Wells Fargo pulls $722M in AUM from Merrill while Osaic adds a $540M team from Primerica (but gets sued); Stifel sells independent unit, and First Clearing names new head.

The choice of buyer and the price get the most attention, but a possible merger of equals and the technology side of the transition could loom large in the strategy.

Dynasty Financial Partners' investment bank joins Diamond Consultants to help departing teams vet transition options, whether that's joining another wirehouse, selling to an RIA aggregator or starting their own business.

Janney also adds teams from Morgan Stanley and UBS, while LPL Financial picks up advisors from Janney for its direct employee channel.

The purchase comes as Creative Planning seeks to build out its expertise in managing retirement plans.

With deals like Cetera's purchase of Avantax, Morgan Stanley's of Parametric and JPMorgan's of 55ip, big firms are increasingly able to answer high net worth clients' tax questions without having to send them to outside professionals.

Rick Meyers, head of client and advisory at Bernstein Private Wealth Management, looks to recruiting, training and possibly even acquisitions to further the firm's wealth management ambitions.

Client assets will always represent a key business metric. But $1 billion in AUM doesn't always add up to success — or to happiness.

Historic deal volume isn't slowing. Here are our guides for pricing your firm, buying a book of business, going independent and more.

Several panels and presentations last week at Future Proof focused on the idea of advisors growing their businesses through offering specialized, family office-style services.

Registered investment advisor Savant Wealth Management acquired PrairieView Partners, a CPA-led RIA based in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The group of rapidly expanding firms includes mainstays like LPL Financial, but also smaller upstarts that are enlarging their footprints at a notable clip.

Only about 4% to 6% of advisors switch firms in a given year, for any number of reasons. Here's how growing advisory teams add to their ranks.

Each of the biggest firms in the channel grew substantially in 2024, but LPL's giant M&A deal to buy Commonwealth for $2.7 billion has further consolidated the ranks.

Longbridge Wealth Advisors of North Canton, Ohio is dropping its Ameriprise affiliation.

One study uncovered interesting findings on market saturation, while another shed light on the regional trends shaping M&A deals.

Valuation experts caution that advisors selling their businesses put too much weight on EBITDA multiples and overlook many factors that can reduce the value of a deal.

CEO Rich Steinmeier reiterated LPL's goal to retain 90% of Commonwealth's assets and headcount while listing reasons why advisors might think twice about leaving to start their own RIAs.

The American College of Financial Services and RISR are collaborating as a BNY Wealth report showcased the planning complexities of owner succession deals.

Nearly 110 other advisors have left the boutique Commonwealth since April for firms including Raymond James, Purshe Kaplan Sterling, Cambridge Investment Research and Kestra.