Steve Rice serves as Managing Partner at SMART Concepts Group, LP, a consulting firm that delivers customized strategies to financial advisors. With over 36 years of experience in the financial services industry, Steve helps advisors navigate growth strategies, structure their team practices effectively, and develop succession plans, as well as provides expertise in entity formation and mergers and acquisitions. He is known for combining practical insight with a steady, relationship-driven approach, helping advisors move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Over the years, Steve has supported advisors through a wide range of practice challenges, including compliance issues, team transitions, operational inefficiencies, business development strategies, client service standards, and compensation models. Whether it’s a deal on the table or a vision for long-term growth, he’s a trusted guide who brings both expertise and support to the table.
Steve began his career as an auditor with Coopers & Lybrand after graduating from St. Cloud State University. In 1991, he transitioned into the financial advisory world with IDS/American Express Financial Advisors, where he established his own practice and later held key leadership roles, including Field Vice President, Field Compliance Manager, Franchise Consultant, and District Manager. Today, his full-time focus is on helping other advisors succeed through his consulting work with SMART Concepts Group.
Outside the office, Steve enjoys spending time with his wife, Carla, and their two sons and daughter-in-law. Family time often includes weekends at the cabin, summer bike rides, or winter ski trips. Every so often, they’ll enter a mountain bike or cross-country ski race, though Steve will tell you that those events tend to be more humbling than competitive.