Friday Frame: How to Compete within Expanding Regulatory Definitions
January 22, 2026
Position Your Firm for Success in an Increasingly Competitive Market
Private wealth is in the midst of a powerful expansion. Independent RIAs continue to form at a steady pace, while established firms are actively scaling their businesses to capture growing demand. At the same time, regulatory developments are reshaping the competitive backdrop. A recent InvestmentNews article highlights the SEC’s proposal to redefine what qualifies as a “small” advisory firm—underscoring how quickly the RIA landscape has evolved and how many more firms now operate within it.
While regulatory change provides important context, the more meaningful dynamic is the pace of industry growth itself. In this environment, standing out is less about size alone and more about how intentionally a firm is built and positioned to grow. Increasingly, firms are finding that early investments in infrastructure, partnerships, and capabilities can meaningfully influence how well they are able to support a larger and more sophisticated business over time.
Whether an RIA is newly launched or entering its next phase of expansion, several recurring considerations tend to shape how effectively firms evolve. Across the industry, three themes appear consistently:
- Partnerships and platforms: Many firms find that working with experienced partners can provide more than domain expertise. The right relationships can offer access to established networks, proven structures, and existing frameworks that help reduce friction and accelerate execution to market.
- Operational focus and efficiency: As firms grow, attention often shifts to how teams spend their time. Streamlined operations can help keep resources focused on client work and business development, rather than administrative complexity.
- Breadth and relevance of offerings: Client expectations continue to evolve, pushing many RIAs to explore ways to deliver institutional-quality and differentiated solutions. Structures such as interval funds, white-labeled solutions, and niche exposures can expand investment capabilities—without materially increasing operational burden.
Taken together, these factors tend to influence how smoothly and sustainably a firm is able to scale over time. As the RIA landscape becomes more crowded, the most important questions tend to shift from whether to grow to how to grow well:
- Is your current operating model built to support the next stage of your firm?
- Where could partnerships simplify complexity or accelerate execution?
- Do your offerings match where client demand is heading?
Taking the time to work through these considerations often helps firms approach their next phase of growth with greater intention. We can help. Contact us to take the first step in positioning your practice for distinction.
