LPLA vs GPN Comparison

LPL Financial is the largest US independent broker/dealer, with more than 32,000 financial advisors, roughly 11 million customer accounts, and roughly $2.4 trillion in client assets under management or advisory affiliated with its platform at the end of 2025. The firm earns the bulk of its profit from interest income earned on client cash balances and from advisory fees, commissions, and asset-based fees. LPL specializes in providing 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.

Global Payments is a leading provider of payment processing and software solutions and historically focused on serving small and midsize merchants. The Worldpay acquisition pushes the company into the large merchant space and expands the company's international operations. Following the Worldpay acquisition, the company will process about $4 trilliion in payment volume.