Independent Financial Group Hires Abbey Eastham as Director of Advisory Solutions
San Diego, CA – February 20, 2025 – Independent Financial Group, LLC (IFG), a San Diego-based, privately held independent broker-dealer founded in 2003, announced the hiring of Abbey Eastham as its new Director of Advisory Solutions.
Abbey joins IFG with extensive industry experience, most recently serving as the Head of Advisor Relations at Realta Wealth. Previously, she spent over a decade at Cetera Financial Group, holding senior leadership roles including Senior Investment Solutions Manager, Product Manager of Investment Solutions, SVP of Advisor Relations, and Associate VP of the GPS Group. In her new role at IFG, Abbey will lead the Advisory division within Wealth Management, overseeing P&L responsibilities and guiding the strategic direction of advisory services.
Chad Cristo, Senior Vice President of National Sales and Marketing, expressed enthusiasm about the hire: "We’re excited to welcome Abbey to the IFG family. Her deep expertise in advisory solutions and strong leadership background make her a natural fit for this role. I’m confident she will help drive the continued growth and evolution of our advisory platform."
Abbey’s immediate focus will be deepening engagement with IFG advisors, ensuring they are fully equipped with and informed about the firm’s tools and resources available. Two platforms she plans to emphasize are Envestnet Intelligence and Vantage. The former leverages AI and advanced analytics to deliver actionable insights into client portfolios and business opportunities. The latter provides a consolidated view of client accounts across multiple asset types. Looking ahead, Abbey aims to reinforce the value of IFG’s advisory services by promoting the benefits of outsourced portfolio management – freeing up advisors to focus more on client relationships and holistic planning.
Abbey shared her motivation: “The most rewarding part of working in the financial services industry has always been the opportunity to help others in a meaningful way. Doing the right thing and being there for people has long been a personal value, and I carry that purpose into my professional life. I appreciate IFG's focus on family, relationship-building, and operational efficiency—all values I strongly share. I’m excited to contribute to the firm’s growth and become a meaningful part of the IFG family.”
About Independent Financial Group
Independent Financial Group, LLC (IFG), is a privately held independent broker-dealer in San Diego, California. Founded in 2003, IFG supports over 600 independent financial professionals across more than 400 offices nationwide with a comprehensive suite of business solutions. IFG is an eight-time winner of the Inc. 5000 list of “Fastest Growing Private Companies in the US.” The San Diego Business Journal ranked IFG #7 among the Largest Private Companies in San Diego in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, Financial Planning Magazine ranked IFG 3rd for women as a percentage of producing representatives and 7th for financial advisor payout, while InvestmentNews ranked the firm in the top 10 for payout and account assets. Financial Advisor Magazine listed IFG as the 15th largest national independent broker-dealer and #2 for privately held broker-dealers based on gross revenue in 2025.