Last week we shared WSR’s fifth anniversary with you, but it’s not just WSR with an anniversary this year. Invest in Others Charitable Foundation is marking its 20th year of helping advisors and the industry serve our communities through volunteering and charitable giving. This week, the foundation’s Barkley Payne discusses charity, volunteering, history and the future with us.
In addition, I’m excited to announce that we are sending a team to the Institute For Portfolio Alternatives (IPA) Summit 2026 from April 29 to May 1 in Washington, D.C. We look forward to bringing you coverage from the event.
Guide To Industry Conferences: Compliance, Governance And Regulatory
WSR’s latest installment of our Guide to Industry Conferences: Compliance, Governance and Regulation edition, brings you the details you need to decide how to allocate your time and resources to conferences that suit your needs, covering the FINRA Annual Conference, ComplyConnect, the FSI Advocacy Summit and FSI OneVoice.
Our Guide to Industry Conferences series covers the leading wealthtech, insurance, custodian, M&A, asset management and compliance conferences so you can choose what works for you.
Modern Advisors Need Modern Commission Rules
The SEC’s commission rules were designed for times past, argues Dale Brown of the Financial Services Institute (FSI). FSI secured no-action relief from the SEC to effectively modernize the rules, but Brown urges Congress to pass the Clarity for Compensation Act.
No-action relief by the SEC can be withdrawn, but a law would make the rules “clear and permanent.”
Invest In Others Celebrates 20 Years With A New Phase Of Growth And Innovation
As the Invest in Others Charitable Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary, it is marking two decades of charitable impact while entering a new phase of growth and innovation.
In a Q&A with Barkley Payne, its President and CEO, he discussed the founding of Invest in Others, how the industry currently views charitable giving and philanthropy, and how charitable giving and philanthropy are shaping the next generation of advisors.
Talent Is The Real Currency In M&A
Emily Blue of Hue Partners and Kelli Cruz of Cruz Consulting Group discuss why career pathing and compensation design are important to attracting partners and successful post-M&A integration.
This article accompanies a video interview between Blue and Cruz in the Hue Partners: M&A Confidential video series.
DeVoe: Q1 Tied The Most Active Quarter For RIA M&A Deals Ever
There were 93 RIA M&A transactions announced in the first quarter of 2026, up 24% from 75 in Q1 2025 and tying Q3 2025 as the most active quarter ever and representing the strongest start to a year in RIA M&A history, according to DeVoe & Company’s Q1 RIA M&A Deal Book.
DeVoe split data for consolidators into aggregators and integrators, with integrators, which buy majority stakes and fully integrate the seller, accounting for 79% of consolidator activity.
F2 Strategy: Most Wealth Management Firms Plan To Make Changes To Their Operation Models
F2 Strategy’s latest research showed that 79% of respondents plan to change their operating models in the next 12 to 24 months. Firms have tech tools, but the tech still isn’t operating in unison, according to the report.
Onboarding was the most commonly cited friction point, followed by alternatives processing and data consistency and reporting.
Clients Hire Perspective, Not Portals
Paige Christofferson of Berthel Fisher Companies explains how efficiency tools can leak into client relationships in a way that makes the connection feel less personal.
“If it feels like a system, they will look for someone who can offer something more,” she says.
Wealthtech Roundup
This month’s roundup covers appointments by Axtella, Lido and Vestmark; launches and new features by Jump, Carson, Cambridge, BetaNXT, InvestSuite, Vanguard, FINNY and Wealth.com; and TIFIN combining its AI tools on one platform.
Wealthtech has gone deep into AI as tools and use cases continue to develop.
Deals & Recruiting Roundup
This week’s roundup features acquisitions by LPL, OnePoint BFG, Wealth Enhancement and Corient; DeVoe’s M&A report; Wealth.com’s capital raise; Integrated’s recruiting; Caprock’s expansion; and appointments by Docupace, Hightower, Osaic and Oppenheimer.
LPL and Corient notch deals in the tens of billions.
LPL To Buy Mariner Advisor Network
LPL Financial Holdings and its subsidiaries said they agreed to acquire Mariner’s Mariner Advisor Network and that, in partnership with LPL, Private Advisor Group will buy Mariner Advisor Network’s hybrid advisors and align them under Private Advisor Group’s hybrid RIA business.
Mariner Advisor Network supports 367 financial advisors who collectively manage $31 billion in client assets.
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Larry Roth
CEO
Wealth Solutions Report
