For financial advisors like Ray Fracchia, a 35-year industry veteran with Atkins Capital Management in Memphis, Tennessee, the decision to join a new broker/dealer is about more than numbers—it’s about finding a partner who shares your values and can cut through the red tape when it matters most.
Two years ago, when Fracchia and his team were evaluating potential broker/dealers, they had a clear priority: personal service. After interviewing multiple firms, they chose Nations Financial Group, headquartered in Iowa, because it offered the right balance of personalized attention, practical solutions, and access to world-class resources.
“We really came to feel that smaller was better,” Fracchia explains. “Smaller in size, maybe smaller in the market. Coming out of Iowa, as opposed to New York or Los Angeles, we felt like they were us—and it turned out we were right.”
Common-Sense Solutions, Direct Access
One of the key benefits Fracchia has found with Nations is the ability to resolve issues quickly, without the layers of management that often slow things down at larger firms.
“When we have a problem, we go right to the source,” he says. “Several times, we’ve had conference calls or Zoom calls with the top at Nations, and they’ve said, ‘That’s not common sense—here’s a solution that works.’ And it does. We’re very happy with that.”
In one instance, Fracchia had a wealthy client who needed to sign off on a private equity deal that came with 10 pages of disclosures, each requiring multiple initials. Knowing how impractical that was, he reached out to Nations for help.
“We went straight up to the top, to Brenda, and said, ‘This is unreasonable.’ She agreed and had it fixed within an hour,” Fracchia recalls. “We ended up with one form that covered everything we needed. The client was happy, and so were we.”
Small-Firm Service, Big-Firm Resources
Switching from a large firm to a smaller one can sometimes raise concerns about client safety and access to top-tier resources, but Fracchia says they haven’t skipped a beat.
“The money is still held at some of the largest firms in the world, like Schwab and Wells Fargo,” he explains. “We’re still able to work with the largest private equity firms and investment firms, so we didn’t feel like we were giving up anything by going with Nations. What we got was small, personal service—and we still have access to the advantages of the big firms.”
A Decision Confirmed by Results
While some firms might try to lure advisors with lucrative offers, Fracchia and his team focused on finding a firm that truly understood their needs.
“Nations wasn’t the most lucrative in terms of what they were throwing out there, but we felt like these were folks in the middle of America, where I wasn’t going to get a call center every time I had a problem,” Fracchia says. “I was going to get people who know me—and that helped us make our decision. It’s been confirmed with the results.”
For Fracchia and Atkins Capital Management, the move to Nations Financial Group has been a win—a partnership built on common sense, mutual respect, and a shared commitment to client success.
