This week, Wealth Management published a slideshow of the 15 biggest deals of 2025. The list serves as a reminder that, despite the heavy deal volume in 2026, several firms are still absorbing transactions from last year.
That said, this week saw Cerity Partners make a move that may end up among this year’s largest by agreeing to merge with $1.2 trillion institutional advisory Verus Investments.
Beyond that, the following details a few acquisitions, an office opening and a new firm launched with broker/dealer Osaic.
The Bahnsen Group Opens New Silicon Valley Office, Hires Financial Advisor Sean Buxton
The Bahnsen Group, a Newport Beach, Calif.-based wealth manager with more than $9 billion in AUM, opened its 11th office in Silicon Valley and hired financial advisor Sean Buxton to lead the Campbell location.
The Bahnsen Group is a Hightower Advisors-supported firm that promoted Joseph Klein to president and CFO last summer, and boasts a 31% organic annual growth rate since launching in April 2015.
The new office is The Bahnsen Group’s first brick-and-mortar location in Northern California, though it already has clients in Silicon Valley.
Advisor Buxton joins from Legacy Capital Group, where he was a senior wealth advisor, and previously worked at Beacon Pointe and Ameriprise Financial.
“Expanding our reach and capabilities in a part of the country known for the growth and innovation that Silicon Valley is known for is a natural next step for us,” David Bahnsen, managing partner of The Bahnsen Group, said in a statement.
The firm’s 10 other locations include Newport Beach, New York City, Austin, Dallas, West Palm Beach, Fla., Nashville, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Grand Rapids, Mich., and Bend, Ore.
The firm plans to hire additional advisors and talent for the Silicon Valley location and announce a 12th office in the second quarter of 2026.
Savvy Advisors Adds $300M Colorado Wealth Group
Savvy Advisors, a fast-growing New York-based RIA, announced this week that it has added the Colorado Wealth Group, a Denver-based wealth management firm with approximately $300 million in assets under management.
The move puts Savvy’s RIA platform growth rate at 4.5x over the past year, with AUM approaching $5 billion, according to a spokesperson.
Colorado Wealth Group, founded by Steven Harp and Jacob Ray in 2016, serves approximately 350 high-net-worth clients and offers fee-based wealth management, investment management and financial planning services.
The partnership allows Colorado Wealth Group’s eight-person team to maintain ownership of the business while using Savvy’s infrastructure, AI-enabled tools and operational support.
“We were doing everything ourselves—managing operations, client onboarding, technology selection—on top of running the business,” Ray, partner and chief operating officer, said in a statement.
Among Savvy’s additions last year were a trio of advisors from LPL Financial’s Commonwealth Financial Network, overseeing nearly $400 million in client assets.
Mission Wealth Adds Retirement Planning Focused RIA
Mission Wealth, a $14.2 billion RIA based in Santa Barbara, Calif., has brought on RightPath Investments & Financial Planning, Inc., expanding its Colorado footprint. It is Mission Wealth’s second acquisition of the year.
Steven R. Smith, founder of RightPath, will join Mission Wealth as a special advisor, and Megan Nuttelman will join as a wealth advisor. The firm is based in Frisco, Colo., and manages about $85 million in client assets, according to its Form ADV.
The move brings RightPath’s retirement planning focus to Mission Wealth’s national advisory services.
“Mission Wealth provides the scale, infrastructure and collaborative culture that allows us to grow thoughtfully without losing the personalized planning experience our clients value,” Smith said.
Mission Wealth offers financial planning, investment advice, tax strategies, estate planning coordination, philanthropic advice and asset protection. Private equity firm Great Hill Partners took a minority stake in the RIA in 2025.
Carson Fully Acquires Wealth Partner in Scottsdale
Carson Group has fully acquired a Carson Wealth office in Scottsdale, Ariz., led by managing partner and wealth advisor Brent Pine.
The acquisition brings approximately $430 million in AUM into Carson Group’s full ownership structure.
Pine founded Integrated Wealth Management in 2001 and, in 2021, affiliated with Carson through a minority equity partnership, later rebranded as Carson Wealth Scottsdale. The multigenerational firm includes partners and wealth advisors Mark Jones and Brent Pine’s children, Luke Pine and Torrey Pine, along with a client services team.
“With Carson, we’ve found our forever firm, one that aligns perfectly with our values, and fully integrating became the natural next step,” Brent Pine said in a statement.
Omaha, Neb.-based Carson Group, which manages over $55 billion in assets, completed the acquisition as part of its strategy to support multigenerational advisory firms.
Last year, the RIA launched the Carson Wealth Advisor Mentorship Program to pair experienced advisors with next-generation professionals.
Advisor Duo Leaves Stifel for Osaic’s Independent Channel
An advisor duo previously with Stifel has moved to Osaic’s independent advisor channel to launch a $232 million firm in the greater St. Louis area.
Michael Murray and Brian Fruend, who have over 60 years of combined advisor experience, including 44 overall with Stifel, have named the firm F & M Investment Partners after their two last names.
“Osaic has the tools and support we need to deliver more comprehensive wealth management solutions for our clients,” Fruend, a partner and investment executive at F & M Investment Partners, said in a statement.
According to the announcement, they chose Osaic for its “open-architecture platform,” resources and operational support so they could spend more time on client service.
Osaic’s independent channel has seen the launch of a number of firms to the channel in recent months, including Oakfield Wealth Management Group, Sanders Wealth Management, and Soundview Financial Group.
