RIA Firm Merit Financial Advisors Grows to $7.9B Through Niche Acquisitions and 'Flight Attendant Calmness'

Rick Kent built his RIA firm Merit Financial Advisors through acquisitions, focusing on niche markets like retirement planning. The firm now manages $7.9 billion.

Kent aims to provide "flight attendant calmness" to clients during market turbulence by clearly communicating long-term strategies.

Merit builds customized portfolios with different sleeves for core holdings and opportunistic positions. They proactively update clients.

Kent stresses investing in human capital so advisors can spend more time with clients instead of getting bogged down in operations.

His best advice is sticking to long-term goals during volatility, using data and analogies to reassure nervous clients.