Merrill Team Jumps to Dynasty-Backed RIA

A Merrill Lynch team in Portland, Ore., is crossing the street to work with True Private Wealth Advisors, an independent advisory firm.

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The Opsahl Group, led by senior advisor Joseph Opsahl and advisor Chris Hatfield, is leaving Merrill Lynch’s Private Client Group to work with True, a key Dynasty Financial Partners firm in the Pacific Northwest.

The group is bringing more than $140 million in assets under management, says True founding partner and senior wealth advisor Steve Altman, raising the firm’s AUM to nearly $500 million under management.

Adding the Opsahl Group demonstrates the firm’s “focus on growth in the Pacific Northwest” Altman says. “Our hope is that we can build a multibillion dollar advisory firm within the next five years."

Opsahl, a certified public accountant, was at Merrill for the past four years and led a successful practice at Smith Barney for 21 years.

“I did extensive due diligence in the independent space and reviewed the business models available,” he says. “When I met the team at True, it was an immediate fit. True has developed the right model for both serving clients and supporting advisors.”

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