Cetera Financial Group Kicks Off Annual Wealth Management University Event with Nearly 200 Attendees

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group, a leading network of independent broker-dealer firms, today announced that its fifth consecutive Wealth Management University, which attracts Cetera Financial Group advisors from across the United States, opened on Wednesday, August 13, 2014 at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, NV and will run through Friday, August 15, 2014.

With 26 top industry experts and numerous leading product partners, Wealth Management University presents a wide range of learning opportunities every year, designed to introduce advisors to new investment strategies, improve their comprehensive wealth management skills and help them boost their advisory assets under management ("AUM"). It offers three different levels of instruction, each tailored to a financial professional's degree of experience. These levels are:

• Associate – Targets investment advisor representatives ("IARs") with up to $5 million in advisory assets. This level focuses on the benefits of an advisory business and introduces essential business management practices and tools.
• Bachelor – For IARs with $5 million to $25 million in advisory AUM, these small, personalized workshops provide in-depth solutions for improving operational aspects of an existing advisory business, including marketing strategies, pricing advisory services and better office management.
• Master – Tailored to IARs with over $25 million in advisory AUM, this level features a peer-driven curriculum delivered by leading financial professionals who teach sophisticated approaches to elevate an advisory business to the next level, and enables networking with prominent IARs with a shared passion for fee-based services.

Steve Dunlap, Executive Vice President, Wealth Management, Cetera Financial Group, said, "Providing exceptional opportunities for ongoing education is a cornerstone of Cetera Financial Group's commitment to its advisors. Each year, Wealth Management University gathers an enormous amount of industry talent and knowledge in one venue and provides an inspiring, hands-on experience. No matter what level of expertise they have achieved, we help advisors round out their professional skills so they can offer their clients the very best in wealth management advisory capabilities. It also provides a valuable setting to better acquaint our advisors with the full range of resources Cetera Financial Group makes available."

In addition to targeted seminars and interactive break-out sessions on a wide range of wealth management and practice management topics, the program offers several presentations from some of the industry's leading experts in their fields. These sessions include:

• Duncan MacPherson, Author and Co-CEO of Pareto Systems and Pareto Platform, "Breakthrough Business Development;"
• Bob Curtis, CEO of PIEtech, Inc., "The Future of Financial Planning;"
• Carina Diamond, Managing Director, SS&G Wealth Management, "Women & Wealth Management, How to Serve the Savvy;"
• Joe Tanious, Executive Director, Global Market Strategist, J.P. Morgan, "Guide to the Markets;"
• Scott Steele, Executive Vice President, PIMCO, "The New Neutral: Investing in Today's Fixed Income Landscape;"
• John A. Rhodes, Jr., Ph.D., Vice President of Practice Management, CNL, "Succession Planning: The Ten Non-Legal Questions You Must Ask!"
• Tom Warren, Senior Vice President, Advisor Education, American Funds, "Tipping to Success;"
• Jody Harris, Social Security Consultant, Protective Life, "Understanding Social Security: A Look at the Bigger Picture."

R. Lawrence "Larry" Roth, Chief Executive Officer, Cetera Financial Group, said, "In our view, leading in the industry should be accomplished not just by providing the best possible practice management coaching, resources and tools, but by developing the best possible industry events that actively promote a culture of sharing best practices and learning from one another among like-minded advisors.  Advisors have different perspectives and experience levels when it comes to fee-based wealth management, but they all have a common commitment to deliver the best possible wealth management support to their clients.  Through Wealth Management University, we seek to combine the best of industry-leading resources with personalized peer-to-peer learning experiences that directly support advisor business growth and a superior end client experience."

Mr. Dunlap concluded, "Since the agenda is designed by advisors alongside leading industry experts, Wealth Management University presents proven ideas that are tested in the trenches, offering an effective way to convey useful knowledge and meaningful advice to our advisors, and empower them to educate each other. We are proud to offer Wealth Management University and are pleased that they view attending it as a highly worthwhile investment in their practices."

About Cetera Financial Group
Cetera Financial Group is the retail advice platform of RCS Capital Corporation (NYSE: RCAP). Comprised of Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions), First Allied Securities, Investors Capital, J.P. Turner and Company, The Legend Group, Summit Brokerage Services, along with VSR Financial following the close of its recent announced acquisition by RCAP, the platform is the second largest independent financial advisor network in the nation, as well as a leading provider of retail services to the investment programs of banks and credit unions. It delivers award-winning wealth management and advisory platforms, comprehensive broker-dealer and registered investment adviser services, and innovative technology to over 9,000 independent financial professionals and approximately 500 financial institutions nationwide. Through its distinct firms, Cetera offers the benefits of a large, established and well-capitalized broker-dealer and registered investment adviser, while serving independent and institutions-based financial advisors in a way that is customized to their unique needs and aspirations. Cetera is committed to helping advisors grow their businesses and strengthen their relationships with clients.

Media Contact:

Matthew Griffes
Haven Tower Group
Tel: 206.402.5853
mgriffes@haventower.com

Joseph Kuo
Haven Tower Group
Tel: 206.420.3851
jkuo@haventower.com

SOURCE Cetera Financial Group