In this week’s roundup, Hightower Signature Wealth added three practices; Choreo acquired Resource Financial Group; F.L.Putnam acquired Seascape Capital; Carson acquired Pinnacle Wealth and FFR Wealth; Bartholomew & Company launched an independent hybrid RIA; CWS joined Aspen Standard; Cetera recruited the Lexington Financial team; AmeriFlex recruited 18 advisors; Potomac partnered with Concurrent to launch an independent RIA; Mariner partnered with Cariloop; RISR partnered with OnePoint BFG; Prairie Wealth hired Mike Finnegan as CIO; and Steward Partners appointed Joseph Glick as COO.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Hightower Signature Wealth Adds $5 Billion From Three Practices
RIA Hightower Advisors added Private Vista, Hightower Great Lakes and The McGuirk & De Nevi Group to Hightower Signature Wealth, its direct-to-consumer practice launched in 2025. The three practices contribute approximately $5 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of June 30, six locations and more than 40 team members. The additions bring Hightower Signature Wealth to about $35 billion in AUM, more than 140 advisors and over 40 locations.
Hightower said the model centralizes investment management, operations, technology, compliance, marketing and client service while maintaining local advisory relationships. The firm reported that Hightower Signature Wealth has added more than $25 billion in AUM in the first half of the year through internal and external acquisitions into the brand.
Larry Restieri, CEO of Hightower, said, “These advisors share our commitment to delivering an exceptional client experience and recognize the value of giving advisors back more time in their days. The continued growth of Hightower Signature Wealth reflects the demand for a wealth management model that combines local relationships with institutional-quality capabilities. We are excited to welcome these talented professionals and support their continued success.”
Choreo Acquires $700 Million Resource Financial Group’s Assets
Choreo acquired substantially all the assets of Resource Financial Group, a Wilmette, Illinois-based RIA with approximately $700 million in AUM as of April 30. Resource Financial is led by Founding Partner Peter M. Maris and Partner Brian Pugal, supported by a six-person client service team led by Alexandra Moise. The firm primarily serves closely held business owners and families on business transitions, liquidity events and retirement planning, coordinating execution with outside professional advisors.
Resource Financial was founded in 1996 by Maris. Pugal joined in 2002. Choreo said the transaction brings its 2026 acquired AUM to approximately $2 billion, following deals involving Northeast Financial Group, Herbein Financial Group and Insight Wealth Strategies. Turkey Hill Management advised Resource Financial in the transaction.
Jason Van de Loo, CEO of Choreo, said, “Peter and Brian have built a terrific business and earned deep trust by helping clients connect business planning with retirement and succession to preserve wealth. The firm’s work with closely held businesses in the Chicago area and beyond strengthens our ability to support teams that do complex planning work for builders of these kinds of unique enterprises and companies around the country.”
F.L.Putnam Acquires $500 Million Seascape Capital Management
F.L.Putnam Investment Management Company acquired Seascape Capital Management, a Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based independent RIA with more than $500 million in AUM as of June 30. Founded in 2003 and led by CEO Monica McCarthy, Seascape provides wealth and investment management to high net worth individuals and families, including business owners, executives and retirees. F.L.Putnam is also an independent RIA and said the acquisition expands its New Hampshire presence.
The transaction closed June 30. Seascape’s entire team joined F.L.Putnam, including Andrew Litzerman and Christian “Chrissy” Sullivan. F.L.Putnam opened a Portsmouth office last year. Colchester Partners served as exclusive financial advisor to Seascape. F.L.Putnam is headquartered in Lynnfield, Massachusetts.
Tom Manning, Principal, CEO and President of FLP, said, “A core part of our long-term growth strategy has been to expand FLP’s presence in the communities where our clients live and work. The opening of our Portsmouth office last year marked an important step in that strategy, and it has quickly become one of our key growth markets in the Northeast. The addition of Seascape further strengthens our presence in New Hampshire and deepens our financial planning and investment expertise.”
Carson Acquires Pinnacle And FFR Wealth Teams
Carson Group announced two acquisitions that moved advisory teams into integrated Carson Wealth offices. It acquired Pinnacle Wealth Management, a California practice led by Jack Zboralske and Kenyon Lederer with approximately $236 million in advisory and brokerage assets, and FFR Wealth Team, a Covington, Kentucky, practice led by Shelley Funke Frommeyer and Scott Reynolds with about $201 million in AUM. Pinnacle joined Carson Wealth’s Roseville, California, office, while FFR became an integrated office.
Pinnacle also includes Wealth Advisor Chase Lederer and two support staff members. FFR, which had partnered with Carson as an independent office since 2018, serves affluent families, business owners and retirees. Carson Group reports more than $60 billion in AUM. The two transactions expand Carson Wealth’s presence in Northern California and Northern Kentucky.
Burt White, CEO of Carson Group, said, “Jack and Kenyon have built a strong business by putting clients first and delivering thoughtful financial guidance. By bringing their team into Carson Wealth, we’re combining the strengths of their practice with the scale, resources and planning capabilities of our platform, creating even more opportunities for clients and future growth. There are many reasons firms choose to join Carson Group or a Carson Wealth location.”
Advisor Transactions
$6 Billion Bartholomew & Company Launches Hybrid RIA
Bartholomew & Company launched its own independent hybrid RIA after operating under Commonwealth Financial Network’s corporate RIA and broker-dealer since the Worcester, Massachusetts-based firm’s 1994 founding. The firm oversees about $6 billion in client assets and continues its broker-dealer relationship with Commonwealth.
As of June 30, Bartholomew & Company reported $5.85 billion in AUM and $180 million in assets under advisement, with more than 40 professionals across Worcester and Framingham, Massachusetts. Founder Tom Bartholomew recently stepped down as CEO and President but remains Chairman; his son, Alex Bartholomew, became CEO while continuing as Chief Investment Officer.
“Launching our own RIA strengthens our ability to support clients and advisors while remaining focused on the service, guidance, and investment expertise our clients expect,” said Alex Bartholomew. “We are continuing to build on an exceptional foundation – one defined by innovative thinking, disciplined decision-making, and an unwavering commitment to our clients. This milestone strengthens our ability to do exactly that for decades to come.”
$1.3 Billion CWS Financial Advisors Joins Aspen Platform
CWS Financial Advisors joined the Aspen Standard Wealth platform, bringing approximately $1.3 billion in client assets and raising total AUM across Aspen’s affiliated RIAs to about $15 billion. CWS is an independent, fee-only RIA based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with offices in the San Francisco Bay Area. The firm provides investment management, financial planning and coordination with attorneys and CPAs for affluent households, and traces its history to 1983.
Aspen said its model supports affiliated RIAs while preserving each firm’s identity and leadership. CWS will retain its client-service approach while gaining access to Aspen resources in areas including technology and practice management. Turkey Hill Management advised CWS on this deal.
Joe Splendorio, Principal at CWS, said, “Joining the Aspen platform allows us to continue growing thoughtfully while staying focused on what matters most: serving our clients with the same personalized advice and long-term perspective they’ve come to expect from us. Aspen’s long-term commitment to the team members who support our clients and its leadership in key areas such as technology and practice management will help position CWS to continue delivering a best-in-class client experience for many years to come.”
Cetera Recruits $608 Million Lexington Financial Team
Cetera recruited Edward J. Duffy and his Lexington Financial team, which oversaw approximately $608 million in assets under administration, as of Feb. 3, and is based in Braintree, Massachusetts. Duffy and the team joined after 32 years with Commonwealth Financial Network. Duffy has more than 42 years of industry experience.
The team includes Wealth Management Advisors John F. Walsh and William A. Creesy; Investment Coordinator Michael G. Duffy, Duffy’s son; Client Service Coordinator Megan Duffy, his daughter; Director of Operations Elizabeth McMahon; and Client Service Associate John F. Walsh Jr., the son of John Walsh.
Duffy said, “Leaving Commonwealth wasn’t something we took lightly after 32 years – we wouldn’t have made a change if Commonwealth hadn’t been acquired, but that effectively made the decision for us. Our goal was finding a broker-dealer that allowed us to retain control of our processes while protecting the experience our clients were used to. Cetera helped create continuity for us, including maintaining Fidelity’s NFS, and other technology we had at Commonwealth.”
Potomac Partners With Concurrent To Launch Independent RIA
Potomac Financial Group partnered with Concurrent Investment Advisors to launch an independent RIA, moving from Raymond James Financial Services. The Maryland-based practice brings seven advisors and more than $750 million in client assets to Concurrent, a multi-custodial hybrid RIA. Managing Partner Todd Wike leads the team, which focuses on retirement planning. Concurrent is supporting the transition through its integrated platform and strategic minority investment model, while Potomac retains ownership of its business.
Wike is joined by advisors Lanta Evans, Kevin Pinto, Deborah Kelly, Brian Krawiec, Bradley Schell and Gregory Wilkinson, along with support staff. Concurrent, backed by Merchant Investment Management, provides capital, consulting and compliance support to independent advisors.
Wike said, “The best way we can serve our clients is by maximizing the time we spend with them. Concurrent’s platform gives us the operational support and resources to help us spend less time managing the business and more time guiding our clients through retirement with confidence.”
AmeriFlex Adds 18 Advisors With $1.7 Billion In Client Assets
The AmeriFlex Group added 18 advisors representing more than $1.7 billion in total client assets to its platform during the first half of 2026. The advisor-owned hybrid RIA said additional advisors are expected to join before year-end and that it is on pace to reach its previously stated annual growth goal of $3 billion ahead of schedule. It added that most of its 2026 commitments were secured in the first quarter.
Earlier this year, the firm added AmeriFlex Advisor AI Connection, a matching tool powered by Anthropic’s Claude that identifies advisors approaching succession and connects them with potential buyers based on goals, business models and transition objectives.
Thomas Goodson, Founder and CEO of The AmeriFlex Group, said, “We want to remove the obstacles to growth and eventually succession that so many larger institutions and wealth management firms seem to place in advisors' paths. For too long, firms and platforms have made decisions that help themselves, not their advisors. We don’t see our success as something separate from that of our advisors, and it sets us apart in this industry.”
Strategic Partnerships
Mariner Partners With Cariloop On Caregiving Support
Mariner partnered with Cariloop to provide caregiving and healthcare navigation support to firm associates and eligible clients. Through Cariloop’s Caregiver Support Platform, users can access professional coaching, caregiving tools and a provider network for situations involving aging parents, neurodiverse dependents and other complex care needs. Mariner said the service is intended to help advisors address financial, logistical and family issues that can arise alongside major health events and long-term care decisions.
Mariner began rolling out Cariloop earlier in 2026 to more than 2,000 associates and later extended the service to clients. In the first two weeks after launch, advisors opened more than 300 caregiving cases for their own families. Mariner affiliates collectively advised on more than $647 billion in assets as of March 31.
Marty Bicknell, CEO and President of Mariner, said, “Today’s advisors show up for clients in the moments that matter most. The right resources make that possible. By introducing services like Cariloop, we’re giving our advisors another way to deliver real value to the families they serve and extend our purpose of positively impacting the lives of many.”
RISR Partners With OnePoint BFG On Business Owner Planning
RISR partnered with OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners to deploy RISR’s business-owner planning technology across the firm’s centralized planning function and advisor teams serving entrepreneurs and privately held companies. OnePoint BFG operates through RIA Bleakley Financial Group. The firms said the technology will support planning around business value, risk, succession readiness and other issues that can affect owners approaching a sale or transition.
RISR’s platform analyzes business valuation, growth opportunities, risk exposure and succession readiness, with applications spanning exit planning, estate and legacy planning, retirement, insurance, tax and liquidity. OnePoint BFG’s origins date to 1983. It became a fully independent RIA in 2022 and adopted the OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners brand in July 2025.
Jason Early, Founder and CEO of RISR, said, “Business owners are one of the most complex and underserved client segments in wealth management. OnePoint BFG has a reputation for delivering highly personalized advice and investing in the tools advisors need to succeed. We’re excited to partner with a firm that recognizes the tremendous opportunity to serve business owners, and together we’re committed to helping advisors engage these clients more effectively.”
Promotions & People Moves
Prairie Wealth Names Mike Finnegan As Chief Investment Officer
RIA Prairie Wealth Advisors hired Mike Finnegan as Chief Investment Officer, assigning him responsibility for investment philosophy, portfolio strategy, manager research and due diligence. Finnegan, with 30 years of experience, will be based in Omaha, Nebraska. His appointment follows the firm’s merger with The McEwen Group, after which Prairie Wealth approached $1 billion in total AUM and nearly doubled its headcount.
Finnegan previously held senior roles at ManchesterStory Fund Management, Guggenheim Investment Management and Principal Financial Group, with experience in asset allocation, portfolio construction, manager research and investment leadership. At Prairie Wealth, he is also tasked with developing risk-management practices, the alternatives program and a systematic investment framework, while contributing market commentary and client conversations.
Craig Hundt, CEO of Prairie Wealth, said, “As Prairie Wealth enters its next stage of growth, we are continuing to invest in the people, processes and capabilities that help us deliver thoughtful advice and disciplined portfolio management for clients. Following our merger with The McEwen Group, we saw an opportunity to add dedicated investment leadership that reflects the scale, sophistication and ambition of the combined firm. Mike brings deep institutional experience, strong investment judgment and a client-first philosophy that aligns closely with how we serve families.”
Steward Partners Appoints Joseph Glick As Chief Operating Officer
Steward Partners appointed Joseph Glick as Chief Operating Officer, giving him primary accountability for finance, operations and technology. He will focus on infrastructure supporting a business with more than $53 billion in client assets as of June. Steward Partners is employee-owned. Glick’s remit includes both operational scale and growth support.
Glick joined from Sequoia Financial Group, where he served as COO and CFO and oversaw operational and financial infrastructure, M&A integration and organic growth strategy. He previously spent 14 years at Deutsche Bank. His initial priorities at Steward include establishing technology and AI strategy, strengthening financial planning and capital allocation frameworks, and identifying margin expansion opportunities to support continued organic and inorganic growth.
Glick said, “Steward Partners is at a genuine inflection point. Having surpassed $53 billion in client assets, the firm is ready to build the kind of standardized, scalable infrastructure that supports the next leg of growth—whether that’s reaching the next AUM milestone, expanding margins, or developing a more powerful growth engine in partnership with advisors across the firm.”
Wealth Solutions Report can be reached at info@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
