One of the most consequential M&A deals in years leads this roundup of the many ways big independent firms grew in 2025 and how they plan to continue growing in 2026.

Also, Raymond James lands a $420M father-son team from Edward Jones, Cetera recruits a $350M LPL duo, and Cambridge acquires a $1B AUM dual registrant.

Savant Wealth Management, Moneta Group Investment Advisors and EP Wealth Advisors lead a group of fee-only firms with headcounts well above their peers.

Experts say RIA owners often resist making themselves replaceable. But they'll have to choose between an internal or external deal someday.

LPL executives have said they're well on the way to retaining 90% of the client assets they're seeking to bring over from their recent purchase of Commonwealth. But advisor departures have ticked upward.

As CEO Sergio Ermotti says it's almost impossible for the firm's U.S. wealth management business to match rivals' profit margins, UBS seeks to help new and existing advisors sharpen their expertise.

Generation Z is favoring Roth accounts like no generation before, new Fidelity research shows. Here's why younger investors are betting on post-tax retirement savings.

Wells Fargo recruits a $543M JPMorgan team, Raymond James adds a $360M family practice and Beacon Pointe acquires a women-led RIA.

This year the top three firms in FP's exclusive study of RIAs that do not do any commission business manage nearly $120 billion combined.

A Schroder's expert says new data speaks volumes about the importance of building a solid nest egg before leaving the workforce.

The implications to taxes, hiring and the very legacy of a financial advisor's career demand much more formal documentation than most RIAs have undertaken, experts say.

The Munster Freeman Group will add to Wells Fargo's offerings for wealthy and ultrawealthy clients with offices in the Los Angeles area, Arizona and Colorado.

A growing number of RIAs are offering one-time, flat-fee advisory services as part of a broader embrace of advice-only planning. But not all advisors are sold.

Dueling announcements Friday show that UBS is still struggling with advisor retention even as it brings in a new executive to oversee its recruiting efforts.

RBC pulls $1.2B and $705M teams from rivals, Merrill gets a $420M duo, and several large M&A deals close.

Financial therapist Rahkim Sabree wove his personal experiences into a detailed manual on a problem he and others say is often glossed over by the industry.

A similar measure stalled years ago, but some advisors say the current bill has more momentum among lawmakers.

The Internal Revenue Service increased the annual retirement plan contribution limits for 2026 thanks to cost-of-living adjustments for inflation.

Matthew Madera has become the latest former JPMorgan private client advisor to be sued after leaving for another firm. In a recent stipulated order, he agreed to stop soliciting former clients until the dispute can be resolved.

The Couch Group's return to Morgan Stanley is the latest evidence that UBS hasn't been able to stop the recent wave of advisor departures.