In this week’s roundup, CAPTRUST added Pacific Sage; South Atlantic agreed to acquire Eastover; LPL updated its Commonwealth retention outlook and recruited Anchor; Stribling~Whalen launched an RIA; Raymond James recruited two teams; RBC added the Nepa/Susco Team; Dynasty appointed Alex Kaminsky and Gordy Abel; Mercer hired Kyle Pounder; Bluerock named Keith Lampi to lead tax; ECHELON reported on M&A; Cerulli examined enterprise RIAs; and AssetMark studied private wealth.
Mergers & Acquisitions
CAPTRUST Adds Pacific Sage With Approximately $1.1 Billion In Client Assets
CAPTRUST added Pacific Sage Partners, an Edmonds, Washington‑based wealth management firm advising on approximately $1.1 billion in client assets. The eight‑person team is led by Founder and CEO Mark Anderson. Pacific Sage will adopt the CAPTRUST brand as part of the transaction, adding an office to the buyer’s existing Washington presence.
CAPTRUST already had offices in Wenatchee and Bellevue, Washington, with 14 employees, including 10 advisors. Wealth Management Consulting served as Pacific Sage’s fiduciary advisor and Carr Butterfield served as its legal counsel.
“Everyone we met at CAPTRUST was welcoming, genuine, and deeply committed to helping clients succeed,” said Anderson. “That felt familiar because we’ve worked hard to build the same kind of team at Pacific Sage Partners. CAPTRUST also gives us the resources and support to spend less time on the operational side of running a business and more time focused on helping clients navigate important financial decisions.”
South Atlantic To Acquire Eastover With Approximately $430 Million In AUM
South Atlantic Bank agreed to acquire Eastover Capital Management, a Charlotte, North Carolina‑based RIA operating legally as Eastover Investment Advisors. Eastover had approximately $430 million in assets under management (AUM) as of Sept. 30. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter.
CEO and Client Advisor Will Mackey will continue leading Eastover as a separate division of the bank. Eastover has clients throughout North Carolina and South Carolina, and South Atlantic has been an Eastover client for over 15 years. Hunton Andrews Kurth served as legal advisor to the bank and its parent South Atlantic Bancshares, while Alexander Ricks served as legal advisor to Eastover.
“The long tenured personal and professional relationship between our two companies, and shared vision to continue to grow Eastover creates a unique opportunity to realize the synergies of this combination,” said Mackey. “I could not be more excited about Eastover’s long-term future as a result of this partnership.”
Advisor Transactions
LPL Expects 83% Commonwealth Retention, Recruits $525 Million Anchor Team
LPL Financial expects to retain approximately 83% of Commonwealth Financial Network’s assets, with conversion on track for the fourth quarter. Separately, Anchor Financial Partners joined LPL’s broker‑dealer and RIA platforms from Northwestern Mutual. The Vinings, Georgia‑based team reported approximately $525 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets, based on year‑end 2025 holdings.
Anchor’s leaders include Wealth Management Advisors and Founding Partners Frank Conner, Andrew Runnion and Josh Eisenberg, and Wealth Management Advisors and Partners Brandon Porter, Kyle Brooker and Trey Beavers. LPL also reported $24 billion in recruited assets during the third quarter and $81 billion over the trailing 12 months.
“Our work starts with people, not portfolios,” said Runnion. “We’ve intentionally built a collaborative team where we can bring different perspectives and areas of expertise to the table. That gives our clients access to the strength of the entire firm and creates continuity as their needs evolve.”
Stribling~Whalen Launches Independent RIA With Fidelity Custody
Stribling~Whalen Financial Group launched an independent RIA in Gainesville, Georgia, using Fidelity Investments as custodian. Principal Brian Whalen and his team managed more than $1.1 billion in client assets across more than 350 households at their prior firm. The firm serves high net worth individuals, families and business owners.
Whalen owns and leads the firm, which Warren Stribling founded in 1975. The team includes Stribling, Jacob Beauchamp, Cindy Casey, Lauren Tuttle, Christa Griffin and Kayleigh Dell. Whalen has more than 32 years of investment experience, including nine years with Capital Group/American Funds, and moved into financial advising in 2012.
“Our relationships with clients have always been personal. We know their families, their businesses and the goals they are working toward. This next chapter gives our team additional resources and capabilities while allowing us to stay focused on what has always mattered most - helping clients make thoughtful decisions about their financial lives,” said Whalen.
Raymond James Adds Teams With Approximately $1.16 Billion In Client Assets
Raymond James recruited two teams through different channels. Wealth Advisors Darrell Brown, Mark Taylor and Jonathan Shaw joined Pinnacle Financial Partners’ investment program, Pinnacle Asset Management, from Truist Investment Services, where their team managed approximately $700 million in client assets. They operate as Brown, Taylor, Shaw & Associates in Naples, Florida, with Client Service Associate Erin Powers‑Westendorf, through Raymond James Financial Services, the independent advisor channel.
Separately, Managing Director Teodore “Ted” Krawec and Jordan Krawec joined Raymond James & Associates, its employee advisor channel, in Westlake, Ohio, from Wells Fargo, where they managed over $460 million in client assets. Operating as Krawec Wealth Management of Raymond James, they were joined by Senior Registered Client Associate Natalie Sutcliffe and Financial Advisor Trainee Ethan Veselic.
“For nearly four decades, our team has been built around helping families make confident decisions through every stage of their financial lives,” said Ted Krawec. “Raymond James offers back‑office support, technology and planning resources to enhance that work while keeping the highly personal, multigenerational relationships at the center.”
RBC Recruits Nepa/Susco Team With Over $1 Billion
RBC Wealth Management recruited the Nepa/Susco Team to its Pittsburgh North branch from UBS, where it oversaw more than $1 billion in client assets. The five‑person group includes Managing Directors and Financial Advisors Raymond Nepa and Jennifer Susco, and First Vice President and Financial Advisor Julia Munchel.
Senior Investment Associate Karen Venneri and Client Associate Max Freed also joined. The team has a combined 70 years of financial services experience and works with ultra‑high net worth and affluent individuals, families and business executives. Its work includes investments, risk management and estate planning, as well as helping clients prepare for retirement and education funding.
“What stood out to the Nepa/Susco Team about RBC was the genuine culture of collaboration, having decision‑makers close at hand, and the sheer breadth of resources they can tap into for their clients,” said Frank Albanese, Senior Managing Director and Great Lakes Complex Director at RBC Wealth Management. “We’re eager to help this team build on what they’ve already accomplished.”
Promotions & People Moves
Dynasty Hires Alex Kaminsky As CMO, Appoints Abel Chief Brand Officer
Dynasty Financial Partners hired Alex Kaminsky as Chief Marketing Officer and moved Gordon “Gordy” Abel into the newly created role of Chief Brand Officer. Kaminsky is based at Dynasty’s St. Petersburg, Florida, headquarters and reports to Founder and CEO Shirl Penney. Abel, also a Managing Director, reports to Kaminsky from New York.
Kaminsky spent eight years at Corpay, most recently as Global Chief Brand Officer, and has more than 25 years of marketing experience. His previous roles included work at YP, The Weather Channel, Coca‑Cola, ESPN and Turner Broadcasting. At Dynasty, he will work with its consulting and network marketing teams. The platform serves more than 750 advisors with nearly $135 billion in assets on platform.
“Alex has the creative vision, the operating discipline, and the AI‑forward mindset to take our brand to the next level for all our stakeholders in an aligned way,” said Penney. “He is the rare combination of old school marketing meeting new school, and joins at an exciting moment for a founder‑led business to reimagine its brand and its impact on the industry, and we could not be more thrilled.”
Mercer Hires Kyle Pounder As Vice President Of Data
RIA Mercer Advisors appointed Kyle Pounder as Vice President of Data to lead the data team supporting its Aspen technology platform and AI strategy. He reports to Chief Platform Officer Cynthia Loh and will work on the firm’s data infrastructure, services and analytics supporting more than 460 advisors and over 43,000 clients.
Pounder spent five years at Wealth.com, most recently as Chief Technology Officer, leading engineering, security and data teams through funding rounds led by Google Ventures and Charles Schwab. Previously, he was a data scientist at Meta working on products for Facebook and Instagram creators. Mercer’s Ehsan Lavassani, who led Aspen’s development, also reports to Loh and was recently promoted to Head of AI.
“The firm has already invested in a strong technology foundation, talented people, and the culture to make data and AI practical. I’m excited to build on that, using data and AI to make information more accessible, simplify complex workflows and give advisors more time to focus on nurturing client relationships and delivering high‑touch service,” said Pounder.
Bluerock Names Keith Lampi CEO Of Tax Solutions Division
Bluerock appointed Keith Lampi as CEO of Bluerock Tax Solutions, a new division serving the private wealth channel. Based in Chicago, Lampi will oversee expansion of the firm’s tax‑advantaged strategies, including qualified opportunity zones and 721 exchange opportunities. He most recently served as Chairman and CEO of Inland Private Capital.
Inland’s tax solutions platform had more than $13 billion in AUM as of Dec. 31, according to the announcement. Lampi began his career at Inland as an intern in 2001. Bluerock’s tax solutions business builds on its 21‑year history sponsoring Delaware statutory trust offerings for individual investors.
“Advisors are helping clients with increasingly complex tax decisions, and they want partners with real depth. I joined Bluerock to build on that and broaden what we offer – tax solutions designed for advisors and their clients, based upon their unique needs. I’m excited to join the team and get to work,” said Lampi.
Research
ECHELON Tracks 387 Deals Through September, Projects Record Year
ECHELON Partners tracked 125 announced U.S. wealth management transactions in the third quarter, matching the prior year’s third‑quarter record and tying for the second‑highest quarterly total on record. The 387 deals announced through September were 12.2% ahead of the same period in 2025. ECHELON projects approximately 510 transactions for 2026, compared with the 2025 record of 466.
Private equity firms participated as direct investors or buyers’ sponsors in 102 of the quarter’s transactions. Private equity‑backed acquirers announced 92 deals, or 73.6% of the total, down from 75.8% in the second quarter. The report separately tracked a record 51 wealthtech transactions, which are excluded from its core wealth management transaction count.
“Announced transaction volume is not the same as current M&A activity,” said Dan Seivert, Founder, CEO and Managing Partner of ECHELON Partners. “Announcements are a lagging indicator, and much of what will shape the quarters ahead is already underway. In our own practice, seller inquiries, new engagements, and buyer participation in marketed processes remain strong.”
Cerulli Finds Enterprise RIA Competition Extends Beyond Scale
Enterprise RIAs grew at a 20% five‑year compound annual growth rate since 2020, compared with 12% for the broader RIA channels, according to Cerulli. Its U.S. RIA Marketplace 2026 report examines how firms compete as consolidation makes size a less distinctive advantage across the independent and hybrid RIA markets.
Cerulli identifies expanded tax planning, estate offerings, family office services and institutional consulting as areas of competition. It expects more RIAs to bring financial services into centralized platforms as they seek to retain revenue otherwise going to outside providers.
“Enterprise RIAs are investing in centralized business development, integrated service delivery, structured talent pipelines, and expanded planning capabilities to serve more complex, affluent clients. Changing client expectations and competitive pressures are prompting firms to reconsider how they deliver advice, drive growth, and create long‑term enterprise value,” said Stephen Caruso, Director of Wealth Management at Cerulli Associates.
AssetMark Research Finds Gaps In Private Wealth Services
AssetMark found that 64% of surveyed advisors see households with $1 million to $5 million as a leading growth opportunity, while 52% worry about losing clients to competitors offering broader services. Its Advisor Insights: Private Wealth research also found that 60% say clients expect tax management and planning, but only 26% make it a primary offering.
The online survey covered 400 U.S. advisors from June 24 to July 7, excluding existing AssetMark clients. Alongside the research, AssetMark introduced a private wealth program combining planning, investment support and specialized capabilities, which was available on its platform beginning Nov. 2.
“Advisors see wealth transfer as a pivotal moment: it can put a relationship at risk, but it can also open the door to the next generation,” said Michael Kim, President and CEO of AssetMark. “Building trust across a family takes more than managing a portfolio. It means understanding the family’s broader priorities and being part of planning conversations before assets change hands.”
Wealth Solutions Report can be reached at info@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
