Advisory M&A News – 7/15/2026

LPL Financial Adds Buell Wealth Management

LPL Financial LLC added Buell Wealth Management to LPL Financial’s broker/dealer and registered investment adviser platform. Formerly part of Buell Securities Corp., the team reported serving $370 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets.

Based in Glastonbury, Connecticut, Buell Wealth Management is led by CEO Chris Berris, who has more than 40 years of industry experience. The five advisers at Buell Wealth Management team have also transitioned to LPL.

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. supports more than 32,000 financial advisers and services approximately $2.3 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets.

NFP Acquires Total Benefits Advisors

NFP, Aon company, property and casualty broker, and benefits consultant, acquired Total Benefits Advisors, a Cleveland-based advisory firm specializing in retirement services and employee benefits solutions for business owners and wealth management services for high-net-worth individuals.

Mark Breen, adviser and owner of Total Benefits Advisors, will join NFP as vice president, reporting to Steve Jans, national practice leader for wealth management.

Risr Partners With OnePoint BFG Wealth Parners

Risr Inc., a platform through which financial advisers can connect with business owners, partnered with OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, a wealth advisory and financial planning firm managing more than $16 billion in assets.

The agreement enables OnePoint BFG to leverage Risr across its centralized planning function and individual adviser teams focused on serving entrepreneurs and privately held business owners.

OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners operates as Bleakley Financial Group LLC, an independent, SEC-registered investment adviser founded in 1983, and manages more than $18 billion in advisory assets.

Hightower Signature Wealth Taps 3 Advisory Practices

Hightower Advisors LLC expanded its wealth management practice, Hightower Signature Wealth, with the additions of Private Vista LLC, Hightower Great Lakes and the McGuirk & De Nevi Group.

Collectively, the three practices had $5 billion in assets under management as of June 30 and add six locations and 40 new team members to Hightower Signature Wealth.

Following the additions, Hightower Signature Wealth, which launched in 2025, will have $35 billion in AUM and more than 140 advisers.

Fiduciary Services Group Acquires Pension Investors Corporation

The Fiduciary Services Group, the parent company of DWC – The 401(k) Experts, acquired Pension Investors Corp., a Florida-based third-party administrator.

Pension Investors Orlando and Pension Investors Hollywood were acquired by Adam Bergman in 2020 to form Pension Investors Corp. The firm administers about 900 retirement plans, including 700 defined contribution and 200 defined benefit plans.

Pension Investors’ operations will be integrated into FSG’s TPA business, DWC.

Wealth Enhancement Adds $993M With New Additions

The Wealth Enhancement Group LLC, an independent wealth management firm, acquired WealthShield Partners LLC, an investment advisory business in Raleigh, North Carolina.

WealthShield is led by Managing Partner Robert Leggett, and its affiliated wealth management practice, Madison Oaks Wealth Partners, is led by Managing Partner Scott Lord and Partners Kenny Bollinger, Stuart Gay and John Maher.

Founded in 2013, WealthShield Partners works with high-net-worth individuals, retirees, professionals, business owners and executives.

The acquisition closed on June 30. Williams Private Wealth Advisory and Consulting served as the adviser in the deal.

Wealth Enhancement and its RIA, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, had $158.2 billion in client assets as of June 30. WealthShield Partners and Madison Oaks Wealth Partners had approximately $993 million in client assets as of June 18. Wealth Enhancement will have more than $158.2 billion in client advisory, trust and brokerage assets, including $5.9 billion in assets with Advisory Solutions Group LLC, a registered investment adviser.

HighWater Wealth Joins LPL, Quotient Advisor Partners

LPL Financial LLC announced that advisers from HighWater Wealth joined LPL Financial’s broker/dealer and registered investment adviser platform, aligned with Quotient Advisor Partners, an existing firm supporting LPL-affiliated advisers. The team, which joined from U.S. Bank, reported approximately $2.4 billion in advisory assets as of year-end 2025.

Based in San Diego, HighWater Wealth provides multi-generational-office services for high-net-worth individuals and families. The team consists of Advisers Kristian Forster, Mike Rookus, Falko Hörnicke, Tim Davidson and Brian Rissman.

The HighWater Wealth team chose to affiliate with LPL Financial, supported by Quotient Advisor Partners, for the ability to combine independence, scale and advanced planning capabilities, according to the announcement.

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.