Cetera also named a finalist in Practice Management category for its home-grown “Rise to Elite” program
SAN DIEGO – Sept. 10, 2025 – Cetera announced today that its Growth Guarantee* omni-channel campaign won the 2025 Wealth Management Industry Award (“Wealthies”)** for Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year, and its Onboarding Navigator program won in the Transition Support category. The awards were presented Sept. 4 at the Wealth Management Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.
Cetera earned recognition for Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year in support of its GrowthLine program – a strategic commercial growth engine built to give advisors a true operating advantage. “GrowthLine was built to give advisors a growth engine — one that thinks like a COO and executes like a CMO. By combining brand strategy, modern marketing, client acquisition and distribution expansion into a single, data-driven framework, we help advisors unlock measurable results: stronger client engagement, faster growth and lasting enterprise value,” said Ladan Massir, Head of Advisor & Financial Institution Growth Marketing.
Since its inception in 2021, GrowthLine has served more than 2,500 advisors, driving $25.6 billion in incremental assets under administration and delivering more than 50% higher annual revenue compared to peers***. The Growth Guarantee campaign is a direct reflection of that success – pledging 50% faster growth in AUA, or a full refund of affiliation fees – underscoring Cetera’s confidence in the outcomes advisors can achieve.
“GrowthLine has reimagined how we equip advisors to accelerate their businesses, and the Growth Guarantee campaign demonstrates what’s possible when bold ideas meet extraordinary execution,” said Merrill Varghese, Head of Digital and Performance Marketing. “This recognition affirms our commitment to advisor growth, reflecting our team’s innovation and determination while underscoring that Cetera stands firmly behind helping advisors thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.”
Cetera was also recognized in the Transition Support category for its Onboarding Navigator, the latest evolution of its award-winning Accesslink onboarding program. Since its inception in 2022, Accesslink has redefined the onboarding and integration experience for financial professionals joining Cetera. The firm's expert onboarding team, led by Jamie Baker, Managing Director of Integrations, continuously evolves Accesslink to incorporate advisor feedback and changing needs.
Onboarding Navigator’s updated version introduces enhanced real-time, interactive reporting capabilities that empower stakeholders with comprehensive progress tracking from both a project management and asset realization standpoint. Designed using automation, human capital and AI to streamline and support every aspect of the onboarding and transition process by using new Salesforce workload management functionality, this updated iteration offers greater transparency and personalized assistance. With features such as curated onboarding and transitions plans, advisor training programs, and timely book-of-business reviews, Onboarding Navigator ensures a seamless, well-supported experience for all involved.
In receiving the Transition Support award, Karen Cecilio, Head of Integrations at Cetera said, “Changing firms is a pivotal decision for financial professionals, and subsequently their clients. Our Onboarding Navigator process is designed to deliver a transparent, supportive and minimally disruptive transition – empowering advisors not just to move, but to elevate and transform their business.”
For the second consecutive year, Cetera was recognized as a finalist in the Practice Management category for its home-grown “Rise to Elite” peer mentorship program, created in its Avantax Community of tax-focused financial professionals. Rise to Elite is a complimentary peer-to-peer coaching program for firms aspiring to achieve significant growth in their wealth management business. Crafted by the Avantax Home Office team and Avantax financial professionals specifically for their growth-oriented peers, the curriculum offers scalable, repeatable business strategies complemented by coaching and accountability partners.
Now in its 11th year, the WealthManagement.com annual industry awards program – known as the “Wealthies” – honors individuals, organizations and companies that help financial advisors build better businesses and pursue better outcomes for their clients. More than 1,200 nominations were submitted for Wealthies 2025 consideration.
About Cetera
Cetera Financial Group is the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub, empowering independent advisors and institutions with personalized support, flexible affiliation models, and end-to-end growth solutions. Home to approximately 12,000 advisors and institutions, Cetera’s multi-channel ecosystem enables financial professionals to grow, scale or transition their businesses on their own terms.
Unlike traditional IBDs, Cetera offers true choice – blending modern technology, integrated wealth solutions, and a community-driven culture. Cetera’s five-channel model and commitment to long-term advisor value provide a scalable blueprint for consistent, repeatable growth.
As of June 30, 2025, Cetera manages approximately $590 billion in assets under administration and $263 billion in assets under management. Its award-winning Voice of the Customer program has captured more than 40,000 advisor reviews, with over 35,000 five-star ratings, giving Cetera a 4.8 out of 5 satisfaction score.
Learn more at www.cetera.com and follow Cetera on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X.
“Cetera Financial Group” (CFG) refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, those that are members FINRA/SIPC: Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Wealth Services, LLC (f/k/a Cetera Advisor Networks), Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC; and a Securities and Exchange Commission registered investment adviser: Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, located at 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101.
Financial professionals affiliated with Cetera firms are either Registered Representatives who offer only brokerage services and receive transaction-based compensation (commissions), Investment Adviser Representatives who offer only investment advisory services and receive fees based on assets, or both Registered Representatives and Investment Adviser Representatives, who can offer both types of services.
Cetera exclusively provides investment products and services through its representatives. Although Cetera does not provide tax or legal advice, or supervise tax, accounting or legal services, Cetera representatives may offer these services through their independent outside business. This information is not intended as tax or legal advice.
About Avantax
Avantax, a unique community within Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, delivers tax-intelligent wealth management solutions for financial professionals, tax professionals and CPA firms, supporting its goal of minimizing clients’ tax burdens through comprehensive tax-intelligent financial planning. For additional information, please visit www.avantax.com.
* If an advisor joins a broker-dealer and/or registered investment adviser affiliated with Cetera Financial Group, Inc. (a "Cetera Company") and participates in our GrowthLine program, but does not grow assets under administration at least 50% faster than their peer group during the year following the latter of the date the program is completed or that advisor’s four-month affiliation anniversary (the "Measurement Period"), then the Cetera Company will refund the advisor’s affiliation fees for that year, up to $2,400, upon request (the "Growth Guarantee"). "Peer Group" includes all individuals who registered with a Cetera Company before 2020 and remained registered throughout the Measurement Period and who had verified assets under administration exceeding $20,000,000 at the beginning of the Measurement Period. The GrowthLine Program is a marketing program and does not improve clients' account performance or provide investment advice. For purposes of the Growth Guarantee, market performance is excluded from the comparison of the advisor’s growth rate and the Peer Group's growth rate during the Measurement Period. The Growth Guarantee is only available to the primary principal of new affiliates of a Cetera Company that have reviewed the Growth Guarantee terms and conditions and have completed all aspects of the GrowthLine program within six months of affiliation. The Growth Guarantee is limited to one primary principal from each newly affiliating group of advisors joining as a team. Refund requests must be received within 90 days of the expiration of the Measurement Period. Affiliation Fees will be refunded within four weeks of a valid refund request along with supporting documentation. No other charges, expenses or market losses will be refunded. The Growth Guarantee does not modify or alter the terms and conditions of any agreements between the advisor and a Cetera Company and/or affiliate. An advisor is not eligible for the Growth Guarantee if: currently affiliated with a Cetera Company, no affiliation fee was paid by the advisor, the advisor’s affiliation is a result of a merger or acquisition, and/or the advisor has an outside registered investment adviser firm. Other restrictions may apply. Cetera reserves the right to change or terminate the Growth Guarantee at any time.
**The WealthManagement.com Industry Awards program recognizes outstanding organizations and individuals that support financial advisor success. Listing in this publication and/or award is not a guarantee of future investment success. This recognition should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor by any client. No compensation was provided directly or indirectly by the recipient for participation or in connection with obtaining or using the third-party rating or award.
*** Statistics through Q2 2025
Media Contact:
Tony Katsulos
Director, External Communications
Cetera Financial Group
tony.katsulos@cetera.com