Savant Wealth Management Acquires Iowa-Based World Trend Financial and Terry Lockridge & Dunn
New Partnerships Place Savant at More Than 300 Employees and 100 Member-Owners
Savant Wealth Management announced it has acquired World Trend Financial and Terry Lockridge & Dunn, both located in Cedar Rapids, IA, with offices in Iowa City, IA. World Trend Financial is an RIA with $730 million (as of July 15, 2022) in assets under management (AUM). Terry Lockridge & Dunn, which provides tax, accounting, payroll, business valuation and other consulting services, joins Savant’s tax and consulting affiliate. Though World Trend Financial and Terry Lockridge & Dunn (TLD) are separate companies, they share the same founder and office locations.
The two new partnerships are part of Savant’s five-year strategic growth initiative, mark Savant’s second and third acquisitions of 2022, and are the largest of the year. On June 30, Savant acquired Virginia-based Alliant Wealth Advisors, expanding its presence in that state. With its newest partners, Savant now has 24 office locations in eight states.
“We’re excited to expand our already robust Midwest presence into Iowa, and are thrilled to add this talented team to our roster,” said Brent R. Brodeski, CPA, CFP®, CFA®, MBA, founder and CEO of Savant. “A key part of our growth strategy includes attracting strong firms with top-tier talent that can help add value immediately. World Trend Financial is a key wealth management player in Iowa, and Terry Lockridge & Dunn will immediately help to strengthen our tax and consulting offering to our wealth and business owner clients.”
“As we considered how best to serve our clients in the future, we were attracted to Savant’s breadth of services, including tax planning and estate planning, as well as its commitment to developing a world-class client experience,” said Tory Meiborg, president and partner of World Trend Financial. “We share that forward-thinking mindset and believe our clients will benefit from working with a team of specialists all under one roof.”
“Our tax team is experienced at working with businesses and individuals to maximize their wealth through consulting and tax planning,” said Paula Rogers, CPA, president and partner of TLD. “In a labor market where seasoned tax professionals are in short supply, we look forward to joining Savant’s tax and consulting arm and helping clients pursue their goals.”
World Trend Financial and Terry Lockridge & Dunn add a total of 37 employees to Savant, including 13 who will become member-owners, bringing Savant’s total number of employees to 318, and member-owners to approximately 112. “It’s important to Savant that – as part of our M&A philosophy – we strive to create ideal futures for employees as well as for clients,” said Brodeski. “We are always looking for partners who have a desire to grow, address their succession-planning needs, obtain liquidity, and enhance their value proposition. World Trend and TLD are a perfect fit for our long-term growth strategy. We’re pleased to have the team on board,” Brodeski added.
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP® and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ in the U.S., which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.