Advisory M&A News – 7/8/2026

Principal Acquires Benefits Company

Principal Financial Group Inc. is acquiring Beam Benefits, an employee benefits company serving more than 25,000 small businesses.

Beam offers dental, vision and ancillary benefits supported by cloud-based technology, including artificial intelligence. The business took in $175 million in premiums in 2025.

The acquisition is expected to close before the end of the year. Principal expects this acquisition to accelerate premium and fee growth for specialty benefits to achieve the 5% to 9% medium-term target range in 2027, according to the announcement.

LPL Financial Taps 2 Advisers in Separate Transactions

LPL Financial LLC added two advisers in the last week.

Financial Adviser David Logsdon joined LPL’s broker/dealer and registered investment adviser platform from Wells Fargo Advisors. He reported serving $380 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets, as of year-end 2025.

Logsdon is based in Sun Valley, Idaho, and is the founder of Summit Ridge Financial, joining with 30 years of industry experience.

Financial Adviser Brian Lubel affiliated with LPL’s supported independence model, LPL Independent Adviser Network, to support his existing independent practice, Cypress Point Wealth Partners. He reported serving approximately $175 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets, as of year-end 2025. He joins LPL from MML Investors Services, a subsidiary of MassMutual, and is based in Orlando, Florida.

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. supports more than 32,000 financial advisers and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,100 financial institutions, servicing approximately $2.3 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets.

Retirement and Wealth at Alliant Buys Retirement Solution Group

Retirement and Wealth at Alliant, a division of Alliant Insurance Services Inc., acquired Retirement Solution Group LLC, a plan consulting and administration firm specializing in retirement solutions for small and mid-sized businesses.

Founded in 2005, Retirement Solution Group provides retirement plan consulting, plan design, fiduciary support, compliance services, third-party administration and participant education. Retirement Solution Group’s professionals will continue serving clients from their current locations while gaining access to expanded resources and national reach.

Alliant Retirement Services LLC has more than 1,000 retirement plans and $28 billion under advisement.

Wealth Enhancement Adds $554M With Kaminsky-Silverman Group

Wealth Enhancement Group LLC, a national independent wealth management firm, will acquire the Kaminsky-Silverman Group of Shufro Rose in New York City.

The team of two advisers and two support staff members is led by Tonia Kaminsky, principal and senior financial adviser, and Barbara Silverman, senior financial adviser. They managed more than $554 million in client assets as of June 22.

The Kaminsky-Silverman Group provides wealth management services, including financial planning, investment management, retirement strategies, and tax and estate planning coordination. The acquisition is expected to close in August 2026. 

Wealth Enhancement Group and its registered investment adviser, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, had $156.3 billion in client assets as of May 31.

Haskin Private Wealth Advisors Joins LPL Financial

LPL Financial LLC announced that Doug Haskin and Jenny Haskin have launched a new independent practice, Haskin Private Wealth Advisors, through affiliation with the LPL Independent Advisor Network.

The advisers, who join LPL from Wells Fargo as part of the transaction, oversaw approximately $170 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets as of year-end 2025.

Based in Sacramento, California, the advisers join LPL with more than 20 years of combined industry experience.

Coastal Bridge Advisors, Wadell & Associates, One Charles Private Wealth Merge

Coastal Bridge Advisors LLC, Waddell & Associates LLC and One Charles Private Wealth Services LLC completed a strategic merger. The combination creates a combined firm that had more than $10 billion in assets under management as of June 30.

The unified firm, operating under the Coastal Bridge Advisors name, brings together approximately 20 partners and 52 professionals.

The combined firm’s expanded leadership team includes David Waddell, former CEO and chief investment strategist of Waddell & Associates, who will serve as Coastal Bridge Advisors’ chair and chief investment strategist. Other executives include Founder and Co-Chair Kevin Burns, CEO Jim Betzig, President Mark Dupont and Chief Revenue Officer Bill Loftus.