Dynasty Financial Partners

Dynasty itself does not make direct portfolio-level investment decisions for end clients. Its Central Investment Office, led by Chief Investment Officer Bob Shea, provides model portfolios, manager due diligence, and access to institutional research. Individual RIA firms on the platform retain full investment discretion for their clients, using Dynasty's resources as they see fit.

Dynasty sources teams primarily through inbound referrals and its network of existing partner RIAs. Penney and his recruitment team cultivate relationships with wirehouse advisors, often years before a breakaway, offering capital for transition costs — office space, technology setup, working capital — in exchange for a long-term service contract. The firm also targets independent RIAs seeking an upgrade in institutional infrastructure.

No. Dynasty is not a broker-dealer. It operates as a service platform providing technology, compliance, investment solutions, and business services to independent RIAs. Its advisor partners custody client assets at major custodians like Fidelity and Schwab, and Dynasty never takes custody of client funds.

Generally, no. Dynasty's standard model is a partnership structure where the RIA remains independently owned. Dynasty earns revenue through a negotiated percentage of the RIA's top-line revenue. This distinguishes it from aggregators like Focus Financial or CI Financial that buy majority stakes in advisory firms.

Dynasty provides its network RIAs access to private equity, venture capital, private credit, real estate, and hedge fund investments through its Dynasty Connect platform. The firm sources institutional-quality alternative managers and conducts due diligence centrally, then offers qualified purchasers and accredited investors within its network the ability to invest through feeder funds and direct allocations.

Dynasty is privately held. Private equity firms Abry Partners and Charlesbank Capital Partners became lead investors in a 2022 recapitalization. BNY Mellon's Pershing previously held a minority stake from a 2014 investment. Co-founders Shirl Penney and Todd Thomson, along with management and certain partner RIAs, also hold equity positions.

Dynasty provides a shared compliance platform that each partner RIA can customize. This includes tools for trade surveillance, advertising review, and regulatory filing support. However, each RIA operates under its own SEC registration and employs a chief compliance officer responsible for firm-specific obligations — Dynasty's compliance support is advisory and infrastructure-level, not replacement-level.