In the latest edition of the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) & Broker-Dealer Roundup, FINTRX--your trusted source for AI-powered private wealth data intelligence--details some of the most notable advisor team movements, M&A deals, and new firm launches that occurred throughout May 2026.
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Rep & Team Movements
&Partners Adds Wells Fargo, Edward Jones Practices with $700M Prehire Assets
$6B Morgan Stanley Team Jumps to Wells Fargo Advisors in NYC
$1.6 Billion UBS Team Decamps for Wells in Texas
LPL Recruits $775M Georgia Team from Raymond James
Merit Nabs $420M Ex-Commonwealth Practice in Seattle
Rockefeller Adds $3.5M Raymond James Team in Michigan
Wells Fargo Lands $1.5B Team from Morgan Stanley
Cetera Lures $150M Michigan Team from Commonwealth
LPL Recruits $330M UBS Team to Employee Channel
Two Merrill Lynch Teams With $1.4B Join Up at Wells FiNet in New York
Rockefeller Expands to Naples with Coplin Wealth Team
LPL Adds $635M Team from Steward Partners, Loses Cetera Recruit
LPL Financial Adds $1B Ex-Ameriprise Practice in Florida
M&A Activity
Savant Wealth Management Acquires Two Firms
Steward Acquires $500M Ameriprise Practice
Wealth Enhancement Announces Acquisition of $108M Sherpa Wealth Strategies
CAPTRUST Adds $1.3B Philly-Area RIA
Beacon Pointe Advisors Adds Female-Founded RIA to East Coast Footprint
Corient Acquires $7.8B Oklahoma RIA
New Firm Launches
$350M Ex-UBS Team Joins Sanctuary Wealth Platform
$836M Ameriprise Team Launches Midwest RIA
Concurrent Adds $1.2B RayJay Team
$3B Former Wells Fargo FiNet Team Launches Own RIA
Read on for more info...
&Partners continued expanding its independent wealth management platform by recruiting two advisory practices from Wells Fargo and Edward Jones with a combined $700 million in prehire assets. The additions further strengthen the firm’s rapid growth trajectory since launching in 2023, as &Partners has aggressively attracted advisors seeking greater flexibility and independence while maintaining access to operational support and resources. With these latest hires, the hybrid RIA and broker-dealer network has grown to 114 advisor practices representing approximately $54 billion in prehire assets.
→ &Partners added 1796 Private Wealth from Wells Fargo and Nemec Wealth Advisors from Edward Jones.
→ The two practices bring a combined $700M in prehire client assets to the platform.
→ &Partners now supports 114 advisor teams with approximately $54B in prehire assets since its 2023 launch.
A nearly $6 billion Morgan Stanley advisory team, The Taylor Group, left the wirehouse to join Wells Fargo Advisors in New York City, marking one of Wells Fargo’s largest recruiting wins in recent years. Led by veteran advisor James Taylor, the 19-person team reportedly generated approximately $18.6 million in annual revenue and experienced rapid growth driven in part by relationships with Nvidia employees and executives. The move reflects Wells Fargo’s increasingly aggressive recruiting strategy as the firm continues expanding its wealth management business through employee advisor, independent, and custody channels while competing heavily for large, high-growth teams from rival wirehouses.
→ The Taylor Group transitioned from Morgan Stanley to Wells Fargo with nearly $5.94B in client assets and roughly $18.6M in annual revenue.
→ The 19-person New York-based team includes eight advisors and extensive support staff, operating from Wells Fargo’s Midtown Manhattan office.
→ Sources indicated the team’s rapid AUM growth was fueled in part by a concentration of Nvidia executives and employees as clients amid the company’s stock surge.
View Wells Fargo Advisors in FINTRX >>
A $1.6 billion UBS advisory team, AGT Private Wealth Group, has left UBS Wealth Management USA to join Wells Fargo Advisors in Frisco, Texas, highlighting Wells Fargo’s continued momentum in recruiting large, high-producing teams into both its employee and independent channels. The group, which includes six lead advisors and eight support staff, is led by experienced industry veterans and will operate under the AGT Private Wealth name within Wells Fargo’s Frisco office.
→ The AGT Private Wealth Group managed roughly $1.6B in assets at UBS before moving to Wells Fargo Advisors in Frisco, Texas.
→ The team includes six lead advisors and eight support staff and will continue operating under its established brand within Wells Fargo.
→ Key advisors include Jay Arbetter, Jason Taraszki, Henry Jordan, and Rusti Rogger, alongside additional advisors and service personnel.
→ The move is part of a broader trend of large UBS teams leaving for Wells Fargo, which has been actively expanding its wealth management recruiting pipeline.
View Wells Fargo Advisors in FINTRX >>
A $775 million advisory team, Capital Investment Services, has left Raymond James to join LPL Financial, continuing a steady stream of mid-sized advisor migrations to LPL’s independent platform. The LaGrange, Georgia-based team—comprising advisors Bobby Lumpkin, Cindy Little, and Allina Bell—chose LPL after a due diligence process that emphasized flexibility, technology, and cultural alignment. The move adds to LPL’s ongoing recruiting momentum as it competes aggressively with other major wealth platforms for experienced advisor teams seeking independence and scale.
→ Capital Investment Services manages approximately $775M in client assets and moved from Raymond James to LPL Financial.
→ The team is based in LaGrange, Georgia, and serves entrepreneurs, business owners, and multigenerational families.
→ Advisors cited LPL’s technology, flexibility, and independence-focused platform as key drivers of the move.
View LPL Financial in FINTRX >>
A $420 million Seattle-based advisory team, Pradel Financial Group, has left its long-standing affiliation with Commonwealth Financial Network to join Merit Financial Advisors as an independent practice, continuing Merit’s rapid expansion strategy and its aggressive recruiting of former Commonwealth teams. The firm is led by veteran advisor Paul Pradel and includes longtime team member Jessica Moore, both of whom will transition to Merit as part of the deal. At Merit, the team will rebrand and integrate into the firm’s broader platform, gaining access to its tax, estate planning, and growth resources as Merit deepens its footprint in the Pacific Northwest.
→ Pradel Financial Group manages roughly $420M in assets and is based in Seattle.
→ The practice was led by Paul Pradel and includes Jessica Moore, both moving from Commonwealth affiliation.
→ The team joins Merit Financial Advisors, where the firm will rebrand and integrate into Merit’s platform.
→ The move reflects ongoing advisor shifts following LPL’s acquisition of Commonwealth and Merit’s broader acquisition-driven growth strategy.
View Merit Financial Advisors in FINTRX >>
Rockefeller Global Family Office added a $3.5 million-revenue advisory team from Raymond James, continuing its aggressive recruiting streak of large wirehouse teams. The Meridian Wealth Partners group, based in Michigan and led by Michael Rosner and Robert Barrett, also managed roughly $350 million in client assets and joined Rockefeller’s Birmingham, Michigan office along with a client associate. The move reflects Rockefeller’s continued focus on scaling its ultra-high-net-worth platform through experienced breakaway teams, while Raymond James continues to see steady advisor departures even as it reports strong overall recruiting activity across channels.
→ Meridian Wealth Partners generated about $3.5M in annual revenue and oversaw roughly $350M in assets before leaving Raymond James.
→ The team is led by Michael Rosner (27 years of experience) and Robert “Bobby” Barrett, and includes client associate Rachel Papke.
→ They joined Rockefeller Global Family Office in Birmingham, Michigan, as part of its ongoing expansion of high-end advisory teams.
A $1.5 billion advisory team from Morgan Stanley has joined Wells Fargo Advisors, continuing a strong run of large-scale recruiting wins for the firm. The Bartoli Private Wealth Management Group—made up of five advisors and additional support staff—moved its Philadelphia-based practice to Wells Fargo. The move is part of a wave of high-profile transitions in early May 2026, with Wells Fargo aggressively adding multiple billion-dollar-plus teams across its employee and independent channels. The firm’s recent recruiting spree has positioned it as one of the most active acquirers of advisor talent from Morgan Stanley and other major competitors.
→ The Bartoli Private Wealth Management Group left Morgan Stanley for Wells Fargo Advisors, bringing approximately $1.5B in client assets.
→ The team is composed of five advisors plus support staff and is based in Philadelphia.
→ The move is part of a broader recruiting surge at Wells Fargo, which has added multiple $1B+ teams in a short period.
View Wells Fargo Advisors in FINTRX >>
A $150 million Michigan-based advisory team, Milestone Wealth Management, left Commonwealth Financial Network to join Cetera Financial Group, continuing Cetera’s steady recruitment of advisors from Commonwealth following its acquisition by LPL Financial. The team, led by advisor Jaakko “Jack” Kasko and based in Saint Joseph, Michigan, said the move was driven by a desire to maintain continuity for clients while gaining access to Cetera’s independent platform, technology stack, and support infrastructure.
→ Milestone Wealth Management oversees roughly $150M in assets and moved from Commonwealth to Cetera’s Summit Financial Networks community.
→ The team focuses on retirement and pre-retirement planning.
→ Advisors cited continuity for clients, operational efficiency, and Cetera’s technology and support platform as key reasons for the move.
→ The shift reflects ongoing Commonwealth-related attrition following LPL’s acquisition, with Cetera actively recruiting affected advisory teams.
A $330 million UBS advisory team, Paxara Wealth Partners, has left UBS Wealth Management USA to join LPL Financial’s employee-affiliated channel (Linsco), continuing LPL’s steady recruitment of smaller-to-mid-sized breakaway teams. Led by veteran advisor Conley Thornhill along with Nikki and Doug Rathbun, the Winter Haven, Florida-based group transitioned on March 4 and brings three support staff as part of the move. The team cited LPL’s technology, independence, and open-architecture platform as key drivers of the decision.
→ Paxara Wealth Partners managed roughly $330 million in client assets and left UBS to join LPL’s Linsco employee channel.
→ The team is based in Winter Haven, Florida, and includes Conley Thornhill and the Rathbun family advisors plus support staff.
→ The move reflects LPL’s ongoing push into “expanded affiliation models,” which are attracting wirehouse breakaways seeking hybrid independence.
View LPL Financial in FINTRX >>
A pair of Merrill Lynch advisory teams managing a combined $1.4 billion in assets have left the wirehouse to join Wells Fargo Advisors’ independent FiNet channel, where they will operate as a newly formed practice in New York. The teams are merging under the name Twin Harbors Private Wealth and represent another notable recruiting win for Wells Fargo, which has been actively expanding FiNet by attracting large breakaway and wirehouse-to-independent groups.
→ Two Merrill Lynch teams with a combined ~$1.4B in AUM left to join Wells Fargo Advisors’ FiNet as an independent practice called Twin Harbors Private Wealth.
→ The teams are combining operations and will be based in Melville, New York, focusing on a more flexible, client-centric model.
→ Advisors cited independence, alignment, and control over technology and client service as key motivations for the move.
→ The deal adds to Wells Fargo FiNet’s strong 2026 recruiting momentum, particularly in the New York/Long Island region.
View Wells Fargo FiNet in FINTRX >>
Rockefeller Global Family Office has expanded its presence in Florida by recruiting Coplin Wealth Partners, a roughly $1 billion advisory team from Morgan Stanley, to establish a new office in Naples. Led by veteran advisor Steven Coplin, the team brings more than 25 years of experience serving ultra-high-net-worth clients and will operate under Rockefeller’s Global Family Office division. The hire adds to a steady stream of advisor-team acquisitions for Rockefeller, which has been actively building scale through recruitment of established teams across major wirehouses since its 2018 formation.
→ Rockefeller added Coplin Wealth Partners, a Morgan Stanley breakaway team managing roughly $1B in client assets.
→ The team is led by Steven Coplin and focuses on ultra-high-net-worth individuals and multigenerational families.
→ The move establishes Rockefeller’s new Naples, Florida office, expanding its broader Florida footprint.
A $635 million advisory team, Davis Executive Wealth, has left Steward Partners to join LPL Financial’s Strategic Wealth platform, continuing LPL’s strong recruiting momentum across high-net-worth-focused practices. The Norwell, Massachusetts–based group, led by Timothy Davis, will operate as an independent practice within LPL’s supported model, which provides advisors with expanded infrastructure, business services, and technology while preserving entrepreneurial flexibility.
→ Davis Executive Wealth manages approximately $635M in client assets and moved from Steward Partners to LPL Strategic Wealth.
→ The team is based in Norwell, Massachusetts, and serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families, executives, and business owners.
→ The group joins LPL’s “supported independence” model, which provides integrated operations, tech, and business support services.
View LPL Financial in FINTRX >>
LPL Financial added Cebert Wealth Advisors, a roughly $1 billion advisory practice formerly affiliated with Ameriprise, further extending its momentum recruiting large teams into its independent broker-dealer and RIA platform. The Florida-based group, led by founder Dale Cebert, serves more than 1,700 clients—primarily retirees and pre-retirees in The Villages. The move reflects LPL’s continued success in attracting Ameriprise breakaway teams, particularly those focused on retirement planning and wealth transfer, as the firm leans into advisor demand for greater autonomy paired with institutional-scale support.
→ Cebert Wealth Advisors, a ~7-advisor team managing about $1B in assets, left Ameriprise to join LPL Financial.
→ The practice is based in The Villages, Florida, and serves 1,700+ primarily retirement-focused clients.
→ The team cited LPL’s independence model, research capabilities, and technology platform as key drivers of the move.
View LPL Financial in FINTRX >>
Savant Wealth Management has acquired two registered investment advisory firms—North Ridge Wealth Advisors and Desmond Wealth Management—adding a combined $371 million in assets under management as part of its continued multi-deal expansion strategy. North Ridge, based in Beaverton, Oregon, and Desmond Wealth, based in Walnut Creek, California, both specialize in wealth management services including financial planning, investment management, and tax-focused strategies for high-net-worth clients. Following the deals, leadership and staff from both firms have joined Savant, with some principals becoming equity partners, reinforcing Savant’s model of integrating acquired teams into its employee-owned structure.
→ Savant acquired North Ridge Wealth Advisors ($223M AUM) and Desmond Wealth Management ($148M AUM), adding $371M combined.
→ Both firms provide holistic wealth management services, including financial planning, investment management, and tax planning for HNW clients.
→ Leadership teams from both firms joined Savant, with some principals becoming equity owners post-transaction.
View Savant Wealth Management in FINTRX >>
A $500 million Ameriprise-affiliated advisory team, Wisdom Rock Financial Advisory Group, has joined Steward Partners in an acquisition that expands Steward’s M&A-driven growth strategy and adds a seven-advisor team along with a new Rochester, New York presence. The team—led by longtime Ameriprise veterans Michael Keys and Chris Neitz—will operate within Steward’s hybrid independent model, where advisors typically retain their branding and client relationships while gaining access to centralized operational, planning, and business support.
→ Steward Partners acquired Wisdom Rock Financial Advisory Group, a ~$500M team previously affiliated with Ameriprise.
→ The deal adds seven advisors and expands Steward’s footprint in Rochester, NY.
→ The acquisition underscores Steward’s broader strategy of scaling through M&A and offering advisors a hybrid independence model with operational support.
View Steward Partners in FINTRX >>
A $108 million hybrid RIA, Sherpa Wealth Strategies, has been acquired by Wealth Enhancement as part of the firm’s continued nationwide expansion strategy across the independent wealth management space. The Sherpa team, led by founder Brian Stallcop in Bend, Oregon, will join Wealth Enhancement’s broader platform, which continues to scale rapidly through a steady cadence of acquisitions. The deal adds additional planning-focused capabilities in retirement, tax strategy, and wealth preservation, while giving Sherpa clients access to Wealth Enhancement’s larger ecosystem of resources and investment expertise.
→ Wealth Enhancement acquired Sherpa Wealth Strategies, a hybrid RIA managing approximately $108M in client assets.
→ Sherpa is based in Bend, Oregon and led by founder Brian Stallcop, CFP®.
→ The deal is part of a broader acquisition strategy that continues to scale Wealth Enhancement’s national platform through smaller RIA partnerships.
View Wealth Enhancement in FINTRX >>
A $1.3 billion Philadelphia-area RIA, Stillwater Capital Advisors, has joined CAPTRUST in a strategic acquisition that expands the firm’s presence in Pennsylvania and reinforces its ongoing push into private wealth management. The Devon, Pennsylvania-based advisory firm, led by co-founder Doug Swope, serves high-net-worth individuals as well as small businesses, endowments, and foundations. As part of the deal, the six-person team will adopt the CAPTRUST brand and become its fifth office in the state, bringing it's total AUM to over $1.2 trillion.
→ CAPTRUST acquired Stillwater Capital Advisors, a $1.3B RIA based in Devon, Pennsylvania.
→ The deal expands CAPTRUST’s footprint in the Philadelphia suburbs and marks its fifth office in Pennsylvania.
→ Stillwater’s six-person team, led by co-founder Doug Swope, will fully rebrand under CAPTRUST.
→ The transaction is part of CAPTRUST’s broader, steady M&A strategy focused on scaling its private wealth business alongside its institutional platform.
Beacon Pointe Advisors acquired Massachusetts-based Financially In Tune, a female-founded RIA managing approximately $360 million in assets, as part of its continued expansion across the East Coast. Founded in 2011 by Jeanne Gibson Sullivan, the Stoneham-based firm specializes in financial education and helping clients navigate major life transitions, particularly aligning with Beacon Pointe’s Women’s Advisory Institute and broader focus on holistic wealth planning.
→ Beacon Pointe acquired Financially In Tune, a Stoneham, Massachusetts-based RIA with roughly $360M in client assets.
→ The firm was founded by Jeanne Gibson Sullivan in 2011 and includes advisors Philip Lee, Jennifer Kundrot, and Mandy Magee.
→ Financially In Tune focuses on financial education, empowerment, and helping clients through major life transitions, aligning with Beacon Pointe’s Women’s Advisory Institute.
→ The acquisition marks Beacon Pointe’s sixth Massachusetts team addition in the past two years and expands the firm’s New England presence, which now represents approximately $4.3B in regional client AUM.
View Beacon Pointe in FINTRX >>
Corient, the Miami-based wealth management firm backed by CI Financial, has agreed to acquire Capital Advisors, a $7.8 billion Oklahoma-based RIA, in another step in its ongoing expansion strategy. The deal brings Corient its first office in Oklahoma and strengthens its presence across the South and Southwest, adding a 47-person team that will join the firm as partners once the transaction closes. Capital Advisors, founded in 1978 and led by CEO Keith Goddard, is described as a long-established regional wealth manager with clients across multiple states.
→ Corient is acquiring Capital Advisors, a Tulsa-based RIA managing $7.8B in assets.
→ The deal adds 47 employees and establishes Corient’s first office presence in Oklahoma.
→ Capital Advisors will integrate into Corient’s partnership model, with principals becoming equity partners.
→ The acquisition is part of Corient’s broader 2026 deal spree, following multiple multibillion-dollar RIA acquisitions across the U.S. and internationally.
A $350 million UBS breakaway advisory team has joined Sanctuary Wealth’s hybrid RIA platform to launch Iron North Private Wealth, highlighting continued inflows of mid-sized wirehouse teams into independent-supported models. The Idaho-based duo—Brad Desormeaux and Abigail Allsup—will establish their new firm in Coeur d’Alene, marking Sanctuary’s first partner firm in the state. The team cited Sanctuary’s combination of operational support, scalability, and flexibility as key reasons for the move, and will serve individuals, families, and institutional clients and leverage Sanctuary’s platform for custody, technology, and back-office support.
→ A UBS team managing roughly $350M in client assets left to form Iron North Private Wealth on Sanctuary Wealth’s platform.
→ The firm is based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, making it Sanctuary’s first partner practice in the state.
→ Founders Brad Desormeaux and Abigail Allsup emphasized Sanctuary’s support model as central to their decision to go independent.
→ The move reinforces Sanctuary’s ongoing success recruiting wirehouse breakaway teams into its hybrid RIA ecosystem.
View Iron North Private Wealth in FINTRX >>
A $836 million Ameriprise-affiliated advisory team has left the wirehouse channel to launch a new independent RIA, The Bedford Group, based in St. Louis. The firm was founded by longtime Ameriprise advisor Joshua Wright and includes a multi-advisor leadership team that will continue serving clients across the Midwest through offices in Missouri and Kansas. The group plans to use Private Client Services for brokerage functions and Schwab for custody, reflecting a standard independent RIA operating model.
→ The Bedford Group launched as a new RIA after an $836M Ameriprise-affiliated team led by Joshua Wright broke away.
→ The firm is headquartered in St. Louis and includes additional offices in Wichita, Kansas and Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.
→ The team will use Private Client Services for brokerage and Schwab for custody as part of its independent setup.
A $1.2 billion Raymond James advisory team has left the wirehouse to join Concurrent Investment Advisors, launching a new independent firm called TAVO Wealth under Concurrent’s hybrid RIA platform. The team—led by advisors David Ahlquist, John O’Shea, Nick Troiano, and Steve VanNostrand—will operate with full brand autonomy while leveraging Concurrent’s support across operations, compliance, technology, and investment infrastructure. The move reflects continued advisor demand for independence paired with institutional backing, as Concurrent expands its minority-stake platform model that allows teams to retain ownership while tapping into centralized resources. The addition further extends Concurrent’s rapid growth in 2026, which has been fueled by large breakaway teams across major broker-dealers.
→ A $1.2B Raymond James team launched TAVO Wealth by partnering with Concurrent’s hybrid RIA platform.
→ Advisors include David Ahlquist, John O’Shea, Nick Troiano, and Steve VanNostrand, previously part of a Raymond James-affiliated practice.
→ The team will maintain ownership and branding autonomy while using Concurrent for custody, technology, compliance, and operational support.
A ~$3 billion advisory team departing Wells Fargo’s FiNet platform has launched a new independent RIA, continuing a broader wave of breakaway activity among large, established wealth management groups. The team is made up of roughly 20+ professionals and is based in Florida, where they will operate their new firm, Gryphon Wealth. The new RIA will continue servicing high-net-worth clients while leveraging third-party custodial and technology infrastructure rather than remaining within a bank-affiliated platform.
→ A ~$3B former Wells Fargo FiNet team has left to form an independent RIA, Gryphon Wealth.
→ The team includes ~22 professionals and is based in Jacksonville, Florida, focused on high-net-worth and family clients.
→ They are shifting from a hybrid/independent channel model (FiNet) to a fully independent, fee-only advisory structure.
View Gryphon Wealth in FINTRX >>