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RIABiz

Articles published 6/2025


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Artist rendering of Dynasty deal center, which will have in-house restaurants, apartments and elevators to keep discretion and focus maximized.

In part to re-create the RIA version of the 'HOV,' Dynasty Financial refreshes plan for power-HQ to woo Wall Street brokers into becoming RIAs

Jun 27, 2025

St. Petersburg, Fla mayor scuttled previous project for the St. Petersburg-based RIA but the new one is streamlined to blow away the Manhattan 'home-office visit' -- a full-court press recruitment climactic event not really in the RIA bag


David Fortunato: Has kept Wealthfront moving forward after 2022 deal fizzle.

After Chime IPO success, Wealthfront quickly files for its own -- on strength of bank deposit growth -- as its RIA managed assets slip sideways and the bitter taste of its failed UBS deal lingers

Jun 27, 2025

If it goes ahead with the IPO, analysts expect Wealthfront will net a valuation in excess of the $2 billion the company used in a Dec. 2024 share buyback program.


Chris Todd: Advisors will retain access to Yodlee technology.

Envestnet is offloading Yodlee to private equity buyer back in Silicon Valley, which values its 'trusted data access and intelligent analytics'

Jun 25, 2025

Under new CEO and new owner, the Berwyn, Pa,, wealth platform is liquidating the account aggregation unit and maintaining long term license agreements


Greg O'Gara: It essentially creates management laboratories across divisions.

In a massive overhaul, Vanguard will split its $10.4 trillion in funds between two 'distinct' management teams with separate trading desks potentially trading against each other, analyst says

Jun 25, 2025

The index fund leader will separate 'hot button' corporate governance by team, and hopes to reap deeper focus, greater flexibility, and more opportunities for growth.


Aaron Klein: 'I'm excited to see how this can supercharge advisors.'.

Aaron Klein is back in the game with a new startup, a Nitrogen wrinkle, 'hall of fame' RIA backers and a plan to build a better meeting for Advisors

Jun 24, 2025

The risk-number magnate from Boise raised $5.5 million from Eric Clarke, Brian McLaughlin, Steve Lockshin, Scott Hanson, Ric Edelman, Barnaby Grist, Yoav Zurel and others.




Ryan Sterling: This partnership gives us even more tools to help clients.

NerdWallet buys small RIA to unlock other half of its vision -- a one-stop-shop for wealth management -- that will challenge traditional RIAs on fees and client referrals

Jun 18, 2025

The San Francisco financial product rater and information source will now create its own deliverable -- cut-rate financial advice and money management.


Stephen Caruso: Pershing then becomes a cost layer for these RIAs.

Pershing rolls out new RIA custody fee schedule for firms from zero to $10 billion in assets - a dynamic of competing against zero-fee custodians who take revenues from client accounts

Jun 18, 2025

The No. 3 RIA custodian will also continue to realize revenues from muddier non-fee sources but hopes that the new schedule 'clarifies' the murk in its previous pricing schedule.



Ralph Angelo:  When the LPL merger was announced, I started getting a litany of calls from LPL.

After merger shock, LPL staff apologized to Ralph Angelo for blindside, which he now gladly accepts as first major recruit under LPL-Commonwealth combo

Jun 13, 2025

The founder of $1.5 billion Angelo Planning Group (APG) found out LPL was acquiring Commonwealth the same day he joined Commonwealth -- a switch precipitated by Osaic's merger with American Portfolios


Douglas Kim: Sales are left to the advisor, who is essentially the foot soldier.

Moody's downgrades Wall Street play to target retail clients as piggy bank to soak up trillions of dollars in illiquid investments

Jun 13, 2025

The New York City rating agency warns that the 'rapid deployment' of 'dry powder' into illiquid investments is recipe for systemic disaster.


Andrew Stavardis: We will continue to approach custody in the RIA market in the way that makes the most strategic sense.

After hitting $2.7 trillion in RIA assets, Envestnet adds an RIA executive position to expand wallet share with existing wealth clients -- many of them Tamarac users

Jun 11, 2025

The Berwyn, Pa., outsourcer long focused on 100,000-plus IBD reps but promises deeper 'commitment' to RIAs whose assets represent near 42%.


John Sturiale: Schwab is proud to be a leader in democratizing investing.

Schwab undercuts Vanguard (and BlackRock) again by slashing ETF fees up to 50% -- math that works when keeping RIAs is a priority

Jun 10, 2025

The $10 trillion discount broker cut its international ETF fee by 50%, a fee that is now 25% lower than that of the equivalent Vanguard ETF


Jason Ozur: I’m especially happy for our more than 135 employee/owners, many of whom joined us through mergers.

BlackRock will soon own a $30 billion RIA rollup (through a manager's fund) that has grown 500% since 2020 mostly by M&A, and could now ramp up

Jun 10, 2025

The New York City mega manager is buying an alts manager with a fund with a stake in Lido Advisors -- a deal within deal as it edges toward wealth management.


Knut Rostad: It's naked lead-gen ... On the positive side, at least we can directly criticize it.

Fisher Investments launches 'fiduciary.com' to 'educate' clients and RIAs, but site smacks of 'naked lead-gen,' says Fiduciary Institute's head

Jun 6, 2025

The Plano, Texas, RIA bought the URL, 'fiduciary.com,' in 2024, and shows that if you can disclose it, you can often declare it in a client's best interest.


Mike Wunderli: I’ve seen how the industry’s top acquirers have evolved.

Fielding Miller calls on Mike Wunderli at 'inflection point' after CAPTRUST zoomed to $1 trillion but needs M&A energy injection to hit $2 trillion

Jun 6, 2025

The CAPTRUST CEO's firm dominated the 401(k) RIA rollup game for a decade, and LA dealmaker's hire comes as the market has changed to higher multiples and more determined rivals.


Fred Fern: Finally selling after founding his firm in 1963.

Focus Financial breaks deal drought and kills off 'hub' talk by merging $10-billion West Coast acquisition with $175-billion Boston unit

Jun 4, 2025

Focus Wealth Partners is dominating M&A mojo, transition 'vernacular' and decentralization are out the window as Focus starts buying again with a vengeance.


Chris Hastings: We're going to see a crime scene in November and December.

Orphaned RIAs cry foul after Morningstar socks them with stark choice -- pay up with Black Diamond, or scramble to get data to new provider, at big expense

Jun 4, 2025

Hundreds of Morningstar Office users are facing 'early' 2026 deactivation but a Cadillac exit awaits if RIAs transfer solely to Black Diamond.


Ben Pham: Strive to purchase Bitcoin at a discount.

Strive's plan to buy cheap Bitcoin • Vanguard's path to lift crypto ban • Addepar buys 'AI' shop • Data is key, AdvisorEngine says • Vestwell's chicken coup • Carson's new chatbot 'smarter'

Jun 3, 2025

The anti-ESG shop launches more unusual financial engineering • Will Vanguard lift crypto ban? • Addepar AI Leaps • AdvisorEngine just sealed five new deals • Carson and Fava go AI to get smart.


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