OREANDA-NEWS. John Hancock Financial Network, Inc.(JHFN), a distribution channel of John Hancock, today announced the completion of its acquisition of certain assets of St. Petersburg, FL-based Transamerica Financial Advisors, Inc. (TFA), a Transamerica company. Terms were not disclosed.

At close, the transaction grew assets under administration in JHFN’s broker-dealer, Signator Investors, Inc., to nearly $50 billion. In addition, more than 800 TFA advisors in 40 firms joined Signator’s national network of independent firms, and more than 80 TFA employees in St. Petersburg joined Signator, moving to a nearby office to continue supporting advisors.

Brian Heapps, president of JHFN, said, "We are pleased to be closing on this transaction and welcome our new advisors and employees. Signator is now among the country’s largest independent broker-dealers, and has roughly 300 people in five locations dedicated to supporting our national network of advisors.  We are committed to helping our advisors navigate the complex regulatory environment, and to providing them with the resources they need to best serve their clients’ financial needs."

Signator has completed a multi-year transition to become a premier independent broker dealer offering financial professionals a wealth of resources and support for business and professional development. To help advisors best meet their clients’ needs, Signator provides an open product platform, including a comprehensive range of top-quality investment advisory and protection products from leading carriers.

Advisors affiliated with Signator have access to financial planning support; a robust managed account platform; an integrated technology platform; fiduciary support for qualified plans which includes the development of comprehensive training and integrated technology for the upcoming Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule; a dedicated practice management team; a marketing portal and social media platform providing turn-key programs with compliance-ready, customizable templates; an annual practice advancement conference; regulatory compliance support and an industry-leading equity and succession program.