#168 - From Broker-Dealer to Fee-Only RIA - Carmine Corino

If you’ve ever thought, “I like my clients, so why do I feel stuck at my firm?” this episode is for you.We sit down with Carmine Carino, founder and CEO of Cornerstone Planning Group, to talk about why advisors leave insurance and broker-dealer environments for independent, fee-only RIAs. Carmine shares the story behind his book Broken Dealer, the common frustrations that lead advisors to make a change, and how to know when you’re actually ready to go independent.We also talk about Carmine’s own experience launching an RIA in 2020, the challenges that came with it, and what he’s learned about building and growing a firm.From there, we get into scaling without burning yourself out. Carmine explains his idea of “growth by elimination,” why creating more capacity often means doing less, and how delegation, client segmentation, ideal client profiles, and a strong culture can help you build a better business.If you’re thinking about going independent or simply want to grow your firm with less chaos, there’s a lot to take away from this conversation.Websites:https://www.carminecorino.com/https://www.cornerstoneplanninggroup.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/carminecorino/