deliver investment support through a range of programs that balance flexibility with structure. Our programs are designed to meet you where you are. Whether you’re building custom models, relying on EverSource portfolios, leveraging specialized managers, or incorporating private markets, our platform and investment team provide the operational support, due diligence, and compliance oversight you need to serve clients with excellence.
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With APM, you maintain full control of portfolio design and management while leveraging EverSource’s trading infrastructure. Build and customize your own model portfolios, and our investment team supports you with efficient execution through the Black Diamond Rebalancer.
Best fit for advisors who:
Have a clear investment philosophy they want to express directly in client portfolios.
Prefer hands-on control of model construction and rebalancing.
Want institutional-quality trading and compliance oversight without giving up discretion.
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The FPM program allows you to outsource portfolio management to EverSource. You can select from our proprietary faith-based and multi-asset series, as well as curated models from leading strategists like Dimensional, Vanguard, and Eventide. EverSource handles trading, rebalancing, and oversight, so you can focus on client relationships.
Best fit for advisors who:
Prefer to outsource portfolio design to a team of professionals.
Want access to a curated menu of strategist and faith-based models.
Would rather spend more time on client conversations, financial planning, and business development.
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The Private Markets program provides access to carefully vetted private equity, private credit, and private real estate funds. Opportunities range from evergreen funds like Blackstone BREIT and BCRED to faith-aligned impact vehicles from a variety of institutional quality, faith-aligned, fund managers. These investments can diversify client portfolios beyond traditional markets, with due diligence and oversight from EverSource’s investment committee.
Best fit for advisors who:
Want to diversify beyond traditional public markets.
Serve clients qualified for alternative investments.
Are interested in faith-based or impact-oriented opportunities that align with client values.
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Through the SMA program, you can delegate investment authority to specialized equity and fixed income managers. EverSource has approved relationships with firms such as BlackRock, Vanguard Personalized Indexing, Vident, and AQR, enabling highly tailored solutions such as faith-screened indexing, factor tilts, or bond ladders. These SMAs provide professional customization for higher-net-worth clients who want a direct, tax-aware approach.
Best fit for advisors who:
Serve higher-net-worth clients seeking customization.
Want access to professional money managers in specific asset classes.
Value tax-aware strategies and direct indexing capabilities.
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Our UMA platform, delivered via SMArtX, allows you to allocate across multiple SMA models within a single account. This structure makes it possible to combine managers, styles, or themes under one custodial umbrella, simplifying reporting and household management.
Best fit for advisors who:
Want to blend multiple strategies in one account for efficiency.
Appreciate a marketplace approach with access to many managers.
Need scalable, flexible investment solutions for a diverse client base.
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Advisors joining EverSource often bring with them a mix of legacy commission products and held away accounts that don’t neatly fit on a custodian platform. Our goal is to help you manage these assets responsibly, integrate them into client reporting, and provide a clear path toward a fully advisory model over time.
Our Approach
Variable Annuities: The most common legacy block we see. EverSource partners with providers such as DPL and Halo to establish data feeds, enable household-level reporting, and in many cases convert commission-based contracts into fee-billable assets. Whether it’s ongoing service of legacy contracts or transitioning clients into modern no-load annuities, we help you find the right pathway for your book.
Mutual Funds: Commission-based A- or C-share funds can often be transitioned to custodians and converted into advisory share classes through non-taxable exchanges, aligning them with a fee-based structure.
529 Plans: We support both direct-sold plans (Virginia Capital Group, Utah My529/DFA) and custodian platforms (Schwab & Fidelity), with data feeds integrated into Black Diamond for holistic reporting.
Employer Retirement Plans: For 401(k), SIMPLE, SEP, and individual 401(k) accounts, we clarify your fiduciary role (321 vs. 338), coordinate with recordkeepers and TPAs, and in some cases leverage tools like Pontera to enable discretionary management of retail held-away 401(k)s.
Advisor Benefits
This approach allows you to:
Retain and serve clients without forcing asset liquidation.
Provide holistic reporting and planning across all accounts.
Gradually transition clients toward fully advisory, fee-based solutions.
By combining operational support with flexible transition options, EverSource ensures you have a practical, compliant pathway for legacy and held away assets—tailored to the specific nature of your book.
What About Commissionable Products?
Advisors often ask what happens to their legacy book when moving to a fee-only RIA. We take a disciplined, transparent approach to commissionable products like annuities, mutual funds, 529s, and retirement plans, helping you understand what can transition, how it can be managed, and where limitations may exist.
Your Path to Impact®
Tell Us
Your Story
Share your vision for the future and understand your calling as an advisor.
Analyze
Your Business
We give you a comprehensive and fully transparent analysis of your business on the EverSource platform.
Create a Comprehensive Transition Plan
We understand transitions are sensitive and stressful. Our industry experts have helped hundreds of advisors transition and avoid legal issues.
Achieve Freedom, Independence, and Impact
Focus on doing what you love most and create a practice that leaves an impact for generations to come.