Investment Management

August 23, 2024

WHITEPAPER | Valuing Asset Managers

Understanding the value of an asset management business requires some appreciation for what is simple and what is complex.

On one level, a business with almost no balance sheet, a recurring revenue stream, and an expense base that mainly consists of personnel costs could not be more straightforward. At the same time, investment management firms exist in a narrow space between client allocations and the capital markets. They depend on revenue streams that rarely carry contractual obligations and valuable staff members who often are not subject to employment agreements. In essence, RIAs may be both highly profitable and prospectively ephemeral. Balancing the risks and opportunities of a particular investment management firm is fundamental to developing a valuation.

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Mercer Capital to Sponsor The Florida Bar’s 44th Annual Attorney/Trust Officer Liaison Conference
Mercer Capital to Sponsor The Florida Bar’s 44th Annual Attorney/Trust Officer Liaison Conference
Mercer Capital is pleased to sponsor The Florida Bar’s 44th Annual Attorney/Trust Officer Liaison Conference, taking place July 30 to August 1, 2026, at The Breakers in Palm Beach. Matthew R. Crow, CFA, ASA, and Thomas C. Insalaco, CFA, ASA, will represent the firm at the conference.Presented by The Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar, the annual conference brings together attorneys, trust officers, and other professionals for focused education on current trust and estate issues. The 2026 program includes sessions on trustee discharge, fiduciary accounting, undue influence, legislative updates, technology and financial exploitation, and trust and estate case law.Matt Crow is the CEO of Mercer Capital and leads the firm’s Investment Management Industry team. He works with RIAs, independent trust companies, broker-dealers, and investment consulting firms on valuation matters related to corporate planning and reorganization, transactions, employee stock ownership plans, tax issues, and valuations of intangible assets, options, and assets subject to contractual restrictions. He is a regular contributor to Mercer Capital’s RIA Valuation Insights Blog.Tom Insalaco is a Senior Vice President and a member of Mercer Capital’s Gift, Estate, and Income Tax Planning and Compliance practice group. Since 2008, he has provided valuation services across a broad range of industries and matters, including gift and estate tax, business succession and exit planning, and buy-sell agreements.Mercer Capital works with owners, fiduciaries, and professional advisors on valuation and advisory matters involving trusts, estates, tax planning, and disputes. The firm is pleased to support programs that help professionals navigate the financial issues that arise in complex estate and trust matters.Mercer Capital looks forward to connecting with attendees in Palm Beach and participating in this year’s conference. Visit the conference’s website to learn more: https://member.floridabar.org/s/lt-event?id=a1RWQ00000RcEFJ2A3.
Organic Growth Is Becoming the RIA Valuation Differentiator
Organic Growth Is Becoming the RIA Valuation Differentiator
Organic growth is becoming a critical valuation differentiator for RIAs as buyers look beyond market-driven AUM gains to assess whether growth is repeatable, measurable, and transferable. Firms with diversified business development channels and documented processes may be better positioned to support credible forecasts and defend premium valuations.
Independent Trust Companies Benefit from Durable Industry Tailwinds
Independent Trust Companies Benefit from Durable Industry Tailwinds
Independent trust companies continue to benefit from expanding wealth, intergenerational transfers, recurring fiduciary revenue, and growing demand for sophisticated advisory services. Strategic investments and broad transaction interest further demonstrate the industry’s long-term growth potential.

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