Cetera Financial Group and Cetera Advisor Networks Announce Recruitment of Empire Asset Management Group to Broker-Dealer and Corporate RIA Platforms

LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera Financial Group ("Cetera"), a leading network of independent broker-dealer firms, announced today that Cetera Advisor Networks, one of its member firms, has recruited Empire Asset Management Group ("Empire"), an independent financial advisory practice with approximately $200 million in advisory and brokerage client assets, to its platform. As part of this transition, Empire will be aligned with Harvey Bowks, one of Cetera Advisor Networks' independent Regions and commonly known within the independent retail financial advice industry as a "Super-OSJ."

Based in Albany, New York, Empire is comprised of seven professionals and is led by Founder and President Brad Konopaske, CFP^®, and Chief Branding Officer Paul Paska, each a veteran advisor with over 30 years of industry experience. The practice primarily serves a mass-affluent and high-net-worth client base of retirees and their families within the Albany region and across the United States. Its ensemble service model assists clients with every level of their investment, insurance, and financial planning needs.

Larry Roth, Chief Executive Officer of Cetera, said, "We are very pleased to welcome Empire Asset Management Group to our network. Empire has built a vibrant business with a highly loyal client base, founded on the fundamental values of integrity, care, enthusiasm, simplicity and efficiency. As successful and experienced advisors, Brad Konopaske and Paul Paska had a wide array of options to consider when they chose to take the next step forward for their practice. Choosing Cetera reflects the strength of our value proposition, as well as the strong progress we continue to make in transforming into a privately held, independent organization exclusively dedicated to the advisors and institutions we support."

Douglas S. King, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cetera Advisor Networks, said, "We look forward to providing Empire with our full suite of exceptional services, including our robust infrastructure, a dedicated support staff, our outstanding practice management expertise and local community knowledge. We're proud of our longstanding ability to help independent advisors and independent advisor teams enhance the value of their businesses and to help their end-client investors reach their financial goals."

Based in Loudonville, New York, Harvey Bowks provides comprehensive practice management, compliance and operational support, including turnkey middle- and back-office assistance to independent financial advisors. Harvey Bowks, Regional Director for Cetera Advisor Networks, said, "We are thrilled to bring Empire Asset Management Group the benefits of our close, personal attention and local support, while also enabling it to enjoy the advantages of an industry-leading national organization. We believe that through Harvey Bowks and Cetera Advisor Networks, Empire will benefit from leveraging our exceptional strengths in compliance oversight, technology, wealth management and practice management resources. Our world-class tools and resources will enable Empire to spend significantly more time doing what they have already done so well -- building their business through servicing client relationships and connecting clients with the right financial solutions."

Brad Konopaske and Paul Paska said, "We are excited to join forces with Cetera. We performed a thorough search for a new broker-dealer and RIA home, and concluded that Cetera was the best answer for providing the highest quality of comprehensive support to enable us to achieve a new level of successful growth. Through Cetera and its regional directors' resources, we will not only retain our current focus on retirement-age investors, but we'll also be able to target younger clients who appreciate the availability of financial educational tools and are comfortable taking advantage of the benefits of technology, without our having to significantly scale up the size and costs of our team. Cetera will also be able to help us acquire or incorporate the practices of single-practitioner advisors and smaller firms, especially those owned by older advisors seeking an exit strategy. We envision these as excellent future growth opportunities enhanced by our Cetera relationship."

About Empire Asset Management Group
Based in Albany, New York, Empire Asset Management Group was founded in 2002 on the desire to form a team of financial advisors and trusted professionals who collaborate to design comprehensive, personalized strategies for each client. Embracing its five core values of integrity, care, enthusiasm, simplicity, and efficiency, Empire Asset Management Group is an ensemble firm serving clients on every level of their investment, insurance, and financial organization needs. With a diverse team and extensive service offerings on par with large, national firms, Empire provides a personalized approach and the caring nature of a community practice. For more information, visit www.empireasset.com.

About Cetera Advisor Networks
Founded in 1983, Cetera Advisor Networks is an independent broker-dealer that has been a pioneer in the independent-contractor broker-dealer industry. It was built on the belief that financial advisors can enjoy even greater success by joining high-performance teams offering local support and guidance, while sharing best practices across a nationwide network. From that belief, the firm's hallmark regional model was born and has built the firm into one of the nation's largest and most successful independent broker-dealers. Based in El Segundo, California, Cetera Advisor Networks has a total of 2,475 independent financial advisors.

Cetera Advisor Networks is a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA). For more information, visit www.ceteraadvisornetworks.com.

About Cetera Financial Group
Cetera Financial Group is a leading network of independent retail broker-dealers empowering the delivery of objective financial advice to investors across the country through trusted financial advisors and financial institutions. The network is comprised of ten firms - four legacy Cetera-branded firms (Cetera Advisors, Cetera Advisor Networks, Cetera Investment Services, marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions, and Cetera Financial Specialists) along with First Allied Securities, Investors Capital Corporation, Legend Equities Corporation, Summit Brokerage, VSR Financial Services and Girard Securities.

Cetera Financial Group is the second largest independent financial advisor network in the nation by number of advisors, as well as a leading provider of retail services to the investment programs of banks and credit unions. Cetera Financial Group delivers award-winning wealth management and advisory platforms, comprehensive broker-dealer and registered investment adviser services, and innovative technology to over 9,000 independent financial professionals and over 500 financial institutions nationwide. Through its distinct firms, Cetera Financial Group offers the benefits of a large, established broker-dealer and registered investment adviser, while serving independent and institutions-based financial advisors in a way that is customized to their needs and aspirations. Cetera Financial Group is committed to helping advisors grow their businesses and strengthen their relationships with clients. For more information, visit www.ceterafinancialgroup.com. 

Media Contacts:

Matthew Griffes
Haven Tower Group
424.652.6520 ext 103
[email protected]

Joseph Kuo
Haven Tower Group
424 652 6520 ext 101
[email protected]

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SOURCE Cetera Financial Group

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