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Financial Adviser Trio With $580 Million Assets Joins LPL From Merrill Lynch

Financial Adviser Trio With $580 Million Assets Joins LPL From Merrill Lynch. Financial services, registered independent adviser, RIA, LPL, high-net worth clients, Grafton Wealth Advisors, philanthropy planning, trustee services, Merrill Lynch

Financial advisers Sarah Grafton, William “Will” Grafton IV, CFP, CEPA, and Dexter Grafton, CPFA, CFA, have launched a new independent practice, Grafton Wealth Advisors, through affiliation with LPL Financial’s supported independence model, LPL Strategic Wealth Services. They reported having served approximately $580 million in advisory, brokerage, and retirement plan assets and join LPL from Merrill Lynch.

Based in Winter Park, Fla., the three siblings follow in the footsteps of their father, William “Bill” Grafton III, who started the family business in 1972. Rounding out the group are client relationship managers Tanya Carroll, AAMS, and Percy Canteenwalla.

“With our family dynamic and service-oriented team, we put clients at the center of everything we do and take a proactive approach to give them the best possible experiences and results,” Sarah said. “We take the time to listen, educate, and adjust to help clients understand our recommendations as we guide them through the ever-changing market dynamics.”

Looking for more control over how they operate, as well as the ability to elevate client experiences, the team decided to find a new wealth management partner. Grafton said they chose LPL because the Strategic Wealth Services offering provides them with the greatest flexibility and choice to build a boutique practice with a concierge service model.

The Grafton team works with several high-net worth, multigenerational families and business owners, so it was also important to partner with a firm that offers dedicated resources and customized solutions to support more complex situations, such as advanced estate and philanthropy planning; income tax strategy; trustee services; a robust alternative investment platform; banking and lending solutions; and complex life insurance planning.

“This move puts us in a better position to provide highly customized strategies and independent financial advice in our clients’ best interests, outside of corporate pressure,” Dexter said. “LPL provides the confidence and scale as a leading wealth management firm that we know our clients value, as well as an additional layer of personalized, sophisticated support to help us focus on what’s most important: our relationship with clients.”

“We are thrilled to continue the Grafton Wealth legacy by prioritizing our clients’ needs above all else. Their success remains our driving force, guiding every decision and action we take,” Will said. “LPL Financial empowers us to best serve our clients with flexibility to tailor our services to meet each client’s unique financial goals and aspirations, ensuring their success remains our top priority.”

“We welcome Sarah, Will, Dex, and their team to the LPL community and are proud to be their chosen partner as they take the next step to continue Bill’s legacy. LPL Strategic Wealth Services offers unprecedented flexibility to help advisers build an ideal practice that suits their unique business needs. And we will be there for each step of the way — from planning to transition to ongoing business support…” said Scott Posner, LPL executive vice president of business development.

LPL welcomed a $1 billion in assets team from Merrill Lynch earlier this year.

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. serves nearly 23,000 financial advisers, including advisers at approximately 1,100 enterprises and 570 RIA firms nationwide. Headquartered in San Diego, its total advisory and brokerage assets totaled more than $1.35 trillion as of Dec. 31, 2023.

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