Raymond James welcomes $200 million advisor in Atlanta
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Raymond James welcomed financial advisor Debbie Smith to Raymond James & Associates (RJA) – the firm’s traditional employee broker/dealer – in Atlanta, Georgia, according to Jim Hamilton, Southern regional director for RJA.
Smith joins Raymond James from SunTrust Investment Services, where she previously managed approximately $200 million in client assets. Joining her at the firm’s Atlanta Buckhead office is Deborah Hassan, senior registered client service associate. Together they serve families, retirees, business owners, women executives and nonprofits with investment management and long-term financial planning services.
“I was looking for a firm where I could run my practice as I wanted, with more flexibility in how I serve and select my clients,” said Smith. “Essentially, I wanted to be more entrepreneurial and Raymond James was the best fit. Additionally, several of my former colleagues had moved to Raymond James over the years and had great things to say about the firm: its support for advisors, the enhanced technology and resources available, and the firm’s unwavering focus on putting clients first.
“Also, I serve a number of women business owners and executives in my practice, so the fact that Raymond James had for over 20 years developed, supported and celebrated a Network for Women Advisors – providing robust education for women advisors and investors – was another powerful reason to make the move.”
Senior Vice President Smith began her financial services career in 1994 as a mutual fund analyst with Legg Mason, and for the next 13 years, at J.C. Bradford (now UBS) in Nashville, Tennessee, Wells Fargo in Charlotte, North Carolina, and SunTrust in Atlanta, she focused on product due diligence, specializing in money managers, mutual funds, ETFs, variable annuities, and portfolio construction. In 2007, she made a career shift, moving from product management to consultative financial planning as a private financial advisor at SunTrust Investment Services.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome Debbie and Deborah to the firm,” said Hamilton. “They are a strong team that cares deeply about their clients’ well-being. I’m pleased that they found the culture and support at Raymond James to be the best fit for them. We look forward to further supporting them as their business grows.”
About Raymond James & Associates
Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC, which has built a national reputation for more than 50 years as a leader in financial planning for individuals, corporations and municipalities, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE-RJF), a leading diversified financial services company with approximately 7,800 financial advisors throughout the United States, Canada and overseas. Total client assets are $785 billion. Additional information is available at www.raymondjames.com.