A team that previously managed $300 million broke away from Wells Fargo to go independent with Dynasty Financial Partners, the firm says.
Advisor Chuck Cooper and his team left the wirehouse Aug. 23 to launch a new practice, StrongBox Wealth based in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. Cooper previously acted as managing director for Cooper Wealth Management Group and a producing branch manager for Wells Fargo in the same state.
“For well-established wirehouse advisors, independence enables those advisors to perform best with a client-first mentality,” he says.
Cooper’s team partnered with Dynasty for the firm’s resources, he says.
The team spent two years vetting potential firms before picking Dynasty.
“We’re excited to implement the technology stack in clients’ portfolios,” he says. “We’ve always focused on full balance sheet planning but now with the new tools the experience is only going to improve.”
Cooper is one of two advisors on the three-person team along with co-founder Jon Garlow and director of operations Kathy Postoak.
Cooper has 27 years of experience and began his career with A.G. Edwards in 1997. Garlow spent nine years at Wells Fargo.
As for the future, Cooper intends to grow the practice by partnering with other advisors and opening new locations.
“I believe that StrongBox will become a home for breakaway wirehouse advisors and IBD-affiliated advisors,” he says.
A spokeswoman from Wells Fargo declined to comment on the move.
