NFP Announces Acquisition of Fusion Advisor Network

NEW YORK, July 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- National Financial Partners Corp. (NYSE: NFP), a leading provider of benefits, insurance and wealth management services, today announced that it has acquired Fusion Advisor Network ("Fusion"), a leading provider of practice management and business consulting to independent financial advisors.  Fusion will be integrated into the NFP Advisor Services Group helping to further the integration of service and technology into a premier platform that delivers a custom experience for independent financial advisors. The transaction is effective as of July 2, 2012.

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Founded in 2003 by Stuart Silverman, Fusion has a proven track record of helping independent financial advisors build profitable, resilient practices and has always leveraged NFP Advisor Services Group as its sole provider of broker-dealer and registered investment advisor (RIA) solutions.  Fusion, located in Elmsford, NY, represents a national network including more than 240 highly productive advisors.  Mr. Silverman will remain with Fusion as Chairman Emeritus.

Fusion advisors generated more than $60 million in revenue during 2011, the majority of which was recurring revenue.  NFP's revenue will not be impacted by this acquisition because revenue generated by Fusion advisors has historically been included in NFP Advisor Services Group's revenue.  In 2013, the first full year of operations post-transaction, it is expected that NFP Advisor Services Group's Adjusted EBITDA margins will improve in  the range of 75 to 100 basis points from this acquisition.

Commenting on today's announcement, Jessica M. Bibliowicz, chairman and chief executive officer said, "We are thrilled to have the unique opportunity to acquire the business that Stuart has built, with the support of NFP, over the past nine years.  This transaction enhances our recruiting and retention initiatives by empowering us to provide a more robust offering to advisors, while also creating margin improvement opportunities for NFP."

Also commenting, James L. Poer, President, NFP Advisor Services Group said, "The acquisition of Fusion further strengthens NFP Advisor Services Group's position as a leader in providing independent broker-dealer and RIA services.  The integration of Fusion's customized expertise in business management and marketing services into our leading offering of service and technology culminates into the ideal destination for high-end advisors."

Mr. Silverman commented, "NFP Advisor Services Group has continuously been a significant partner, instrumental in the success of Fusion Advisor Network.  Coming together with NFP will provide advanced systems, enhanced business development and growth opportunities and will further elevate the value proposition for our accomplished independent financial advisors.  I look forward to working with NFP to ensure that this integration is a complete success."  

About NFP 
National Financial Partners Corp. (NYSE: NFP), and its benefits, insurance and wealth management businesses provide diversified advisory and brokerage services to companies and high net worth individuals, partnering with them to preserve their assets and prosper over the long term. NFP advisors provide innovative and comprehensive solutions, backed by NFP's national scale and resources. NFP operates in three business segments. The Corporate Client Group provides corporate and executive benefits, retirement plans and property and casualty insurance. The Individual Client Group includes retail and wholesale life insurance brokerage and wealth management advisory services. The Advisor Services Group serves independent financial advisors by offering broker-dealer and asset management products and services. Most recently, NFP was ranked as the ninth Top Global Insurance Broker by Best's Review; operated the fourth largest Executive Benefits Provider of nonqualified deferred compensation plans administered for recordkeeping clients as ranked by PlanSponsor; operated a top ten Independent Broker Dealer as ranked by Investment Advisor; had three advisors ranked in Barron's Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors and is a leading independent life insurance distributor according to many top-tier carriers. For more information, visit www.nfp.com.

About NFP Advisor Services Group
NFP Advisor Services Group, a business segment of NFP, serves independent financial advisors whose clients include high net worth individuals and companies by offering broker-dealer and asset management products and services through NFP subsidiaries NFP Securities, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC, and NFP IndeSuite, Inc. NFP Advisor Services Group attracts financial advisors seeking to provide clients with sophisticated resources and an open choice of products.

Forward-Looking Statements  
This release contains statements which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may project, indicate or imply future results, events, performance or achievements, and may contain the words "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "believe," "estimate," "may," "project," "will," "continue" and similar expressions of a future or forward-looking nature. Forward-looking statements may include discussions concerning revenue, expenses, earnings, cash flow, impairments, losses, dividends, capital structure, market and industry conditions, premium and commission rates, interest rates, contingencies, the direction or outcome of regulatory investigations and litigation, income taxes and the Company's operations or strategy.  These forward-looking statements are based on management's current views with respect to future results. Forward-looking statements are based on beliefs and assumptions made by management using currently-available information, such as market and industry materials, experts' reports and opinions, and current financial trends. These statements are only predictions and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by a forward-looking statement. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: (1) the ability of the Company to execute on its strategy of increasing recurring revenue and other business initiatives; (2) NFP's ability, through its operating structure, to respond quickly to operational, financial or regulatory situations impacting its businesses; (3) the ability of the Company's businesses to perform successfully following acquisition, including through the diversification of product and service offerings, and NFP's ability to manage its business effectively and profitably through its principals and employees and through the Company's reportable segments; (4) any losses that NFP may take with respect to dispositions, restructures or otherwise; (5) seasonality or an economic environment that results in fewer sales of financial products or services; (6) NFP's success in acquiring and retaining high-quality independent financial services businesses and their managers and key producers; (7) changes in premiums and commission rates or the rates of other fees paid to the Company's businesses, due to requirements related to medical loss ratios stemming from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act or otherwise; (8) NFP's ability to operate effectively within the restrictive covenants of its credit facility; (9) changes that adversely affect NFP's ability to manage its indebtedness or capital structure, including changes in interest rates or credit market conditions; (10) the impact of capital markets behavior, such as fluctuations in the price of NFP's common stock, or the dilutive impact of capital raising efforts; (11) adverse results or other consequences from matters including litigation, arbitration, settlements, regulatory investigations or compliance initiatives, such as those related to business practices, compensation agreements with insurance companies, policy rescissions or chargebacks, or activities within the life settlements industry; (12) the impact of legislation or regulations on NFP's businesses, such as the possible adoption of exclusive federal regulation over interstate insurers, the uncertain impact of legislation regulating the financial services industry, such as the recent Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the impact of the adoption of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and resulting changes in business practices, potential changes in estate tax laws, or changes in regulations affecting the value or use of benefits programs, any of which may adversely affect the demand for or profitability of the Company's services; (13) adverse developments in the Company's markets, such as those related to compensation agreements with insurance companies or activities within the life settlements industry, which could result in decreased sales of financial products or services; (14) the effectiveness or financial impact of NFP's incentive plans; (15) the impact of the adoption or change in interpretation of certain accounting treatments or policies and changes in underlying assumptions relating to such treatments or policies, which may lead to adverse financial statement results; (16) the loss of services of key members of senior management; (17) failure by the Company's broker-dealers to comply with net capital requirements; (18) the Company's ability to compete against competitors with greater resources, such as those with greater name recognition; (19) developments in the availability, pricing, design, tax treatment or underwriting of insurance products, including insurance carriers' potential change in accounting for deferred acquisition costs, revisions in mortality tables by life expectancy underwriters or changes in the Company's relationships with insurance companies; (20) the reduction of the Company's revenue and earnings due to the elimination or modification of compensation arrangements, including contingent compensation arrangements and the adoption of internal initiatives to enhance compensation transparency, including the transparency of fees paid for life settlements transactions; (21) the occurrence of adverse economic conditions or an adverse legal or regulatory climate in New York, Florida or California; and (22) the Company's ability to effect smooth succession planning.

Additional factors are set forth in NFP's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed with the SEC on February 13, 2012.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. NFP expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE National Financial Partners Corp.