LPLA vs FIS Comparison

LPL Financial is the largest US independent broker-dealer, with nearly 29,000 financial advisors affiliated with its platform and roughly 10 million associated customer accounts at the end of 2024. The firm earns the bulk of its profit from interest income earned on client cash balances and from advisory fees and commissions tied to the $1.7 trillion in assets under management or advisory on its platform at year-end 2024. LPL specializes in the provision of turnkey wealth management services for affiliated independent advisors, but maintains a diverse array of affiliation modalities, running the gamut from more traditional employee models to a pure RIA custody approach. It earns tuck-in revenue from recordkeeping fees and the provision of software tools and services to its advisor base.

Fidelity National Information Services provides core processing and ancillary services to banks, but its business has expanded over time. By acquiring SunGard in 2015, the company now provides record-keeping and other services to investment firms. With the acquisition of Worldpay in 2019, FIS was providing payment processing services for merchants and holding leading positions in the United States and United Kingdom. But the company sold off a majority interest in Worldpay and now has only a minority stake.