SEI, FP Transitions, and the Bancorp Announce New Program to Help Advisors Meet Succession Planning Needs

Business Pathfinder Program Provides Complete Acquisition and Transition Planning Service for Financial Advisors

OAKS, PA -- (Marketwired) -- 07/09/14 -- In an effort to help advisors add long-term value to their firms and leverage succession planning as a growth opportunity, SEI (NASDAQ: SEIC) announced today the launch of its new Business Pathfinder Program in collaboration with consulting firm FP Transitions and The Bancorp. The program is designed to help advisors better prepare and plan for a business transition using an integrated and customized approach that assists with all phases of the transition planning process -- from initial firm evaluation to final transaction execution.

The program provides each advisor with a plan and strategy unique to his or her needs and situations. Additionally, aspects of the succession planning process that are typically separate will be fully integrated within the program.

"Unfortunately, 99 percent of advisors don't have a formal, well-thought out exit strategy or plan for the future, and most firms only last as long as their founder stays in the business," said David Grau Sr., President and Founder of FP Transitions. "What that means is advisors are missing out on reaping the full rewards of the value they've spent years building in their firms. We want to help change that."

"When people talk about succession planning, they usually associate it with retirement. In reality, acquisition can be a key aspect of the succession process," said John Anderson, Head of SEI Practice Management Services, SEI Advisor Network. "It takes years of careful planning to have a successful retirement. Along the way, a broader succession plan may include finding acquisition targets to ensure the firm survives and prospers long after the founder leaves."

"What often makes the succession planning process difficult is that there are so many moving parts, including guidance around the all-important financing piece," said Bill Cassidy, SVP and Managing Director of The Bancorp's Institutional Banking division. "This program will bring all of those moving parts together to help advisors make better succession planning decisions."

A recent survey from SEI found that 42 percent of advisors said their biggest challenge in developing a transition plan was identifying an acquisition partner. The Business Pathfinder Program will address this and other challenges related to succession planning through a five-step process:

1. Assess the Situation: SEI will work with advisors to complete a practice assessment, exploring succession goals and key information about the business.

2. Uncover the Business Roadmap: FP Transitions will use this information to produce a strategic report on the business, including its strengths, weaknesses, and position in the marketplace.

3. Determine the Preferred Strategy: The report will help advisors determine the best course of action moving forward. Advisors will decide whether or not they are candidates for a longer-term internal transition strategy or a faster external succession, or if they would benefit from acquisitions or more investment in their firm.

4. Prepare for the Transition: FP Transitions will calculate the firm's value and work with advisors to draft a formal, written succession plan. It will also work to identify potential successors that match up on firm culture and execution.

5. Execute the Transaction: To conclude, FP Transitions will help with intricate details including deal support specialized for the niche financial advisory market and the lifestyle succession planning processes many advisors prefer. At this step, advisors can confer with The Bancorp regarding financing.

To learn more about SEI's Business Pathfinder Program, please visit www.seic.com/BusinessPathFinder.

About The SEI Advisor Network
The SEI Advisor Network provides financial advisors with turnkey wealth management services through outsourced investment strategies, administration and technology platforms, and practice management programs. It is through these services that SEI helps advisors save time, grow revenues, and differentiate themselves in the market. With a history of financial strength, stability, and transparency, the SEI Advisor Network has been serving the independent financial advisor market for more than 20 years, has over 5,700 advisors who work with SEI, and $42.8 billion in advisors' assets under management (as of March 31, 2014). The SEI Advisor Network is a strategic business unit of SEI. For more information, visit www.seic.com/advisors.

About SEI
SEI (NASDAQ: SEIC) is a leading global provider of investment processing, investment management, and investment operations solutions that help corporations, financial institutions, financial advisors, and ultra-high-net-worth families create and manage wealth. As of March 31, 2014, through its subsidiaries and partnerships in which the company has a significant interest, SEI manages or administers $582 billion in mutual fund and pooled or separately managed assets, including $239 billion in assets under management and $343 billion in client assets under administration. For more information, visit www.seic.com.

About FP Transitions
FP Transitions, based in the community of Lake Oswego, Oregon, just south of Portland, has a team of 30 people that specialize in building financial service businesses of enduring and transferable value. And if the building process isn't for you, FP Transitions also created and continue to operate the largest open market for buying and selling financial practices. Either way, they are the experts at helping you manage the equity you've built over a lifetime of work in this industry. Their goal is to help you plan for your future, and to be ready when it gets here.

FP Transitions specializes in the valuation and analysis of the intangibles that make a financial services practice unique and valuable. But valuing over 5,500 independent businesses is only the starting point. FP Transitions' consultants guide owners and advisors in planning for the inevitable end of their careers, turning this into a positive event. They employ strategies and thinking that build upon a lifetime of work and trusting client relationships with a plan of succession designed to simultaneously realize value for the founder and perpetuate the business for the next generation of advisors. For more information, visit www.fptransitions.com.

About The Bancorp
The Bancorp (NASDAQ: TBBK) is a family of financial service companies dedicated to setting a new standard in financial services and payments innovation. The Bancorp remains one of the few financial service companies in the world that specializes in providing private-label banking and technology solutions for non-bank companies ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups to those on the Fortune 500. The Bancorp Bank, one of The Bancorp's financial institutions, has been recognized as a National Preferred SBA Lender, a top custodian of Health Savings Accounts, a top ACH Originator, a top merchant acquirer and is the leading issuer of prepaid cards. For more information please visit www.thebancorp.com.

Company Contact:
Dana Grosser
SEI
+1 610-676-2459
dgrosser@seic.com

Media Contact:
Jason Rocker
Braithwaite Communications
+1 215-564-3200 x110
jrocker@gobraithwaite.com

Source: SEI

Released July 9, 2014