Advisory M&A News – 8/26/25

Wealthspire Advisors Acquires Marin Financial Advisors

Wealthspire Advisors LLC, an NFP company and independent registered investment adviser with $31 billion in assets under management, has acquired Marin Financial Advisors, a boutique RIA based in Larkspur, California with more than $380 million in assets under management.

Marin Financial principal Colin Drake decided to join Wealthspire following the death of Dave Shore, his business partner and co-founder of his firm.

“After losing Dave, I knew we needed a partner we could trust to help carry this work forward,” Drake said, in a statement. “Having worked with [Wealthspire’s] West Coast team (at predecessor firm Private Ocean) for over a decade, the team members are already like family, and I feel confident that this relationship honors the past while preparing us for the future.”

Drake and his client service director, Christine Cione, will continue servicing clients as part of the acquiring firm.

“From the first conversation, it was clear that Colin’s values align closely with ours,” said Mike LaMena, CEO of Wealthspire Advisors. “He brings a relationship-driven mindset and deep sense of client loyalty that reflect everything we believe in as a firm.”

Wealthspire Advisors has 25 offices and more than 130 advisers across the U.S.

EP Wealth Acquires Better Money Decisions

EP Wealth Advisors, a registered investment adviser, entered a strategic partnership with Better Money Decisions LLC, a firm based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The partnership brings approximately $370 million in assets under management to EP Wealth’s $36.4 billion in assets under management, as of June 30.

BMD managing partner Lea Ann Knight will join EP Wealth as a regional director and partner, along with a team of four wealth advisers and one office services associate.

“BMD is a firm that leads with heart and purpose,” said EP Wealth CEO Ryan Parker, in a statement. “Their philosophy of helping clients use money as a tool to live a better life aligns beautifully with our mission at EP. We’re excited to welcome their talented team and honored to support their continued growth.”

Lorraine Ell, managing partner of BMD, said in a statement she will retire, adding, “It’s the right time for me to step away. What matters most is that our clients and team are in good hands—and with EP, I’m confident they are.”

This is EP Wealth’s eighth strategic partnership of 2025. Financial and legal terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

E.A. Buck Financial Services Acquires Achieve Retirement

E.A. Buck Financial Services acquired Achieve Retirement, a Denver-based retirement plan advisory firm managing more than $800 million in assets across 180 employer-sponsored plans.

Achieve Retirement offers custom plan design, both 3(21) and 3(38) fiduciary services under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, fee benchmarking, compliance oversight and participant education for small and mid-sized businesses.

“This isn’t just about getting bigger—it’s about aligning with a team that shares our values and enhances the value we deliver to clients at every stage of their financial lives,” said Katie Buck, CEO of E.A. Buck, in a statement. “Together, we’re building a firm that offers true lifelong financial partnership.”

Achieve Retirement’s leadership, including president Patterson McKinlay, will remain in place.

Osaic Gains Affiliates in Tennessee, Colorado

Osaic Inc. announced the successful affiliation of today announced the successful affiliation of TrustFirst., a firm in Knoxville, Tennessee led by senior partner John Kennedy that has about $177 million in assets under administration.

Kennedy’s partner, Don Taylor, is winding down operations of TrustFirst’s broker-dealer and registered investment advisory business.

“After years of managing the day-to-day complexity of running our own firm, we were ready for a partner that could help us streamline operations and focus on what matters most—our clients,” Kennedy said, in a statement. “Osaic gives us the scale, support and flexibility to grow without sacrificing the personalized service that defines our approach.”

Another wealth management firm, Strategic Financial Management, which is based in Greeley, Colorado, is joining Undefined Gridlines Inc., as an office of supervisory jurisdiction under Osaic.

Strategic Financial Management has $133 million in assets under administration.

“As I look toward the future, I want to ensure that my clients are set up for a successful retirement as I begin to prepare for my own,” Randee Cook, president of Strategic Financial Management, said in a statement. “UGLI and Osaic give me the resources to serve my clients today and the continuity support for tomorrow.”

Osaic’s recent affiliations include Bowman Financial Solutions, Payne Financial Consultants and Providence Wealth Planning — all of which joined from LPL Financial.

Carlyle Acquires Intelliflo from Invesco

Investment firm Carlyle acquired intelliflo, a London-based provider of cloud-based practice management software, from asset management firm Invesco.

The $200 million transaction includes intelliflo’s U.S.-based subsidiaries, which will be established as a standalone business called RedBlack, and provide portfolio rebalancing tools.

Bryan Perryman, CEO of the newly formed RedBlack, said in a statement: “Our team is highly motivated by the opportunity to bring our full focus onto the U.S. market as an agile, standalone company … We are excited to be backed in this endeavor by a sponsor with the reputation and credentials of Carlyle.”

Carlyle will pay $135 million for the company at closing, which is expected in the fourth quarter of this year subject to certain closing conditions, and up to an additional $65 million in potential future earnouts.