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Rick Lee Kent

Rick L. Kent

MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS | CEO
ALPHARETTA, GA 30009
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CRD#: 2871310
Rick Lee Kent

Professional summary


Rick Lee Kent, AIF®, CFP®, who also goes by Rick Lee Kent, Rick Kent, is a registered financial advisor currently at MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS located in Alpharetta, Georgia and PURSHE KAPLAN STERLING INVESTMENTS located in Albany, New York.

Rick is registered as an IAR (Investment Advisor Representative) and RR (Registered Representative) and started their career in finance in 1997. Rick has worked at 8 firms and has passed the Series 65, Series 63, SIE, Series 7, Series 6 and Series 24 exams.

top-8-questions

Question & Answer


What are your service offerings?
Executive services/Equity comp...
Financial planning
Trading individual securities
Insurance
Trust & estate planning
Philanthropic services
Retirement planning
What is your current number of clients?
Greater than 100
What is your minimum asset requirement?
250K
Are you a "fiduciary"?
Yes

Aliases


Rick Lee Kent | Rick Kent

Other business activities


Outside business activity is any business or activity undertaken by an advisor that is outside the scope of their relationship with their firm (e.g., consulting services, real estate, freelance work, teaching, etc.). Investors should stay informed about these activities to ensure no conflicts of interest.
1. Merit Financial Advisors. Investment related. At the registered location. RIA. IAR.CEO. 11/15/2015. 160. 8. Service clients. 2. Fixed Insurance. Investment Related. At the registered location. Insurance. Agent. 07/15/2024.1.1.Provide insurance advice based on the needs of clients 3. Mentoro Group, LLC. Investment Related. At the registered location. Holding Company. Owner. CEO. 07/2019.1.1.Limited Liability company. 4. TJF Open Seas LLC. Not Investment Related. At the registered location. Holding company. Owner. Owner. 06/2021. 1. 1. Holding company for the purpose of owning a boat. 5. Merit Financial Inc. Not Investment Related, At the registered location. Support Company/ Operating LLC. Owner. Owner. 01/2015.2.0. Tax Reporting Entity 6. PTC Storage LLC. Not Investment Related. 472 Sandy Plains Rd, Rosewell GA 30075. Real Estate Rental. Owner. Owner. 6/2023.1.1. limited liability company - purchase, development, construction, and operation of storage facilities. 7. East Piedmont Storage LLC. Not Investment related. 4672 Sandy Plns Rd., Ste. 200 Rosewell GA 30075. Operating LLC / Support Company. Owner. Owner. 06/2022 .1. 1. Domestic Limited Liability company (loan) 8.Merit Holdings, LLC. Not Investment Related. At the registered location. Holding Company. Member. Member.12/2021 1.1. Holding Entity for Other Businesses. 9. MFG Securties, LLC. Investment Related. At the registered location. LUBD. Owner. Owner. 08/2024.1.1. Special Use BD for receipt of commissions from PKS 10.MFG Employment Services, LLC. Not Investment Related. Employment Services. CEO. CEO. 01/2022. 1.1. Employment Services. 11. Merit Agency, LLC. Investment Related. At the registered location. Fixed Insurance/Annuity. Owner. owner.08/2024. Insurance GA for non-variable business 12. PKS. Investment Related. At the registered location. RR of BD. Commission compensation.

Blog Corner


CRS (Client Relationship Summary) - RIA


MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS - Registered Investment Advisory firm

Version Date: Thu Aug 01 2024

Merit Financial Group, LLC (“Merit”) is an investment advisory firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The services and fees for investment advisory services differ from brokerage services and fees, and it is important for retail investors to understand the differences. By visiting www.investor.gov/CRS there are free and simple tools available to research firms and individual financial professionals. This website also provides educational materials about broker-dealers, investment advisers and investing.

Types of Services Offered:

Merit offers investment advisory services to retail investors, which includes asset management services, needs based financial analysis, as well as comprehensive financial planning. You will engage with us by executing our Asset Management Agreement and/or Advisory Services Agreement, which outlines our relationship in full detail.

  • Financial Planning and Consulting Services: Financial planning or consulting advice may encompass one or more of the following areas, but not limited to: Investment Planning, Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, Charitable Planning, Education Planning, Corporate and Personal Tax Planning, Cost Segregation Study, Corporate Structure, Real Estate Analysis, Mortgage/Debt Analysis, Insurance Analysis, Lines of Credit Evaluation, Business and Personal Financial Planning.

  • Merit Compass Program: We provide advice to help individuals understand and maximize their employer’s benefit package.

  • Asset Management: We generally follow an established investment management process with a long-term time horizon. For most clients, we believe that a long-term diversified approach is the most suitable investment strategy. As part of our asset management services, we may create a portfolio consisting of individual stocks or bonds, exchange traded funds (“ETFs”), options, mutual funds, variable annuities and other public and private securities or investments. We manage a select group of model asset allocation portfolios, “Merit Model Portfolios” that are used in client accounts, when appropriate. We may also recommend the services of other investment advisers with expertise in certain investment styles to manage a portion of your assets. We choose from a wide variety of investment types and do not use any proprietary products. As part of our standard services, we regularly monitor your investments and regularly review your portfolio. We will contact you at least annually to discuss your portfolio, with interim updates when life or market changes call for it. We do not have an account minimum to engage in our investment advisory account management services.

We typically manage your investment portfolio on a discretionary basis, which gives us authority to buy and sell investments in your account(s) without asking you in advance. You will sign an Asset Management Agreement giving us this authority until either you or we terminate that agreement. Under a non-discretionary arrangement, you must be contacted prior to the execution of any trade in the account(s) under management.

Additional Information: You may find additional details about our relationships, services, and fees in our Form ADV Part 2A – Items 4 and 7, which is available on our website at https://www.meritfinancialadvisors.com/compliance/.


Questions to ask your Professional:
  • Given my financial situation, should I choose an investment advisory service? Why or why not?
  • How will you choose investments to recommend to me?
  • What is your relevant experience, including your licenses, education and other qualifications?
  • What do these qualifications mean?
  • Given my Financial Advisor can also offer brokerage services, how does this affect me?
  • Financial Planning and Consulting Fees: If you engage us for comprehensive financial planning or needs-based analysis for retirement or consulting services, you may pay a separate fixed fee or hourly rate.

  • Merit Compass Program: You pay an annual fixed fee for these services.

  • Asset Based Fees: You will normally pay an ongoing fee on a quarterly basis for asset management services. This fee is a percentage of the value of the assets in your account(s) and will be paid to us whether trades occur in your account during a quarter. In addition to our asset based fees, you will also pay transaction costs to the broker-dealer executing your trades.

  • Wrap Fee Program: You will pay us a single annual percentage fee for asset management services that also covers most transaction costs in your account. Therefore, the annual management fee may be higher than a non-wrap account fee. In addition to the foregoing fees, your managed portfolio will incur other expenses. The most common examples are the custodian’s charges for maintenance of your accounts and the internal fees imposed by mutual funds and exchange traded funds. If all or a portion of your assets is managed by a third-party money manager, you will also pay the manager’s advisory fee.

You will pay fees and costs whether you make or lose money on your investments. Fees and costs will reduce any amount of money you make on your investments over time. Please make sure you understand what fees and costs you are paying.

More information is available in our Form ADV Part 2A (our “Brochure”) in Items 5 and 12 and Appendix 1, Wrap Program Brochure in Item 4.


Questions to ask your Professional:
  • Help me understand how these fees and costs might affect my investments. If I give you $10,000 to invest, how much will go to fees and costs, and how much will be invested?

When we act as your investment adviser, we must act in your best interest and not put our interest ahead of yours. At the same time, the way we make money creates some conflicts with your interests. You should understand and ask us about these conflicts because they can affect the investment advice we provide you. Here are some examples to help you understand what this means:

  • Our asset management fees are calculated as a percentage of the assets we manage for you. This type of fee arrangement could also influence us to recommend that you deposit more assets in your account, which would increase our fees.

  • Most of our financial professionals are registered representatives of a broker-dealer. Your financial professional can earn additional transaction-based compensation when providing brokerage services through a broker-dealer. The more transactions in your account, the more compensation he or she will earn. This creates an incentive for your financial professional to encourage you to engage in transactions. You are encouraged to learn more about this arrangement by having a discussion with your financial professional.

  • Our firm’s financial professionals include licensed insurance agents who sell insurance products for a commission. They have an incentive to recommend insurance products to you to increase their compensation.

  • Although you will not be charged a transaction fee for trades in a Wrap account, we and/or your financial professional pay the broker dealer a per transaction charge for purchases and sales in the Wrap account. The cost to your financial professional and/or the firm, of the transaction charges may be a factor which we and/or your financial professional considers when deciding which securities to select and whether or not to place transactions in the account. This is a conflict of interest.

More information is available in our Form ADV Part 2A (our “Brochure”) in Items 4, 10, 11 and 12 and Appendix 1, Wrap Program Brochure in Item 4.


Questions to ask your Professional:
  • How might your conflicts of interest affect me, and how will you address them?

Our financial professionals receive a portion of the advisory fees paid by you. Some are paid both a fixed salary and a variable bonus, because of his or her efforts in developing, maintaining client relationships and the amount of assets they may gather.

In addition to working as a financial professional for us, your financial professional may also act as a registered representative of a broker-dealer and/or offer insurance as a broker or agent through numerous insurance companies. These roles create conflicts of interest as discussed above.


Questions to ask your Professional:
  • Who is my primary contact person?
  • Is he or she a representative of a broker dealer?
  • Who can I talk to if I have any concerns about how this person is treating me?

Certified licenses


Advisors may have various certifications and credentials from different organizations. AdvisorCheck highlights these seven certifications - AIF®, CFP®, ChFC®, CFA, CLU®, CIMA®, CPWA®
AIF®

Experience


Current

February 1, 2007 - Present

MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS

Office #1: 2400 Lakeview Parkway Suite 550, Alpharetta, GA 30009
RIA
CRD#: 142457
ALPHARETTA, GA
Current

August 16, 2024 - Present

PURSHE KAPLAN STERLING INVESTMENTS

Office #1: 80 State Street, Albany, NY 12207Office #2: 2400 Lakeview Parkway Suite 550, Alpharetta, GA 30009Office #3: 800 Town And Country Boulevard Suite 500, Houston, TX 77024
BD
CRD#: 35747
ALBANY, NY
Past

December 20, 2018 - February 5, 2019

LIFESTYLE PLANNING SOLUTIONS, LLC

RIA
CRD#: 164456
ALPHARETTA, GA
Past

December 14, 2010 - December 14, 2010

LPL FINANCIAL LLC

RIA
CRD#: 6413
ALPHARETTA, GA
Past

December 6, 2010 - August 16, 2024

LPL FINANCIAL LLC

BD
CRD#: 6413
ALPHARETTA, GA
Past

January 17, 2003 - February 12, 2007

SECURITIES AMERICA ADVISORS, INC.

RIA
CRD#: 110518
ALPHARETTA, GA
Past

June 2, 2000 - December 9, 2010

SECURITIES AMERICA, INC.

BD
CRD#: 10205
ALPHARETTA, GA
Past

October 28, 1998 - June 20, 2000

JOHN HANCOCK DISTRIBUTORS LLC

BD
CRD#: 5249
BOSTON, MA
Past

May 22, 1997 - August 8, 2000

CENTENNIAL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, INC.

BD
CRD#: 38988
ATLANTA, GA

Primary Firm SEC Registration


This SEC-registered firm can serve clients nationwide. Some states may require the firm to submit a notice filing if the firm has more than 5 clients or a physical office there. You can view these state-level filings under the section titled "State Registrations and Notice Filings".
MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS
MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS
ALLEGIANCE ADVANTAGE GROUP | WORKSITE FINANCIAL WELLNESS | WEALTH REALM | UNION FINANCIAL ADVISORS | THE RETIREMENT COACH | THE MERIT RETIREMENT ADVANTAGE | THE FAMILY HUG | SIMPLIFIED FINANCIAL | SHARP ADVISORS | SAFEGUARD WEALTH MANAGEMENT | REASON FINANCIAL | PRICE FINANCIAL GROUP | PIONEER FINANCIAL | NEXTSTAGE CONSULTING | MERSBERGER FINANCIAL GROUP | MERIT WEALTH ADVISORS | MERIT FINANCIAL INC | MERIT FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC | MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS LLC | MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS | MERIT 401(K) MAXIMIZER | MERIT | KIRSCH & ASSOCIATES | KING FINANCIAL PARTNERS | INDEPENDENT ADVISOR PARTNERS | GUIDED CAPITAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT | GLOBAL WEALTH ADVISORS | FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS | FIDUCIARY SERVICES | CPA RETIREMENT NETWORK | CONSILIUM FINANCIAL GROUP | CONSILIUM ASSOCIATES | BOTSFORD PRIVATE WEALTH | BOTSFORD FINANCIAL GROUP | BOTSFORD FINANCIAL | BLUHAWK WEALTH MANAGEMENT | BAUTZ FAMILY FINANCIAL | ALLEGIANCE RETIREMENT SOLUTIONS | ALLEGIANCE FINANCIAL STRATEGIES GROUP

CRD#: 142457 / SEC#: 801-67462

RIA
Registered Investment Advisory firm - (1/31/2007 Approved)

State Registrations and Notice Filings


Listed states reflect where the advisor is authorized to serve clients under state regulations.

IAR
means the advisor is registered as an Investment Advisor Representative in this state and is authorized to provide investment advice to clients there.
RR
indicates the advisor is registered as a Registered Representative in this state, allowing them to offer securities such as stocks, bonds, and mutual funds through a broker-dealer.

Visual representation of state registrations

RR
Alabama
(9/25/2024)
RR
Alaska
(9/3/2024)
RR
Arizona
(8/16/2024)
RR
Arkansas
(8/16/2024)
RR
California
(8/16/2024)
RR
Colorado
(8/16/2024)
RR
Connecticut
(8/16/2024)
RR
Delaware
(9/6/2024)
RR
District of Columbia
(8/16/2024)
RR
Florida
(8/16/2024)
IAR
Georgia
(2/2/2007)
RR
Georgia
(8/16/2024)
RR
Hawaii
(9/9/2024)
RR
Idaho
(8/16/2024)
RR
Illinois
(8/16/2024)
RR
Indiana
(8/16/2024)
RR
Iowa
(8/16/2024)
RR
Kansas
(8/16/2024)
RR
Kentucky
(8/16/2024)
IAR
Louisiana
(7/24/2015)
RR
Louisiana
(8/16/2024)
RR
Maine
(8/16/2024)
RR
Maryland
(8/16/2024)
RR
Massachusetts
(8/19/2024)
RR
Michigan
(8/16/2024)
RR
Minnesota
(10/3/2024)
RR
Mississippi
(8/16/2024)
RR
Missouri
(8/16/2024)
RR
Montana
(8/16/2024)
RR
Nebraska
(8/16/2024)
RR
Nevada
(8/16/2024)
RR
New Hampshire
(8/16/2024)
RR
New Jersey
(8/16/2024)
RR
New Mexico
(8/16/2024)
RR
New York
(8/16/2024)
RR
North Carolina
(9/4/2024)
RR
North Dakota
(8/16/2024)
RR
Ohio
(8/16/2024)
RR
Oklahoma
(8/16/2024)
RR
Oregon
(8/16/2024)
RR
Pennsylvania
(8/16/2024)
RR
Rhode Island
(8/16/2024)
RR
South Carolina
(9/5/2024)
RR
South Dakota
(10/9/2024)
RR
Tennessee
(8/16/2024)
IAR
Texas
(2/1/2007)
RR
Texas
(8/16/2024)
RR
Utah
(8/16/2024)
RR
Vermont
(8/16/2024)
RR
Virgin Islands
(8/16/2024)
RR
Virginia
(8/16/2024)
RR
Washington
(8/16/2024)
RR
West Virginia
(8/16/2024)
RR
Wisconsin
(8/16/2024)
RR
Wyoming
(8/16/2024)

Exams


State Security Law Exam
IAR
Series 65
Date: 11/5/1999
Uniform Investment Adviser Law Examination
State Security Law Exam
General Industry/Product Exam
General Industry/Product Exam
General Industry/Product Exam
Principal/Supervisory Exam
SRO Registrations
RR
FINRA

Current Firm


MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS
MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS
ALLEGIANCE ADVANTAGE GROUP | WORKSITE FINANCIAL WELLNESS | WEALTH REALM | UNION FINANCIAL ADVISORS | THE RETIREMENT COACH | THE MERIT RETIREMENT ADVANTAGE | THE FAMILY HUG | SIMPLIFIED FINANCIAL | SHARP ADVISORS | SAFEGUARD WEALTH MANAGEMENT | REASON FINANCIAL | PRICE FINANCIAL GROUP | PIONEER FINANCIAL | NEXTSTAGE CONSULTING | MERSBERGER FINANCIAL GROUP | MERIT WEALTH ADVISORS | MERIT FINANCIAL INC | MERIT FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC | MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS LLC | MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS | MERIT 401(K) MAXIMIZER | MERIT | KIRSCH & ASSOCIATES | KING FINANCIAL PARTNERS | INDEPENDENT ADVISOR PARTNERS | GUIDED CAPITAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT | GLOBAL WEALTH ADVISORS | FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS | FIDUCIARY SERVICES | CPA RETIREMENT NETWORK | CONSILIUM FINANCIAL GROUP | CONSILIUM ASSOCIATES | BOTSFORD PRIVATE WEALTH | BOTSFORD FINANCIAL GROUP | BOTSFORD FINANCIAL | BLUHAWK WEALTH MANAGEMENT | BAUTZ FAMILY FINANCIAL | ALLEGIANCE RETIREMENT SOLUTIONS | ALLEGIANCE FINANCIAL STRATEGIES GROUP

CRD#: 142457 / SEC#: 801-67462

RIA
Registered Investment Advisory firm - (1/31/2007 Approved)
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Contact information


Main Address
2400 Lakeview Parkway Suite 550, Alpharetta, GA 30009
Mailing Address
Phone number
(678) 867-7050
Established
Firm type
Fiscal year end
# of Employees
279

SEC notice filing (53 States and Territories)


Blank US states mapAlaskaHawaiiAlabamaArkansasArizonaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIowaIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMassachusettsMarylandMaineMichiganMinnesotaMissouriMississippiMontanaNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNebraskaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNevadaNew YorkOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVirginiaVermontWisconsinWest VirginiaWyoming

Documents


Customer Relationship Summary (CRS / SEC)Latest Form ADV

Part 2 Brochures

MERIT FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC BROCHURE (9/12/2025)

Regulatory assets under management


Total Number of Accounts31,882
AUM (Assets Under Management)$ 10,576,048,244

Red Flags


Disclosures can be potential red flags, including customer disputes, regulatory fines, employer terminations, bankruptcies, judgments, liens, or certain criminal activities.

Check for any disclosures as part of your thorough research when choosing an advisor.

Company Information


MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS

MERIT FINANCIAL ADVISORS

CEOCRD#: 142457Alpharetta, GA 30009

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Contact information


(xxx) xxx-xxxx
xxxxx@xxxx.xxx

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