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Built to serve: how independence helped Chris Kilmer create a more human and Holistic planning experience. For Chris Kilmer, independence was not just a career move. It was a turning point that allowed him to build the kind of practice he always imagined: transparent, high-touch, client-centered, and supported by a modern platform at Victory Financial that truly lives up to the word "freedom". After 15 years in the industry, including multiple mergers he did not choose, Chris spent much of his early career feeling the disconnect between what firms promised and what they actually delivered. The environment was transactional, and support was inconsistent. When he took over his father's business in January 2024, that disconnect became impossible to ignore. Within days of becoming a limited partner at his former firm, he received a significant fee increase and was told nothing could be done. That moment became the catalyst. Chris explains, "I realized very quickly that I had no real control. I needed a place where I could build something long-term, with full transparency and true ownership." That search ultimately led him to Victory Financial. A Transition Experience Unlike Any Other Having already lived through two or three difficult transitions earlier in his career, Chris expected the worst as he prepared to move again. In the past, transfers meant months of backlogged paperwork, weekend work, and financial strain. But this time was different. Victory Financial partnered closely with Orion Portfolio Solutions to streamline the entire process, and the full transition was completed in only three days. For context, Chris noted that even well-managed transfers at his previous firms took three to six weeks. He remembers, "I kept waiting for the pain to start. And it never did. It was the smoothest transition I have ever experienced." This difference came from practical, advisor-centered support, not just promises or marketing language. Every firm talks about independence. Chris heard the word so often that it started to lose meaning. But at Victory Financial, he saw freedom implemented differently. Instead of forcing advisors to use outdated proprietary tools, Victory Financial built its platform around modern, best-in-class technology that integrates cleanly and scales with each advisor's business. Chris says, "They actually implement freedom. They do not pretend to be a tech company. They find the best technology available, negotiate great pricing, and make sure it works with their system so advisors are not fighting clunky software." One example that stood out was billing. After years of delayed payments and unresponsive departments, Chris now receives a simple automated workflow that tells him exactly when each payment will arrive. "It is simple. It is transparent. There is no friction. It means I can trust the process and focus on clients." A Planning Philosophy Built on Clarity and Care Chris approaches client service the same way he likes to be served: with transparency and simplicity. He creates educational videos covering every part of the client journey, including fees, strategies, and market updates, so clients always know what to expect. "Clients appreciate the same things about me that I appreciate about Victory Financial: transparency and simplicity. If they can see that I am always thinking ahead on their behalf, they can rest." This philosophy planted the seeds for something bigger. Launching All In Planning: A Holistic Model for Real World Needs Earlier this year, Chris and his team felt prompted to address a major gap they were seeing: families navigating terminal illness, the loss of a loved one, or the overwhelming administrative burden that follows. The result was All In Planning, a collaborative model in which estate planning, real estate, insurance, and financial professionals work together to support a household as a unified team. The most powerful example came when a newly widowed client reached out in crisis. Over the following months, Chris and his partner professionals helped her understand complex estate documents, unwind multiple real estate assets, coordinate insurance benefits, and guide her through a difficult financial transition. The experience did more than relieve her burden. It restored her stability and reshaped her outlook during one of the hardest seasons of her life. Chris is clear about what made this possible: "All In Planning would not exist anywhere else. At my old firms, the idea would have been shut down immediately. Victory Financial helped us build it the right way, fully compliant and fully supported, so we could serve people who truly need it." Chris believes the next two decades will define the future of the profession. With the aging population preparing to transfer trillions in wealth, he sees both a significant opportunity and an immense responsibility. "If high-quality planners do not step up, there will be plenty of bad actors ready to take advantage. We have to get there first and provide honest guidance during the biggest transitions of people's lives." For Chris, the mission is clear: continue building a collaborative planning model that surrounds real people with real support at the moments that matter most. And with Victory Financial behind him, he finally has the platform and freedom to do it. At Victory Financial, Victory Financial Group is proud to support advisors like Chris who are building careers with intention and going further together. Interested in building your practice with more flexibility and ownership? Learn more about Victory Financial's advisor platform.

Aurora Asset Management collaborates with Orion to expand Access to its Core Equity Portfolio. Aurora Asset Management is pleased to announce a new collaboration with Orion, a leading wealthtech solutions provider serving thousands of independent advisory firms nationwide. This collaboration enables Aurora's Core Equity Portfolio to be accessed directly through the Orion Investment Portal, significantly expanding availability for advisors and their clients. Why this collaboration matters. For years, financial advisors have expressed interest in incorporating Aurora's high conviction equity strategies into their client offerings. While its investment philosophy and portfolio construction resonate strongly across the advisory community, a key barrier remained: Auroramgt lacked a streamlined and scalable way to share its intellectual property and portfolio models with advisors in the platforms they use every day. Its collaboration with Orion directly solves this challenge. Through Orion's model delivery capabilities, advisors can now seamlessly incorporate the Aurora Core Equity Portfolio into their existing workflows. This includes the ability to: * Access Aurora's portfolio models directly within the Orion Investment Portal * Maintain discretion and control over client portfolios using Orion's rebalancing tools * Leverage Aurora's margin-of-safety investment process without operational friction This development represents a meaningful step forward in aligning its investment expertise with the technology infrastructure advisors rely on. What this means for advisors and their clients. Advisors seeking a disciplined, research-driven equity solution built on long-term fundamentals rather than short-term market fads now have a more accessible avenue for implementation. The Aurora Core Equity Portfolio is designed for investors who value: * High conviction security selection * A focus on long-term intrinsic value * A risk-conscious, margin-of-safety discipline By making its portfolio available through Orion, advisors can deliver this approach with greater efficiency and more flexibility in how they manage client accounts. Strengthening an important relationship. Orion has long been recognized for its commitment to empowering advisory firms with integrated technology, wealth solutions, and data-driven insights. Expanding its collaboration with a company that shares its dedication to advisor success reinforces its mission: to provide thoughtful and durable investment solutions that serve real client needs. Learn more. For inquiries or partnership discussions, please feel free to reach out directly to Austin Crites. Aurora Asset Management and Orion Advisor Solutions, Inc. ("Orion") are not affiliated companies.

Orion raises $17.5M in seed funding. Orion, a Los Angeles, CA-based provider of a personalized smart mattress, raised $17.5m in seed funding. Backers included Mucker Capital, Lead VC (Adidas Family Office), Browder Capital, Family Fund, Hawke Ventures, Breaktrail Ventures, Intuition VC, Stephen & Allison Ellsworth (Poppi), Jim McKelvey (Square), Eytan Elbaz (Scopely), Kathy Fields (Proactiv), Luke Harries (Eleven Labs), Alon Matas (BetterHelp) and NBA player Kyle Kuzma. The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and its business reach. Orion provides a personalized smart mattress cover that tracks users' sleep and uses AI to cool and heat the body to the perfect temperature cycle based on an individual's biometrics, enhancing deep sleep and REM. The company was founded by father/son duo Harry Gestetner (who founded Fanfix, grew to $120m+ revenue and $10m+ ebitda/acquired by SuperOrdinary @ age 21; Chief Digital Officer @SuperOrdinary, scaled to $350m revenue) and Daniel Gestetner (who co-founder of Byte, bootstrapped to $1.04 billion acquisition by Dentsply), as well as Blake Johnson and Scott Cohen from Byte.