MassMutual welcomes veteran team back to its financial advisor network

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) welcomes Paul (Tripp) Bridges, James (Jay) Joiner and Teddy (Ted) Welch Sr. back to its network after spending the most recent chapter of their careers at LPL Financial. The three are now managing partners of the Georgia team at Synergy Wealth Solutions, a MassMutual firm. They are joined by Teddy Welch Jr., wealth management advisor, Paige Gilchrist, financial advisor, and Nick Smith, investment director.

Synergy Wealth Solutions, based in Chesterfield, MO, manages $4.5B in client assets and is led by Brian Roberts, CFS, general agent. The Georgia team currently manages $144M in client assets.

“It is not unusual for financial professionals to return to MassMutual given our culture, mutual structure, and unwavering investment in progress for the benefit of financial professionals and their clients,” said Joe Mallee, head of MassMutual Financial Advisors. “Our supported independence model backed by national and local support services are critical elements of our advisor experience strategy, which many financial professionals find attractive when it comes to growing their businesses and serving their clients.”

Advisors are affiliated with MML Investors Services, MassMutual’s broker/dealer and investment adviser subsidiary. MML Investors Services currently administers $312 billion* in client assets and has over 6,000* financial professionals nationwide (as of year-end 2025).