Advisory M&A News – 1/14/2026

Creative Planning Makes First International RIA Acquisition

Creative Planning LLC acquired Baseline Wealth Management Ltd., an established Swiss registered investment adviser with locations in Geneva and Zurich. The acquisition adds 14 employees and more than $1 billion in assets under management to Creative Planning. It is Creative Planning’s first international acquisition.

“We’ve long recognized the large international demand for Creative Planning’s unique financial planning model,” Creative Planning President and CEO Peter Mallouk said in a statement. “In addition to Baseline’s extensive experience serving international and U.S. clients, they also share our core values of integrity, transparency and a strong fiduciary responsibility to clients.”

Baseline is licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission as an RIA, as well as by Canadian and Swiss agencies. It serves high-net-worth individuals worldwide, including entrepreneurs and professional athletes, and is also licensed to manage extra-mandatory Swiss retirement solutions for private clients.

Creative Planning and its affiliates had approximately $700 billion in combined assets under management and advisement across all 50 U.S. states and 90 countries as of December 31, 2025.

Front Porch Financial Joins Bluespring Wealth, Creating $1.7B Firm

Bluespring Wealth Partners LLC announced Wednesday that Front Porch Financial, a Kestra Financial-affiliated firm located in Cranford, New Jersey, joined an existing Bluespring partner firm, U.S. Financial Services, creating a $1.7 billion firm.

Front Porch’s founder, Elizabeth Blanchard, has more than 30 years of experience.

“By working with Bluespring and U.S. Financial to put a succession plan in place, I can ensure long-term support for my clients,” Blanchard said in a statement. “Joining the Bluespring community also gives them access to a broader team and resources while preserving the personal touch they value.”

$120M LPL Financial Group Joins Ameriprise

Financial advisory practice Loveday Cruso Wealth Management Group LLC from LPL Financial recently joined the independent channel of Ameriprise Financial Inc. The Littleton, Colorado-based practice with $120 million in assets is led by Private Wealth Adviser Sean Loveday and includes Financial Adviser Sarah Cruso and Administrative Assistant Lori O’Halloran.

The key reasons for joining Ameriprise included a client-centered technology and experience, practice management efficiency and home office support, according to the announcement.

“The firm’s technology puts their entire financial picture at their fingertips while offering flexibility in how they connect with us,” Loveday said in a statement. “That accessibility is the cornerstone of our practice.”  

The practice is supported locally by Ameriprise’s Franchise Field Vice President Danielle Dwyer and Regional Vice President Trish Moll.

Ameriprise has a nationwide network of more than 10,000 advisers.

Cerity Partners Adds Sol Capital Management

Independent wealth management firm Cerity Partners LLC added Sol Capital Management Co., a Rockville, Maryland-based investment advisory firm focused on serving high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families and institutions.

The partnership expands Cerity Partners’ presence in Maryland and strengthens the firm’s investment and advisory capabilities, according to the announcement. Sol Capital Management will operate under the Cerity Partners name.

“Since our founding in 1987, Sol Capital Management has focused on disciplined investment management and long-term client relationships,” said Rajmiel Odinec, Sol Capital Management’s CEO and chairman of the board. “Becoming part of Cerity Partners allows us to expand the depth of resources supporting our investment process while maintaining continuity for the clients we serve.”

Forward Bank, Cetera Support $350M Investment Program

Cetera Financial Institutions partnered with Forward Bank to support the growth and evolution of its investment program, Forward Investment Services.

After four years with Osaic Wealth, Forward Bank returns to Cetera, where it had previously been affiliated for 15 years.

Forward Investment Services oversees approximately $350 million in assets under administration and has served clients for nearly 20 years. The team includes six advisers and four support professionals who work closely with clients across 15 communities in central and northern Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota.

“The people we serve in rural communities have the same goals, dreams and needs as anyone else, but they often have fewer local options,” said Forward Bank Vice President of Investment Services Scott Wucherpfennig, who leads Forward Investment Services, in a statement. “Partnering again with Cetera allows us to deliver sophisticated investment support in a way that still feels personal, local and anchored by trust.”

The decision to return to Cetera followed a thorough evaluation of Forward Bank’s long-term needs, including technology and a broker/dealer partner with deep experience supporting financial institutions, according to the announcement.

“Coming back to a partner that understands our business, our structure and our communities was critical,” Wucherpfennig said in the statement. “Cetera Financial Institutions works with banks and credit unions and deeply understands that space. We didn’t necessarily feel that the last four years, so it’s definitely good coming back to a broker-dealer that truly understands us.”

Cetera had approximately 12,000 advisers and institutions and managed approximately $625 billion in assets under administration and $284 billion in assets under management as of November 30, 2025.

Integrity Acquires AIMCOR, Expands National Insurance Distribution

Integrity LLC, a leading distributor of life and health insurance and provider of wealth management and retirement planning solutions, acquired AIMCOR Group LLC, a leading national insurance distribution organization. AIMCOR will continue to be led by President and CEO John Ziambras and Executive Vice President Marc Verbos. Additionally, Ziambras and Verbos, along with current AIMCOR owners, will become owners of Integrity.

Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“With its unparalleled support services, member-focused model and exceptional carrier relationships, AIMCOR is a strong industry leader that shares Integrity’s vision of bold innovation,” Integrity Co-Founder and CEO Bryan W. Adams, in a statement.

As an Integrity company, AIMCOR employees will also participate in Integrity’s employee ownership plan, which has delivered $175 million in employee distributions since its founding in 2019.