Securities America Welcomes Great Plains Financial Group

Securities America Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of the independent branch Great Plains Financial Group of Fargo, N.D.

Great Plains Financial Group, which has $3.8 million in annual revenue and $350 million in assets under management, was founded in October 2002. With 11 advisors, they have more than 200 combined years of service. Great Plains Financial Group has its main office in Fargo, N.D., with an additional office in Grand Forks, N.D.

Mike Bindas, a founding partner of Great Plains Financial Group, said the group chose Securities America because of the assistance and improvement the broker-dealer can provide with advisory programs, recruitment and future growth initiatives.

“We wanted to partner with a large, stable firm with strong technology resources and a culture that was a good fit for us,” Bindas said. “A key consideration was whether the new affiliation could and would add to our value proposition, and Securities America certainly met that requirement.”

Great Plains Financial Group was founded with the intent to assemble a team of experienced financial advisors and empower them with the tools, the resources and most importantly, the independence to pursue the strategies they know best. Through this unique and extraordinary structure they are able to offer a broad range of expertise to their clients.

“We are extremely pleased that Great Plains Financial Group chose to become a part of the Securities America family,” said Gregg Johnson, senior vice president of branch office development and acquisitions. “We are working closely with them to ensure a smooth transition and to provide them with our extensive technology and practice management resources.”

The 11 advisors – Mike Bindas, Tom Halstenson, Eric Hustad, Chris Birmingham, Ray Morgan, Jon Halstenson, Chris Siverson, Patrick McIntyre, Mark Teigen, Mark Schadewald and Ryland Syverson – officially began business with Securities America Feb. 17.

About Securities America

Headquartered in La Vista, Neb., Securities America Inc. is the nation’s seventh largest independent broker-dealer (as ranked by Financial Planning magazine, June 2011, based on 2010 total revenue). For more than 25 years, Securities America’s mission has been to foster the success of financial professionals so they can provide quality, objective counsel and services to their clients. Advisors benefit from the firm’s industry-leading programs in practice management, advisory services and retirement income distribution, supported by state-of-the-art technology. Founded in 1993, Securities America Advisors Inc. is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisory firm that offers investment management, financial advice and financial planning through a national network of independent financial advisors. Securities America Financial Corp. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services Inc. (AMEX: LTS). Securities America received the inaugural Thought Leadership Award from the Retirement Income Industry Association in March 2011. Additional information is available at www.securitiesamerica.com.

Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm. Securities offered through Securities America, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Great Plains Financial Group and the Securities America companies are unaffiliated.

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