While the rise in investment possibilities benefits advisors and clients in many ways, firms providing platforms for these solutions need leadership that can stay on top of national and global news, investment product performance and management, product trends and innovation, and the needs of advisors and clients. Some executives excel at this challenge, and today we honor five of them in our third annual IS 5.
WSR Announces IS 5: Top Investment Solutions Platform Leaders
This year’s IS 5 winners are Michael Arone of State Street Investment Management, Mary Ann Bartels of Sanctuary Wealth, Sonali Basak of iCapital, Stephanie Link of Hightower and Harison Sidhu of Cambridge Investment Research.
We honor these winners equally, and congratulate them on careers of high achievement.
Regtech Surge: What HNW Clients Need To Know About AI-Enabled Cyberthreats
In his monthly Regtech Surge column, Sid Yenamandra of SurgeONE.ai describes the enhanced cybersecurity threats to wealthy clients due to AI advancements and ways to mitigate the threats.
Yenamandra encourages advisors to take time to raise client awareness.
How RIA Sellers Can Leverage A Saturated Buyer Market In Q4
Jessica Polito of M&A advisory firm Turkey Hill Management makes the case for RIA sellers to take advantage of a saturated buyers’ market this quarter, including evaluating the stability of established buyers, the risks and rewards of emerging buyers, integration capacity and process management.
While wealth management M&A is strong, it isn’t static. Polito helps sellers keep pace with what’s happening now.
DAFs Have Untapped Potential To Connect Giving, Divestment And Reinvestment
Alex Laipple of Ethic says that with the tax changes taking effect under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in January, high net worth clients should accelerate giving before the end of 2025, and suggests the donor advised fund (DAF) as a useful and flexible vehicle for giving.
Laipple argues that DAFs are for more than just tax advantages, setting out benefits donors gain by using them.
Congress Should Pass The Modern Worker Empowerment Act To Protect Independent Advisors
Dale Brown of the Financial Services Institute urges Congress to pass the Modern Worker Empowerment Act to provide one national standard to determine whether persons are employees or contractors, taking into account the unique nature of the financial advisory business.
Brown argues that independent advisors need the same clarity and certainty that employee advisors enjoy.
Cerulli: Active ETF Product Development Meets Strong Inflows
Cerulli Associates’ latest research on active ETFs reveals inflows on track to break the record for annual flows, and covers product development growth, product education as a key factor, and the need for issuers and asset managers to adjust distribution strategies.
Active ETF assets reached $1.17 trillion in the second quarter of this year.
Deals & Recruiting Roundup
This edition covers acquisitions by Equitable, OnePoint BFG and Great Hill; recruitments by Ameriprise, Osaic, VestGen, Prospera and Cetera; DeVoe reporting on record M&A activity; Elevation Point partnering with OnBord; Sowell partnering with Capital Connect and FSI’s new Deputy General Counsel.
DeVoe reported that M&A activity reached a new record with two months yet to go in the year.
OnePoint BFG Wealth Acquires $2 Billion Chicago-Area Advisory Firm
OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, backed by Rise Growth Partners, acquired Chicago-based Spahn Financial Partners with approximately $2 billion in client assets.
Spahn’s Partners entered OnePoint as Partners and equity holders under a W-2 advisor structure announced in March.
Exclusive: Wealthtech Firm Powder Forms Client Advisory Board To Drive AI Adoption
Wealthtech firm Powder announced the formation of a 10-member client advisory board it said will serve as a consortium of industry experts with the mission of driving AI adoption.
Powder’s CEO Kanishk Parashar set out three large AI challenges the board will help tackle.
Orion Introduces Denali AI Enterprise Intelligence Platform For Advisors
Orion Advisor Solutions announced Orion Denali AI, a new enterprise intelligence platform that it said powers its AI-first ecosystem. Denali AI is in client beta now and will be broadly available to Orion advisors in 2026.
In development for about three years, Orion’s new system emphasizes interconnectivity across all functions.
Sowell Management Partners With Capital Connect To Offer M&A Services
Sowell Management announced a partnership with business brokerage and commercial real estate firm Capital Connect to offer M&A consulting and related services including valuation and exit services for advisors’ clients who own small or medium-sized businesses and are considering a sale, strategic partnership or acquisition.
The partnership is intended to preserve the advisor-client relationship throughout the full life cycle of the client’s business.
FSI Names Andrew Hartnett VP Of Regulatory Affairs And Deputy General Counsel
The Financial Services Institute hired Andrew Hartnett as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Deputy General Counsel. It also promoted Hanna Laver to Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Senior Counsel, Dan Barry to Associate Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Matt Landers as Associate Vice President of Political Engagement.
These moves will provide a boost to FSI’s advocacy activities on behalf of our industry.
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Larry Roth
CEO
Wealth Solutions Report
