# FP Transitions adds valuation score for advisory firm owners URL: https://www.financialadvsr.com/article/fp-transitions-adds-valuation-score-for-advisory-firm-6bb779 Published: November 14, 2026 By: Nora Kessler, Practice & Technology Correspondent Section: News Publisher: Financial ADVSR (https://www.financialadvsr.com) FP Transitions has added a valuation benchmarking score to its FPInsights platform, giving advisory firm owners a directional view of how their business compares with peers. InvestmentNews reported on November 13, 2026 that FP Transitions has introduced a valuation benchmarking tool intended to help RIA leaders look more closely at their business data. The tool is the company's Estimated Value Index, which the firm first announced on August 19, 2026 as a proprietary benchmarking product for advisory firm owners. The November report follows that August launch. The firm's announcement says every advisory business that uses the index is given a rating on a 1 to 100 scale, where a higher rating points to better financial results compared with similar companies in FP Transitions' database. The company says the score is not a standalone revenue or asset figure. Instead, it is meant to give owners a directional view of how their firm compares with peers and of the revenue-multiple range their profile may support. There is no charge for FPInsights account holders. To get a score, they fill out a Firm Snapshot from their dashboard, and they are able to revise their details as time goes on, according to the firm. Brad Bueermann, the CEO of FP Transitions, has said the score was first released in July as a soft launch, not through the usual closed-beta route. Bueermann also said the company ran a retrospective test of the score before the July release, drawing on firm valuation records and M&A deals from the two years before. He has also said the current score is not AI-generated. It combines information supplied by advisors with the firm's valuation methodology and data. The firm says it is developing AI-powered capabilities within the broader FPInsights platform, according to WealthSolutionsReport. The reporting does not give a timeline for those capabilities. FP Transitions was founded in 1999, according to a PitchBook profile and a 2023 company release, which said the firm had then served advisors for 24 years. The firm's 2026 releases say its insights draw on more than 18,000 valuations, compared with the 15,000-plus valuations cited in a 2023 release. Its September 2026 announcement says the firm advises on more than 100 M&A transactions each year. The 2023 release said its clients range from broker-dealers to RIAs with assets under management from $100 million to several billion dollars. LinkedIn lists the company as privately held. Acquisition International identifies David Grau Sr., JD, as President and Founder, and Brad Bueermann is listed as CEO in the firm's release. The same announcement named Tom Kimberly as chief operating officer. WealthSolutionsReport described Kimberly as a former Edelman Financial Engines executive and said the COO role is new at the company. InvestmentNews' August coverage described the post as the firm's first chief operating officer. Kitces Research, in its October 2026 roundup, described the tool as part of a wave of business benchmarking software for advisory firms. Kitces also noted that, compared with certain other benchmarking products, this tool is aimed more directly at business valuation, with uses that include sales to outsiders, outside capital, internal ownership transfers and lending decisions. The platform has seen a further addition. On September 10, 2026, FP Transitions announced a compensation benchmarking capability within FP Insights. FP Transitions' September 10 compensation benchmark starts with 770 advisory firms and 7,292 individual pay records as of July 28, 2026. Those firms are sorted into six size groups, running from under $100 million in AUM to more than $1 billion. Bueermann told Wealth Management in a November 10, 2026 interview that advisors want to know what their practice is worth today and how that compares with peers. InvestmentNews' August coverage also noted that Alaris Acquisitions had launched its own Buyer Portal the prior fall, profiling more than 70 RIA buyers. Key facts: - The Estimated Value Index was announced on August 19, 2026, according to the firm's press release. - The index gives each advisory business a score from 1 to 100, measured against comparable firms in the FP Transitions database. - The score is free for advisors with an FPInsights account and is generated after completing a Firm Snapshot. - FP Transitions' 2026 releases say its insights come from more than 18,000 valuations. - The September 10, 2026 compensation dataset covers 770 advisory firms and 7,292 individual compensation records as of July 28, 2026. Why it matters: For advisors weighing a sale, succession or outside investment, a benchmark that places a firm against comparable businesses can frame those conversations early. Team leaders and firm executives often focus on factors such as revenue quality and profitability when planning transitions, so a consistent scoring method may help them track changes over time. Any score is directional by the company's own description and is best read alongside professional valuation advice. Firms in this story, from their SEC Form ADV filings: - Edelman Financial Engines (Santa Clara, CA; SEC CRD 104510): $326B regulatory assets under management, 1,244,406 clients, 553 advisory staff, 132 offices, custodians Fidelity Distributors Company, Charles Schwab, Vanguard; Form ADV filed 2026-07-24. https://www.financialadvsr.com/rias/edelman-financial-engines Sources: - InvestmentNews: https://www.investmentnews.com/advisor-tech/fp-transitions-introduces-a-valuation-benchmarking-tool/268938 - prnewswire.com: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fp-transitions-introduces-benchmarking-tool-for-advisory-firms-the-estimated-value-index-302854316.html - aijourn.com: https://aijourn.com/fp-transitions-introduces-benchmarking-tool-for-advisory-firms-the-estimated-value-index/ - wealthsolutionsreport.com: https://www.wealthsolutionsreport.com/fp-transitions-appoints-coo-as-it-launches-new-advisor-benchmarking-tool/ - investmentnews.com: https://www.investmentnews.com/goria/practice-management/fp-transitions-launches-valuation-benchmarking-tool-for-advisors/267882 - finance.yahoo.com: https://finance.yahoo.com/small-business/articles/fp-transitions-expands-fp-insights-130000783.html - fptransitions.com: https://www.fptransitions.com/press