Advisory M&A News – 10/1/2026

LPL Financial Acquires Lakewood Wealth Management

Financial Advisers Harrison Kennard, Charles Dobben and Justin Pandy of Lakewood Wealth Management joined LPL Financial LLC’s broker/dealer and registered investment adviser platforms. The team, which served approximately $170 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets as of year-end 2025, joins LPL from Cambridge.

Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Lakewood Wealth Management offers comprehensive planning to professionals, families and retirees, including tax planning, estate planning and wealth management strategies. Their client base includes healthcare professionals, university faculty and student-athletes.

The advisers selected LPL for its resources, advanced technology and “commitment to adviser independence,” according to the announcement.

LPL supports more than 32,000 financial advisers, servicing and custodying approximately $2.6 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets.

2 Teams Join OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners

Two advisory teams joined OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, bringing approximately $235 million in combined assets under management to the firm.

Theodore Kuczarski, a wealth management adviser based in Tampa, Florida, has nearly 20 years of experience in comprehensive financial planning and wealth management, including retirement, tax efficiency, insurance, estate planning and life-stage decisionmaking. He had $85 million in AUM as of December 31, 2025.

Mark Hoffman joined OnePoint BFG’s Atlanta office from Lanier Asset Management. He offers individualized financial planning to business owners and philanthropically inclined clients across Georgia and Kentucky. He had $150 million in AUM as of June 30.

OnePoint BFG had more than $18 billion in AUM as of June 30.

2 Wealth Advisers Join Carson Group, Launch Heritage Financial

Carson Group Holdings Inc., a wealth advisory firm with more than $65 billion in assets under management, announced that Wealth Advisers Nikki Lude and Ciara Stewart joined Carson’s independent adviser channel to launch Heritage Financial & Investment Services. The women-led team serves approximately $120 million and joins Carson from Commonwealth Financial Services.

Heritage Financial serves families in southeastern Ohio, and its client base includes retirees, pre-retirees, small business owners and women navigating major life transitions.

Lude and Stewart chose Carson, according to the announcement, for its “transparent approach,” investment flexibility, back-office support, tax planning resources and technology.

Ecclesiastes Wealth Partners Joins Kestra Financial’s Adviser Network

Ecclesiastes Wealth Partners, a Texas-based wealth management firm, joined Kestra Financial Inc.’s community of independent financial advisers. The financial professionals affiliated with Ecclesiastes oversee approximately $550 million in client assets.

Ecclesiastes Founder Shannon Harris and Partners Sarah Walsh and Justin Snowden specialize in comprehensive financial planning, investment management and multigenerational wealth planning.

Through its partnership with Kestra, Ecclesiastes gains access to an expanded wealth management platform, integrated technology, business consulting resources and marketing support.

Waverly Advisors Acquires Heartwood Wealth Advisors

Waverly Advisors LLC, a registered investment adviser, acquired Heartwood Wealth Advisors, a wealth management firm based in Richmond, Virginia, with approximately $1.7 billion in assets under management as of September 22.

Founded in 2013, Heartwood is led by Steve Clarke, Sid Martin, Ben Gurley and Wes Kaufman and is supported by a team of nine professionals, all of whom will join Waverly.

The transaction closed on September 25. Financial and legal terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Waverly Advisors specializes in investment management, financial planning and wealth management services, servicing high-net-worth individuals, families, corporate retirement plans and institutional clients, according to the announcement. It managed approximately $36.5 billion in assets as of September 25.