People Moves Related to "How Vanguard Group's robo-countering effort got to $1.3 billion of AUM so easily and why its future seems bright"
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RIABlitz: Vanguard technology • Pontera rebounds • Ex-HiddenLever's exec success • BlackRock rocked • Vivek's crypto • WF dunks SF? • Betterment dry option• Vestwell poached
Jan 11, 2025The RIA firehose of news is rife with tactical moves to shore up voids, play catchup and react to a new concept of political tailwinds
Betterment whistleblowers net $2.5 million • Wealthfront's big pivot leads to profits • Altruist launches tax service • CMOs in at Ascensus, Wealthspire & Joe Duran's Rise • Savvy bags four advisors as Mariner sues it for poaching • Jim Dickson launches RIA stake buyer
Jun 29, 2024Betterment is also bending to RIA needs • Wealthfront is in the black, thanks to cash • Altruist reveals where it makes its money • Rise, Wealthspire and Ascensus each add two executives • Compound hits $2 billion of AUM • CAIS slashes alts prices • BlackRock ups private debt sales to RIAs, through GeoWealth.
Jon Stein ousts himself as Betterment CEO and taps Sarah Levy, who joins an exclusive club of top women executives, with a mission -- an IPO
Dec 8, 2020The co-founder of the New York robo-advisor headhunted the ex-Viacom brass through Harvard professors on the down low to ostensibly scale operations.
Karin Risi, who built $170-billion Vanguard Personal Advisor Services, takes new role and Matt Benchener is taking her spot as head of US retail for the $6.3 trillion manager
Dec 4, 2020Risi now heads planning and still directly reports to CEO Tim Buckley and her 34 year-old understudy, Benchener gets her job at year's end.
Bill Winterberg is dropping his CFP mark and letting the CFP Board know he finds recent moves outrageous -- in a farewell shot -- as his career shifts away from planning
Mar 14, 2026The veteran technology analyst and financial planner has called time on 18-years as a CFP, because he believes the organization is increasingly focused on self-enrichment.
Vanguard sued by direct-indexing founders for allegedly cajoling a deal for Just Invest where the payoff came from hitting targets that the fund giant, allegedly, impeded -- actively and passively
Jul 17, 2025The Malvern, Pa., asset manager has yet to answer the claims, but the suit's acrimony could lead to a public relations black eye.
RIA executives who defined $5.5 trillion, 12-year growth run in RIA biz represent new resource -- 'on-tap' senior advisory talent
Jul 11, 2025Of 19 noted CEOs who relinquished the top job since Feb. 2023, 16 now serve in advisory positions at dozens of firms.
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, 2025The 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.
Envestnet quietly cleans up a mess behind take-private veil • Michael Kim is now a two-TAMP CEO • Bill Ackman scolds Trump, Lutnick for tariff overkill, alleged conflicts •
Apr 8, 2025Kim is now head of 'RIA' TAMP • In broad daylight, AssetMark edges closer to swallowing Adhesion • Ackman irked over ‘massive, disproportionate’ tariffs • Fisher sees market upside, if and when tariffs fail.
Marty Bicknell buys a second M&A shop 10 years after the first • Advisor360 repeopling includes new people officer, and seven other major hires • By women, for women corporate RIA nets 10th partner
Sep 5, 2024Mariner CEO is again reversing the predatory script • Some 53% of Advisor360's 15-strong senior management joined the firm in the last 12 months • LGBTQIA+-friendly corporate RIA grows AUM to $283 million, after three new partners join.
Altruist is CTO-less, for now, quasi-intentionally, it says • Ex-rival exec hired to jumpstart cross-selling Orion products to enterprise clients • BlackRock tops Grayscale • Facet outsources estate plans • Advyzon profits off Goldman exodus • Dan Wiener's RIA has new CEO • CFP count tops 100k
Jun 7, 2024Shiralker out at Altruist • Orion gives Trevor Noble his cause • Bitcoin has a new fund king • Software maker benefits from Goldman custody exec. churn • Carson Group denies lawsuit • Merge of Wiener's old shop complete • 100,000th CFP named.
AdvicePay finds its 'rockstar' leader after 14-month process where external candidate fizzled; now in-house candidate is ready to sizzle
May 16, 2024Kelsey Lewis takes charge in Bozeman as president with CEO-like day-to-day duties that include replacing herself as customer success officer.
Salim Ramji, who BlackRock may have shunned for Larry Fink's job in January, is named Vanguard CEO -- now he has to reassure investors he believes in the Vanguard way, even as an ex-Wall Street wolf
May 15, 2024The Malvern, Pa., firm is hiring an executive with impeccable credentials and proven ambition as lawyer, McKinsey partner and power executive on Wall Street
Adam Birenbaum's calls 'Colony' deal -- to create $100-billion super-RIA -- a 'mandate,' but it's also likely a 'prelude' to larger strategic objective, M&A expert says
May 7, 2024The 46-year-old CEO of Buckingham Wealth's 'long game' approach keeps paying dividends; it comes down to his approach to relationships
During CEO Tim Buckley's waning months, Vanguard is imposing fees that may affect its older investors, while hand-off to Ascensus of certain IRA and 401(k) products also comes with some sticker shock
May 2, 2024The Malvern, Pa., giant transferred SEP IRA and 401(k) assets to its recordkeeper, which immediately imposed new fees, while Vanguard's new pricing schedule includes a commission to phone in Vanguard fund sales or purchases
Alan Moore can't catch a break; AdvicePay CEO exits after seven months, adding job he hoped to escape back on top of XYPN role; search on for new AdvicePay president
Mar 9, 2024The job will be step below CEO, and new hire must have affinity for both touchy-feely culture and aggressive growth in Montana's wide open expanses
Edelman Financial Engines new CEO will face challenges after AUM plummets $50 billion (since start of 2022) and DOL throws wrench in its business model, complicating efforts to convert robo-advised 401(k) assets to an 'Edelman' RIA
Jul 11, 2023CEO Jay Shah must chart a new course after the 2018 merger of the radio superstar RIA and the 401(k) robo-advisor fails to yield invisioned growth.
Alan Moore is the No. 2 busiest man in the RIA business and he just convinced the No. 1 busiest man to budget $200,000 to hire a 'rockstar' to replace him
Feb 14, 2023Alan Moore is CEO of both XY Planning Network and AdvicePay -- and he has three young kids; Michael Kitces agreed to let him hire a full-time replacement CEO for AdvicePay -- with some giant reqirements for the new exec.
Five RIA Doubletakes: An RIA-only law firm breaks away • Kitces launches picker of 'best of breed' RIA software bundles • Vanguard targets 2070 just as media targets TDFs • SEC fishing for RegBI Scofflaws, including RIAs • CFP appoints first African-American chair
Jan 12, 2022RIA Lawyers will reject RIA custodians• Kitces Nascar montage is now interactive and helpful • Vanguard's super long TDF draws critics• SEC supply lines are stretched with new battle front • Kamila Elliot is ex-DFA, diverse and calling CFP shots
Wealthfront cedes to four years of investors clamoring for crypto by taking on expensive third-party vendor that Betterment rules out
Aug 14, 2021The Redwood City, Calif., robo-advisor turned a hard 'no' into a soft 'yes' by dealing with Grayscale and its 200 basis-point-plus fees, which its robo rival in NYC -- also without a crypto path -- finds ludicrous.
Oisín's Bits: Betterment now a robo roll-up with Canadian IPO as catalyst • Insurers risk regulation for COVID-19 coverage delays • Vanguard shifts Asia focus to China's vast mom-pop retail market
Mar 5, 2021Betterment rolls up a robo • The CFA warns insurers over COVID-19 life polices • Vanguard names Chinese fund head to pursue $6 trillion market.
Second Betterment exec departs as new CEO Sarah Levy orients to her first month on the job and is confronted by personnel matters
Jan 19, 2021Chief operating officer Dustin Lucien is the latest to leave the New York City robo-advisor, one of at least eight positions open as it prepares a push across multiple business lines to ignite growth.
Wealthfront's unlikely tapping of Sheila Bair and Tom Curry signals likely push to gain a bank charter, analysts say
Dec 31, 2020The Redwood City robo-advisor's addition of two renowned former chief banking regulators brings legitimacy and guidance that could lead to a margin-fattening bank charter and help solve the robo-advisor's problem of high client acquisition costs.
Oisín's Bits: Wealthfront drops old mission statement, declares war on institutions and emphasizes banking future • Seeking Utah charter, Edward Jones may become largest bank in US by branch count • After Advent chief leaves, Black Diamond head steps up
Jul 3, 2020Andy Rachleff cans the old 'democratizing' mission statement at his robo; The 14,200 one-man Ed Jones branches may become branch banks; Steve Leivent consolidates power at SS&C.
Michael Kitces and Adam Birenbaum are now on the same $50-billion Buckingham team after the blogger called the young CEO with a multi-pronged proposal
Mar 12, 2020Kitces is leaving Pinnacle - after 17 years - for fewer conflicts and more opportunity
With IPO clock at 10-years and ticking, Personal Capital makes two big, out-of-character moves to go upmarket and downmarket
Mar 22, 2019With $9 billion in assets, the Redwood City-based national RIA hired the ex-Virgin America CMO Porter Gale to make one brand investors associates with both the freebie tools and the full-priced financial advice its advisors provide mostly from call centers