The Future of Financial Advice Must be More Diverse

Trilogy Capital, an Irvine, Calif.-based wealth management company with more than $5 billion in advisory and brokerage assets, announced it has acquired Mountain Capital Investment Advisors in Westminster, Colo., an advisory firm with more than $1 billion in client assets.

The purchase of Mountain Capital, founded 15 years ago, is Trilogy's largest deal of the year and gives it its second location in Colorado and 11th overall, the company said in a press release today.

“Mountain Capital is a perfect fit for Trilogy and demonstrates our commitment to intelligent inorganic growth,” Jeff Motske, co-founder, president and CEO of Trilogy, said in a prepared statement. “Mountain Capital shares our commitment to long-term client relationships, fiduciary advice, and thoughtful financial planning, so the cultural fit is exceptional. We are very excited to be able to attract high-caliber people to Trilogy.”

Mountain was founded by U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former airline pilot Brandt Burns and his wife Michelle Burns, a former senior manager at United Airlines for 14 years, the press release said. Read more here.

You’re in a pinch and in desperate need of money. You’ve already asked family members for help, but nobody can assist you. You’ve heard of a personal loan before, but is taking one out a good idea?

In short, it depends on your particular financial situation. If you’ve racked up high-interest credit card debt, for example, and you can take out a personal loan with a lower interest rate to consolidate and pay off that debt, a personal loan might be right for you. But if you have other assets you can borrow against that will have lower interest rates — such as a 401(k) loan or a home equity line of credit (HELOC) — you might want to consider pursuing those lines of credit instead of a personal loan.

Here’s everything you need to know about when a personal loan might be worthwhile, and when you might want to look elsewhere.

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