Family Office & RIA Newsletter

Volume 164 • 04/02/2026

UBS Makes Recruitment Run, Savant Closes $6B Deal, and 401(k)s Get Easier Access to Alternatives in the latest edition...

Take a Lap Around the Industry 🏃

• Private Credit, Crypto Get Easier Path to 401(k)s in US Plan (Bloomberg)
• Carson Group Expands AI Offering with Client Intelligence, Giving Advisors Instant Household Insight (GlobalNewswire) 
• 'Pump Anxiety’ from Soaring Fuel Prices Prompts Surge in EV Interest (Financial Times)
• Callan Family Office: Clarity Family Offices Team Joins To Expand UHNW Advisory Capabilities (Pulse 2.0)

REPORT: Active ETF Adoption Among RIAs Is Surging, But the Market Is Beginning to Consolidate

Recent analysis of FINTRX data tracking ETF usage across independent RIA portfolios highlights several major trends shaping the market:

• Advisors are holding significantly more active ETF positions within portfolios

• The number of unique active ETFs used by RIAs has more than tripled

• Assets allocated to active ETFs have surged to nearly $400 billion

• Active ETFs now represent a rapidly growing share of advisor portfolios

Source: FINTRX | Read the full report >>

Family Office Deal Tracker

• In a Pre-Seed round, German AI startup deeplify has raised €2M with investment from Thomas Villinger's family office, D11Z.Ventures
• Susquehanna Private Capital has participated in a $25M Seed round for Deccan AI, an India-based company providing post-training data for AI models
• Aion, an applied AI research lab, has raised $25M in a Pre-Seed funding round with support from Christian Angermayer's family office, Apeiron Investment Group
• Energy storage AI-platform Entrix has announced a €43M Series B funding round with backing from Korys

Source: FINTRX

 M&A Activity🚨

• Mercer Global Advisors brings in $1.5B in assets with the acquisition of Charter Oak Capital Management (WealthMangement.com)
• Expanding its international footprint, Creative Planning takes on $5B London-based Maseco LLP (InvestmentNews)
• $418M Maryland-based Divergent Planning LLC has joined EP Wealth (Businesswire)
• Marking its largest deal at $6B, Savant Wealth Management has scooped up Exencial Wealth Advisors, bringing in 28 advisors (AdvisorHub)

UBS Makes Dramatic Recruitment Push

UBS is rolling out a record 550% recruiting package for advisors generating $7M+ in annual revenue, with a 16-year commitment, surpassing prior industry highs and intensifying the talent war among wirehouses.

• The move reflects urgency following significant advisor attrition and client outflows, including $52B in assets lost in 2025 and $14.1B in quarterly withdrawals tied in part to compensation changes
• UBS is pairing recruiting incentives with broader stabilization efforts, including leadership hires, adjusted compensation structures, enhanced succession programs, and a newly approved U.S. bank charter to boost profitability
• In an early win, UBS has recruited Merrill Lynch advisor Joseph “Clay” Young IV,  producing $8.6M in revenue and managing $956M, underscoring how outsized offers are translating into high-profile wins as the firm rebuilds its U.S. wealth platform

Sources: AdvisorHub | AdvisorHub

Reps On the Move ↗️

• Former eMoney CEO, Ed O’Brien, joins Cetera Financial Group as COO, focusing on advisor productivity (WealthManagement)
• Henry Buttz, joining from Envestnet, takes on a new role at Dynasty as Head of Transition Technology (Citywire)
• Global investment solutions provider, Russell Investments, has appointed Chris Ciompi as Chief Marketing Officer (BusinessWire)
• Scott Dixon has been named Senior Vice President of the Pacific Northwest for diversified real estate and DST investments provider ExchangeRight (BusinessWire)

Megadeals Power Global M&A to Record $1.2T

Global mergers and acquisitions surged to $1.2 trillion in the first quarter, marking the third consecutive trillion-dollar period and the strongest start to a year since the pandemic boom. A record 22 megadeals above $10 billion were announced, underscoring a decisive shift toward large, strategic transactions despite geopolitical tensions and volatility in energy and tech markets.The U.S. accounted for nearly $630 billion of activity, while European dealmaking jumped sharply, helped by cross-border transactions and consolidation in sectors ranging from food to energy. Major deals included Unilever’s food business combination with McCormick as well as Sysco’s agreement to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot. While corporate confidence has returned, private equity activity remains subdued, reflecting financing constraints and a backlog of unsold portfolio companies. Bankers warn that continued weakness in the software sector and persistent geopolitical risks could temper momentum later in 2026, even as large corporates continue to pursue transformative scale.

Source: Financial Times 

FINTRX is the leading private wealth intelligence platform, offering the industry's most expansive and up-to-date data on registered investment advisors, broker-dealers, wealth teams, family offices, endowments, and foundations. Powered by industry-leading AI, FINTRX helps firms distribute funds, raise capital, recruit advisors, identify M&A targets, and drive strategic growth. FINTRX now provides access to data and intelligence covering 850,000+ financial firm and contract records, including more than 4,500 family offices and 45,000 RIA and broker-dealer firms. To learn more or request a trial, click below.