LPL Pride Advisor Forum to debut in 2027 after Focus event

Members of LPL Financial’s Pride Advisor Network announced plans to hold the first LPL Pride Advisor Forum in 2027. The standalone conference will build on a four-hour Focus on Pride session and an offsite Pride Advisor happy hour that took place in San Diego during LPL’s annual Focus conference.

The Focus on Pride program, held the day before the main conference, drew more than 100 LGBTQ advisors and allies. Panels addressed tax and estate planning for LGBTQ clients, marketing and client communication strategies, and best practices for serving the community. The session was emceed by advisors Jeremy Gussick and Marci Bair, and the audience included several senior LPL executives.

Organizers, led by Marci Bair of Bair Financial Planning and several members of the Pride Advisor Network, secured sponsorship commitments from Lincoln Financial, Nationwide and Goldman Sachs. They are finalizing dates and will choose between returning to San Diego or selecting a more central U.S. location to ease travel for attendees.

Bair noted that many attendees told organizers they had never attended a Pride-related industry event. She said participants left the meeting with greater confidence in serving LGBTQ clients and with clearer knowledge of planning issues and relevant terminology.

Laura LaTourette, a former LPL advisor who now runs Family Wealth Management Group in Dahlonega, Georgia, described the industry environment for LGBTQ professionals as volatile over time and expressed support for the forum and the visibility it creates.

Kevin Healy of Goldman Sachs Asset Management moderated one panel at the Focus on Pride session. Organizers said planned topics for the 2027 forum will include targeted marketing, client communication, tax and estate planning considerations for same-sex couples and planning needs for transgender clients.

Organizers cited demographic data showing a rise in the share of U.S. adults who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or not straight and said acknowledging and serving LGBTQ clients and creating workplace visibility are part of serving a diverse client base.

In the coming months, members of the Pride Advisor Network will finalize logistics and outline a program of panel discussions, networking opportunities and sponsor briefings for the 2027 forum.