PUK vs LPLA Comparison

Originally established as Prudential Mutual Assurance, Investment, and Loan Association in 1848, Prudential plc has moved on a lot since then. Set up to sell life insurance and loans to the middle and then the industrializing and urbanizing working classes, the company subsequently diversified into Europe and then North America with the purchase of Jackson National Life in around 1985. During its time as owner of Jackson, Prudential focused on building out a simple chassis-style product portfolio where customers could choose a variety of add-ons. The company also became renowned for its focus on building requisite internal capabilities to support its strong product offerings, including compelling technology and a large and well-trained wholesale sales.

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.