SAN DIEGO, May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LPL Financial LLC announced today that financial advisor Chris Kitaeff, CPFA, MBA, has joined LPL Financial's broker-dealer, RIA and custodial platforms. With the move to LPL, Kitaeff joins Maher Wealth Management as a managing director. He reported serving approximately $385 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets* and joins LPL from Merrill Lynch.

Kitaeff is a second-generation advisor who fell in love with wealth management at a young age and followed his father's footsteps into the industry. He started his career on Wall Street as a hedge fund analyst before joining his father's practice in 2009.

"It's been amazing getting to spend the last 15 years sharing a wall with my father who is now retiring after a storied career in wealth management," Kitaeff said. "As someone who loves to love, I really enjoy making personal connections and developing friendships with my clients."

Kitaeff has received the Forbes Best-in-State Advisor Award for four consecutive years, from 2021 to 2024. Looking to continue that success and provide his clients with more financial freedom on an independent platform, Kitaeff took steps to form a new partnership with his former colleague Thom Maher, who in 2023 joined LPL and founded Maher Wealth Management.

"I appreciate Thom's high moral standards and mission to deliver premium client experiences by attentively listening and understanding what matters most to each client," Kitaeff said. "I also believe clients are better served with an open architecture approach to wealth planning. Being independent opens a universe of investment solutions and allows me as a fiduciary to provide clients with the absolute best customized strategies to meet their needs. LPL is a phenomenal company with a great track record of working with the advisor to help give clients the ultimate experience."

Joining an existing LPL Strategic Wealth Services team

Kitaeff says that client experience will be heightened by the work behind the scenes from the dedicated team at LPL Strategic Wealth Services (SW), which combines the freedom and flexibility of entrepreneurship with hands-on business services and support to help practices thrive, both operationally and strategically. Maher Wealth Management is an existing SW team that receives ongoing operations support managed by experienced professionals including a business strategist, marketing partner, CFO and administrative assistant.

"I'm delighted to join forces with Chris as we embark on this exciting new chapter at Maher Wealth Management," Maher said. "I've known Chris for over a decade and know that his heart is in financial services, along with a deep desire to always put clients' best interests first. Our commitment to delivering premium client experiences remains unwavering, and we are confident this new partnership will allow us to take our service to new heights."

Scott Posner, LPL Executive Vice President, Business Development, said, "We welcome Chris to the LPL community and congratulate Maher Wealth Management on growing its team. We applaud their decision to join forces in an ongoing effort to evolve their business and provide differentiated experiences for their clients. At LPL, we are deeply committed to providing advisors with ultimate freedom and flexibility. We look forward to supporting the entire Maher team for years to come."

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About LPL Financial

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA) was founded on the principle that LPL should work for advisors and institutions, and not the other way around. Today, LPL is a leader in the markets we serve, serving nearly 23,000 financial advisors, including advisors at approximately 1,100 institutions and at approximately 570 registered investment advisor ("RIA") firms nationwide. We are steadfast in our commitment to the advisor-mediated model and the belief that Americans deserve access to personalized guidance from a financial professional. At LPL, independence means that advisors and institution leaders have the freedom they deserve to choose the business model, services and technology resources that allow them to run a thriving business. They have the flexibility to do business their way. And they have the freedom to manage their client relationships, because they know their clients best. Simply put, we take care of our advisors and institutions, so they can take care of their clients.

Securities and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial LLC ("LPL Financial"), a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA/SIPC. LPL Financial and its affiliated companies provide financial services only from the United States. Maher Wealth Management and LPL Financial are separate entities.

Throughout this communication, the terms "financial advisors" and "advisors" are used to refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial.

We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the "Investor Relations" or "Press Releases" section of our website.

*Value approximated based on asset and holding details provided to LPL from end of year, 2023.

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LPL Financial Welcomes Advisor Chris Kitaeff