RIAs who work with Charles Schwab have long worried Schwab competes with them for business. Could Vanguard's pending purchase of Altruist put Altruist RIAs in the same position?

After his firm agreed to one of the most impactful deals in wealth management of 2026, Altruist CEO Jason Wenk sat down with FP to discuss the negotiations, his firm's strategy and the new tool he says can build higher-quality plans in much less time.

The largest firm in the independent brokerage channel is also the fastest growing. But the industry's rapid expansion alongside rising equity values over the past three years may be hiding some firms' vulnerabilities.

Industry experts say custodial firms' services have largely become "commoditized." The acquisition of Altruist opens the door for Vanguard to have cutting-edge services related to tax planning, cash sorting and more.

The purchase will give Vanguard access to Altruist's custody platform and wealth management technology.

Recruiter Jeff Nash of Bridgemark Strategies created five calculator tools that aim to help financial advisors understand the key contributors to their revenue, expenses and take-home compensation as they weigh their potential next moves.

Press an "easy button" for an internal succession or go the harder, often more lucrative route of leaving an employee brokerage to sell an independent practice? A new report from one recruiting firm shows which lane most advisors choose.

Two experts in mergers and M&A sales explained how and why RIA owners need to clean up their data, get a formal valuation and figure out other technical questions before they make a succession deal.

With its Estimated Value Index, the valuation expert FP Transitions seeks to give RIA owners a leg-up in knowing just what their firms can most likely fetch in a sale.

Over the past decade, the annual revenue gap between LPL and any other independent brokerage has soared to more than 100% from less than 1%. But that doesn't mean that the No. 1 firm can rest on those laurels.

A succession merger deal that was nearly 10 years in the making at Nebraska-based Prairie Wealth Advisors offers a lens into the many factors involved with the wealth management industry's looming financial advisor retirements.

Berger Financial Group plans to more than double its footprint and staff, and Investcorp is looking at more opportunities beyond supporting Berger in the "untapped" wealth space.

Following its purchase by Raymond James, Clark Capital's CEO discusses his firm's future and how he aims to help advisors operate as "mini virtual multifamily offices."

RIA owners may feel a "moral dilemma" when considering selling their firms to private equity-backed acquirers. But that didn't prevent PE involvement from reaching a record high in M&A deals in the second quarter.

The firm isn't discussing the news reports suggesting it's for sale. Here's how it has built such a close relationship with so many planners over the years.

In its annual survey of industry consolidators, DeVoe and Co. detects signs that the upward march of RIA deal valuations may soon come to a halt.

FINRA's annual snapshot shows how the wealth industry is changing, from key business metrics and marketing trends to shifts in registration and a shrinking branch footprint.

RIA deals can falter at the finish line if the acquiring advisor fails to think about financing at the start.

Retaining Bartholomew & Company comes as a big victory in LPL's bid to hold on to AUM and advisors from its acquisition last year of Commonwealth Financial Network.

Even though RIAs reached a record size in four important metrics, experts say equity values are masking weaknesses in their organic growth.