Citywire This Week in Wealth

One of the messiest divorces in RIA M&A

Loading player...
Andrew, Ian and Alex discuss the end of a two-year legal saga between Mercer and ACG Wealth, a $1.3bn shop that the mega-RIA acquired in 2021. The deal quickly soured leading to claims and counterclaims over missing revenue, lower payouts, golf days and defamation. The team recap one of the messiest divorces in RIA M&A. They also breakdown LPL's move to stake $41bn Private Advisor Group and what this might mean for the broke-dealer's (sometimes tense) relationships with its OSJs.
21 Nov 2025 English United States Investing

Other recent episodes

The winners and losers in advisor recruitment

Some 11,000 advisors switched firms last year. But which companies suffered the biggest exits, and where did those advisors go? Ian and Alex have the answers. They also wrap up a series of new initiatives from Charles Schwab, plus Ian provides updates from a somewhat secret conference in San Francisco.
24 Apr 26 min

Who’s been busy buying RIAs?

Via the magic of Citywire RIA’s new Deals Database, Alex, Ian, and Alec take a look at the most notable wealth management M&A of Q1. Who’s been busy buying? What have they bought? Which PE firms are driving the deals? And what does it all mean for the rest of…
17 Apr 27 min

The Batnick breakdown

Special guest Michael Batnick, the managing partner of Ritholtz Wealth Management (and a prodigious podcaster in his own right!), joins Ian and Alex to discuss the latest changes to Fidelity's lucrative Wealth Advisor Solutions network, how his $7.6bn RIA found an internal succession solution and the red flags around private…
9 Apr 35 min

Meet the ex-Yankee taking a swing at running his own RIA

Happy Opening Day! Ian and Citywire RIA reporter Peter Saalfield speak with ex-New York Yankee Kevin Thompson, now the CEO of 9i Capital Group and learn about how he went from seeing his advisor affected by the Allen Stanford Ponzi scheme to running his own wealth manager, how his firm…
2 Apr 35 min

Commonwealth beats the SEC, no degree for the CFP?

Commonwealth reduced a $93m SEC penalty to just $5m. All it took was a seven-year legal battle and a new regime at the regulator. Plus, the CFP Board considers waiving its bachelor's degree requirement.
27 Mar 23 min
All episodes