Advisory M&A News – 6/17/2026

LPL Financial’s Broker/Dealer, RIA Platform Adds 4

LPL Financial LLC announced four additions to its broker/dealer and registered investment adviser platform in the last week:

• Financial Adviser Daniel Zacharias joined and aligned with Decorum Wealth Management, a Merced, California-based independent RIA in LPL’s Strategic Wealth Services channel. Zacharias, who reported serving $250 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets as of year-end 2025, joined LPL from UBS Financial Services.
• Financial advisers from Dallas-based Spectrum Wealth Strategies also joined from The team served $1.5 billion in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets as of year-end 2025. Spectrum Wealth Strategies’ team includes Financial Advisers Randy Black, Jonathan Bomar, Truman Blocker, Landon Vaughan, Weston Poulos, Billy Geiler, Jeff Cummins and Jaime Galvan and Associate Advisers Stephen Luna and Matthew Galvan;
• Two financial advisers from Fortress Financial Planning joined from MassMutual. Advisers Bassem Moez and James Darden, based in the Detroit area, reported serving $150 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets as of year-end 2025; and
• Les Smith, founder of Smith Complete Wealth and a financial adviser, joined from Edward Jones. Smith served approximately $185 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement plan assets as of year-end 2025.

LPL Financial Holdings Inc. is a wealth management firm with more than 32,000 financial advisers and services approximately $2.3 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of approximately 8 million customers.

Modera Wealth Management Acquires Northstar Financial Planners

Modera Wealth Management LLC, a wealth management firm, acquired Northstar Financial Planners Inc., a registered investment adviser based in Plantation, Florida.

Founded in 2000, Northstar built its practice around fee-only fiduciary advice, long-term planning and specialized guidance for pre-retirees, Florida Retirement System special-risk employees and families of children with special needs. Northstar serves more than 350 families, mostly in Florida.

The transaction brings $311.6 million in assets under management to Modera. Northstar Founder and CEO Allen Giese will join Modera as a wealth manager and principal.

Modera served more than 6,300 clients and oversaw $17.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025.

Holistic Planning Taps Altruist as Preferred Custodial Partner

Holistic Planning LLC, a Texas-based registered investment advisory firm with $1.25 billion in assets under management, selected Altruist Corp., a wealth platform for independent advisers, as its preferred custodial partner. The firm committed to moving approximately $450 million in assets to Altruist, according to the announcement.

Holistic Planning selected Altruist for its integrated software, real-time API connectivity, service model and access to alternative investments, according to the announcement.

Creative Planning Acquires MarkhamNorton Accountants+Advisors

Creative Planning LLC acquired MarkhamNorton Accountants+Advisors, an accounting and advisory firm based in Fort Myers, Florida, and Naples, Florida.

MarkhamNorton’s firm professionals will join Creative Planning’s expanding national platform while continuing to serve clients from their existing offices. The transaction is expected to close on July 1.

Creative Planning and its affiliates had more than $710 billion in assets under management or advisement as of December 31, 2025.

Former Osaic Adviser Team Joins Cetera

Financial Adviser Douglas Morey, the founder and president of MTI Financial Advisers, and his team, including Advisers Christopher Bayliss and Thomas Scheck, joined Cetera Financial Group and its distinct Summit Financial Networks community.

The team, which left Osaic Inc., oversaw approximately $350 million in assets under advisement as of April 28. It serves clients across more than 20 states from its headquarters in Edina, Minnesota, and branch office in Florida. Morey co-founded the firm in 1988.

Cetera firms managed approximately $630 billion in assets under administration and $296 billion in assets under management as of March 31.

Independent Firm Beacon Coast Partners Launches in San Francisco

An independent, employee-owned registered investment adviser, Beacon Coast Partners, launched in San Francisco. The firm is focused on serving a select group of ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families.

Led by Founding Managing Partners Michael Evans and David Jasper, who left USB Group AG, the team oversaw approximately $3.5 billion in client assets under supervision at its former firm.