Articles published 9/2025
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Wealthfront files for IPO -- for real this time --and reveals that it is handsomely rewarding CEO David Fortunato and its young CTO
The Palo Alto firm disclosed $47 billion in bank assets and $42 billion in RIA AUM in the filing -- and healthy earnings
September 30, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Merrill Lynch faces 'significant hurdles' to convince judge to restrain its former $129 billion team from pursuing life as Schwab RIA, attorney says
The New York City wirehouse faces a 'high burden of proof,' especially if OpenArc shows it is making a 'legitimate business' move to avoid 'staggering losses' it alleges Merrill caused, attorney adds
September 27, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Charles Schwab and Dynasty pull off record-shattering -- and previously unthinkable -- lift-out of $129-billion AUA Merrill Lynch team, but the thundering herd has furiously stampeded to court to block the move
The Westlake, Texas brokerage and the St. Petersburg, Fla. RIA platform took the wirehouse's crown jewel with bold plan to compete nationally with Fidelity et al for Fortune 500-level 401(k), RSU, stock benefit, and other retirement and equity plans
September 25, 2025 at 2:54 AM
Dynasty Financial makes 'critical' hire as it prepares nationwide quick-strike forces to make its 55 RIA clients tuck-in magnets for a 'not obvious' growth opportunity
The St. Petersburg, Fla., RIA support platform gets Kevin Monaco in Los Angeles as puzzle piece ahead of flooding the time zome with people across discipline spectrum that can close breakaways to join RIAs
September 23, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Strive invested $4 million to start up RIA in 2024 but may pull plug this year because of 'de minimis' success -- and a bigger fish to fry, a filing shows
A bigger deal to create a Bitcoin treasury sank the Dallas startup, which was to be the first 'pro-capitalism' wealth manager 'focused on true financial freedom.'
September 20, 2025 at 2:30 AM
After 2,300 hires in six months, Schwab makes decisive, with risk, RIA move to 'build out' 40 branch offices in swank winter enclaves -- staffed by 400 consultants -- to serve ultra-high-net-worth clients
The Westlake, Texas, firm blew past $11 trillion in AUA and is now fulfilling 'branch' and 'wealth manager' promises with first big post-TD Ameritrade push into redoubts like Monarch Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Aventura and Marco Island.
September 18, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Fidelity touts renewed Wealthscape, but departs from the AI hype with low-key launch; it's 'part of the larger story, not necessarily the story,' company says
Boston $16T giant is using the technology but as a building block, not in promotional headlines -- with a seeming backstory
September 17, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Betterment moves closer to larger RIA needs by potentially making assets of 19,000 high-net-worth robo accounts referrable and by reactivating an old stakeholder, Steve Lockshin
Betterment investor and Vanilla co-founder Steve Lockshin was instrumental in a deal that could dovetail neatly with Betterment's 2026-slated RIA referral scheme.
September 16, 2025 at 2:35 AM
MarketCounsel ambushed by hackers and online haters after Trump 'threat' by Jim Pavia -- mistakenly identified as an employee -- gets firm drawn into a right-wing whirlwind
Online Trump acolyte Ryan Fournier incited attacks on Brian Hamburger's firm without fact-checking connection or reaching out for comment. .
September 13, 2025 at 2:53 AM
Vanguard quietly makes two definitive moves -- replacing its rookie chief legal officer after a year of legal scrapes, and naming leaders of its 'parallel' plan to split fund management into two teams
The Malvern, Pa. firm poached Principal's CLO, Natalie Lamarque, while Glenn Booraem and Carolyn Cross will head the newly created investment management teams
September 12, 2025 at 12:37 AM
John Plansky oversees State Street's purchase of Apex stake in play for 'wealth custody' -- and a way to revitalize expensive 2018 Charles River acquisition
State Street has sought a 'wealth' path and Apex a liquidity event and expansion of its back-end reach, and this deal offers a chance to achieve all
September 11, 2025 at 2:21 AM
SigFig has a pulse and added a non-robo brand - Tandems - as it sharply pivots to larger bet on 'AI'-izing three product lines to look more like Orion -- and set up the decades deferred 'exit' for investors
The San Francisco robo-advisor with $60 billion of AUA did not tap VC markets for fresh funds, relying instead on its balance sheet and cash flow to fund its latest revamp, relaunch, and revitalization.
September 10, 2025 at 1:52 AM
iCapital makes second attempt to create 'secondary' alts market, after Nasdaq deal never took off, buying a stake in startup venture where Addepar's 'secondary' guy landed
The New York City alts platform wealth manager got valued at $7.5 billion in July, an $820 million raise, and is now putting proceeds to work to become an exchange brokering marooned private equity.
September 9, 2025 at 1:48 AM
T. Rowe Price shares retreat following one-day euphoria over Goldman Sachs' $1 billion stake, after T. Rowe CEO nixes possible sale, draining analysts' enthusiasm
The 88-year-old Baltimore firm says it's not seeking the New York bank as white knight despite share weakness and net outflows for 17 consecutive quarters.
September 6, 2025 at 3:10 AM
Randy Bullard won the job to build Hightower’s first centralized investment platform but winning RIAs may be bigger challenge
The Chicago rollup's new, $324 billion platform is for 'it-can't-won't-be-forced on' advisors, but the ex-Charles River executive is ready to take on the challenge.
September 5, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Kurt MacAlpine tells RIABiz in an exclusive interview how he managed to buy Europe's two biggest wealth managers, simultaneously, and integrate pre-closing without a penny of debt
The Corient CEO added $200 billion-plus in AUA with two pen strokes, an 'equity' raise and months wiring the deal -- in a leap to London and international markets, a green, green pasture.
September 4, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Startup that feeds RIAs tax data -- directly from the IRS -- has analysts calling it a 'holy crap,' 'game-changer,' and made believers out of Eric Clarke, Ric Edelman and Randy Bullard
TaxStatus Founder Charles Almond has seemingly made the impossible possible -- though questions linger about how long it can hold off competitors and whether RIA clients will sign off on data
