Become an Independent Investment Banker with FNEX

Independent Bankers

Build a Practice Under Your Own Name with FNEX.

Run your own investment banking, M&A, or capital-raising practice, market it under your own brand, and spend your time on clients and mandates. FNEX carries the regulatory side behind you.

Through FNEX Compliance-as-a-Service (CaaS), you register with FNEX Capital, LLC, a FINRA-member broker-dealer, and get Series 7, 63, 79, and 82 sponsorship, supervision, back-office compliance, and the AI-powered FNEX DataBank platform, without building your own broker-dealer.

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Become an independent banker with FNEX Capital, a FINRA-member broker-dealer
$26B+
Transactions Completed
160+
Financial Professionals
50
States Coverage
FINRA
Member Broker-Dealer

Your Practice, With FNEX Behind It

You run the business. FNEX provides the registration, supervision, and compliance infrastructure it operates under.

What You Control

The parts of the business that are yours.

  • Your firm name, brand, and marketing, through the FNEX white-label broker-dealer
  • Your client relationships and the mandates you originate
  • Which deals you pursue and how you run your practice
  • Your team, whether you work solo or with a group of bankers

What FNEX Supports

Built into your affiliation with FNEX Capital, LLC.

  • Form U4 filing and Series 7, 63, 79, and 82 sponsorship
  • Supervision and diligence review of engagement agreements, offering documents, and transaction documents
  • AML/KYC processes on all investors in each transaction
  • Monthly email review and FINRA-approved email archiving
  • Continuing education tracking and investment account monitoring
  • Required broker-dealer reporting to the SEC and FINRA
Who This Is For

Built for Independent Dealmakers

FNEX gives independent bankers a regulated home to operate, market, and close deals under, including:

Boutique Investment Banks

Turnkey broker-dealer affiliation and compliance infrastructure for independent investment banking teams.

Explore Boutique Bank Solutions →

Independent M&A Advisors

FINRA sponsorship and regulatory supervision for qualified M&A advisors conducting securities-related transactions.

Explore M&A Advisor Solutions →

Capital Raisers & Placement Agents

Broker-dealer affiliation and private placement compliance for independent capital raisers, placement agents, and fund distributors.

Explore Placement Agent Solutions →

Fund Sponsors & Asset Managers

Scalable broker-dealer infrastructure supporting approved private fund distribution and ongoing capital-raising activities.

Explore Asset Manager Solutions →

Foreign Firms

SEC Rule 15a-6 chaperoning for foreign broker-dealers and asset managers seeking access to U.S. institutional investors.

Explore 15a-6 Chaperoning →
Why FNEX

Keep Your Independence. Lose the Overhead.

FNEX Compliance-as-a-Service lets you operate as an independent banker while FNEX carries the regulatory weight.

Get to Market Fast

Avoid the 9 to 12 month process of registering your own broker-dealer. FNEX’s agile compliance platform can get you operational in days.

Keep More of What You Earn

A cost-efficient affiliation structure designed to minimize overhead, so more of every deal’s economics stay with you.

AI-Powered DataBank Platform

FNEX DataBank brings AI-powered RegTech to compliance monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting, so less of your time goes to admin.

Operate Under Your Own Brand

The FNEX white-label broker-dealer lets you market and close deals under your own name, with FNEX’s FINRA registration supporting it behind the scenes.

Full Regulatory Coverage

Registration with the SEC, FINRA, and 50 States and Territories, plus ongoing due diligence support and compliance training.

A Network That Refers Deals Back

Tap into FNEX’s network of 160+ financial professionals for peer referrals, co-sourcing, and deal flow beyond your own coverage.

How It Works

How to Go Independent with FNEX

Four steps from your current firm to running your own practice on FNEX.

1

Schedule a Consultation

Review your practice, deal profile, and current FINRA registrations with the FNEX team.

2

Transfer Your Registration

FNEX files your Form U4 and sponsors your Series 7, 63, 79, or 82 registration.

3

Complete Onboarding

Get set up on FNEX DataBank, compliance workflows, and supervision.

4

Submit Your First Deal

Bring your mandate onto the platform and work it with compliance from day one.

The Math

Build Your Own Broker-Dealer or Become Independent with FNEX

Build Your Own Broker-Dealer

  • 9 to 12 months to become operational
  • Significant infrastructure and buildout costs
  • Hire and manage your own compliance staff
  • Complex regulatory filings and approvals
  • Ongoing maintenance and overhead

Become Independent with FNEX

  • Operational in days, not months
  • Leverage an existing FINRA-member platform
  • Compliance, supervision, and infrastructure included
  • Series 7, 63, 79, and 82 sponsorship and affiliation
  • Operate under your own brand, backed by FNEX

Take Your Practice Independent

Join a growing network of independent bankers backed by a FINRA-member broker-dealer and an AI-powered compliance platform. Ready to operate on your own terms, with FNEX behind you?

Schedule a Consultation
Explore More

More from FNEX

Private Markets

FNEX Pre-IPO Market

Access to pre-IPO stock in late-stage private companies through FNEX’s private market platform.

Explore the Pre-IPO Market →
Fund Managers

RIA for Private Funds

Registered investment adviser infrastructure and compliance support for private fund managers.

Explore RIA for Private Funds →
FAQ

Independent Banker FAQs

An independent investment banker runs their own advisory practice, often under their own firm name, rather than working inside a large bank. Because M&A and capital raising typically involve securities transactions, independent bankers generally conduct that business as registered representatives of a FINRA-member broker-dealer such as FNEX Capital, LLC.
Becoming an independent banker with FNEX means affiliating with FNEX Capital, LLC, a FINRA-member broker-dealer, so you can operate your own deal practice under FNEX’s regulatory umbrella without building or registering your own broker-dealer.
No. Independent bankers, M&A advisors, and placement agents who conduct securities transactions generally must be registered through a broker-dealer, but they do not need to own one. Affiliating with FNEX satisfies this requirement without the cost or timeline of registering your own firm.
FNEX’s agile compliance platform can get qualified bankers operational in days, compared to the 9 to 12 months typically required to register and launch an independent broker-dealer.
When you leave your current firm, it files a Form U5, and FNEX files a new Form U4 to register you with FNEX Capital. Your qualifying exams generally remain valid if you re-register within two years of leaving your prior firm.
Depending on role and activity, independent bankers may need a Series 79 (Investment Banking Representative), Series 82 (Private Securities Offerings Representative), or Series 7 (General Securities Representative), along with the SIE exam and, in most states, the Series 63. FNEX sponsors Series 7, 63, 79, and 82 registration for qualified professionals actively doing business on its platform, and does not provide interim sponsorship for the purpose of taking FINRA exams.
Yes. The FNEX white-label broker-dealer lets independent bankers operate, market, and close deals under their own brand and identity while FNEX provides the FINRA registration and compliance infrastructure behind the scenes.
Transaction-based compensation, such as M&A success fees and placement fees, is paid to FNEX Capital as the broker-dealer of record and then paid out to you under a customized payout agreement.
FNEX DataBank is FNEX’s proprietary AI-powered platform that delivers financial technology infrastructure and a turnkey compliance solution, supporting independent bankers with automated compliance monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting tools.
FNEX provides monthly email review and archiving, due diligence on engagement agreements and offering documents, AML/KYC processing, continuing education monitoring, investment account monitoring, and required broker-dealer reporting to the SEC and FINRA.
Yes. Independent bankers affiliated with FNEX can tap into a network of over 160 financial professionals for peer referrals, co-sourcing opportunities, and deal flow outside their own coverage area.

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