We are delighted to share with you some exciting news about our firm. Effective with a transaction expected to close in December 2021, Cassaday & Company, Inc., will be joining Focus Financial Partners.

Read or watch our video announcement below to hear why we believe this partnership ultimately will enhance and expand the services already provided to you by our firm.

Who is Focus Financial Partners?

Focus is a leading partnership of more than 75 independent wealth management and financial services firms located throughout the United States and abroad. These firms share our commitment to maintaining independence and adhering to the fiduciary standard. By joining Focus, we will enhance our access to leading edge strategies, industry best practices, resources and continuity planning while retaining our culture, our independent brand, business strategies and personnel. Our choice to partner with Focus is the result of a 9-month mutual due diligence process where both sides exhaustively researched the other with a goal of making sure this was the right fit for our clients.

How does this impact me as a client?

There will be no changes in the things you have come to expect from us. Your advisor will remain the same as will our excellent staff. Same people, same location, same fees, same account numbers – nothing really changes from the client’s point of view.

Upon closing of this transaction, the legal name of our new firm will be Cassaday & Co Wealth Management, LLC but we will continue to do business as Cassaday & Company. Our management team will continue to lead and manage the firm as officers of Cassaday & Co Wealth Management through an exclusive long-term agreement with Focus and will retain authority over our employees, client and business relationships, fee arrangements, and investment strategies.

Why did you choose to partner with Focus Financial Partners?

Our partnership with Focus reflects our commitment to providing outstanding services for our clients. We believe the benefits of this new relationship will include the following:

Through our partnership, we will have access to Focus’ and its partner firms’ expertise and best practices in:

• • Human resources, diversity, and inclusion,
  • Talent acquisition,
  • Business operations and management,
  • Client education and communications strategies,
  • Technology and cyber security

The ability to interact and share practice management ideas with other top advisory firms is a significant benefit for our clients.

Independence: The leadership team of Cassaday will retain operational independence and responsibility for the ongoing, day-to-day management of the firm, including managing clients’ investments, financial plans, recruiting of employees, compensation, and promotions. We are committed to preserving our independence, and Focus will allow us to do this.

Succession: This partnership will enable us to re-organize our business to provide opportunities for our younger employees that were not possible before. In today’s marketplace we need to be able to continue to attract and retain talented professionals. This proactive planning promotes sustainability, service continuity and positions us to provide trusted advice for you, your family, and generations to come.

Growth: Focus can help us grow organically with a team that specializes in business development and marketing. They share our goal of growing at a reasonable rate with an objective of maintaining the agility and personal attention and small-firm feel you have come to expect from us.

What changes will occur for me as a client?

1. Short answer: Nothing
2. You will continue to work with your current advisor & service team, and you will not see any change to the service you have come to expect.
3. The Cassaday team will remain in place going forward, and we anticipate adding staff as we grow our business.
4. There will be no change in the investment and wealth management strategies provided to you because of this transaction. We will maintain discretion over investment management decisions, and your fee arrangement will remain the same.
5. Through the additional resources and capital provided by Focus to Cassaday, we believe the overall services provided to you will be further enhanced and expanded.
6. We will continue to work with you as we have in the past, and we all remain passionate about, and dedicated to, what we do every day.

Will Focus dictate how Cassaday conducts its business?

No. The existing leadership of Cassaday has entered into a management agreement that will provide them with significant autonomy and the responsibility to manage the ongoing, day-to-day conduct of the firms’ business.

Focus invested in our firm because it believes in our business and in our ability to manage it prudently, creatively, and effectively.

How does Focus benefit from this partnership?

As investors in our business, Focus will share in our growth in the future by adding value to your client experience. We are aligned in our objective of providing the most competitive option for people seeking guidance on their financial situations.

Do we have to do anything at this point?

1. Since everything essentially remains the same for our clients, the only requirement is your consent to an assignment of your existing advisory contract to our new entity, Cassaday & Co Wealth Management, LLC.
2. You will receive a communication requesting your consent to do this. All that is required is a signature via DocuSign or a mailed envelope.
3. This document provides your agreement to transfer the contract to our new entity. All other conditions of the contract remain in effect.
4. By signing the Consent to Assignment, you are authorizing us to work with you as we have in the past. As is currently the case, you may cancel the contract at any time for any reason without penalty.

What are the plans for the future of Cassaday?

First, I am not retiring. I love my job and plan to continue working as long as possible. However, we want to proactively plan for an orderly succession when the time comes for me to step down. A large part of this is developing professional staff internally whose presence assures that outcome. Our new partnership with Focus makes this possible by offering opportunities for our younger staff that did not previously exist.

Maintaining our culture, which makes our firm unique continues to be a top priority which our partners at Focus fully encourage and support. To quote Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos “our constant desire to delight customers drives us to constantly invent on their behalf.”

As a team my colleagues and I intend to continue growing and developing our firm, adding new capabilities and talented professionals as needed.

We remain steadfastly committed to the following:

1. A commitment to always do the right thing for you,
2. Professional stability, continuity, and opportunity for our team of professionals
3. The driving pursuit of excellence across our investment and wealth management services

We expect our relationship with Focus to enhance our ability to achieve these objectives. In the meantime, it’s business as usual.

If you are a client, please don’t hesitate to contact Steve directly or your advisor with any questions. We look forward to continuing to serve you and your loved ones with the highest levels of honesty, integrity, and service.