How the RIA industry's most prolific banker views the M&A market

Ian and Sam join the pod from Denver, Colorado where they have been attending Schwab Impact, the custodian's annual advisor jamboree. A bellwether for the wider wealth management industry, headlines from this year’s conference have been dominated by ... err ... Schwab, which has been busy buying a private markets…

Alex, Ian and Sam discuss Sam's reporting on investment bank and broker-dealer Stifel emphatically denying that it is selling itself to Raymond James and how Thursday's denial doesn't necessarily mean the story is over, plus Ian explains how and why Constellation Wealth Capital's Karl Heckenberg is looking to raise $2bn…

Alex, Ian and Andrew break down two of Citywire's biggest scoops of 2025: Schwab's decision to tighten the eligibility requirements for clients to be referred out to its affiliated RIAs and Edelman Financial Engines halting its sale process and subsequently changing CEOs. The trio also recap Creative Planning's acquisition of…

Alex, Ian and Andrew have an in-depth discussion about the hidden role that alternative asset manager Ares Management has played in funding so much of the M&A activity in the wealth management industry through its private credit division. Now that Ares is a direct equity investor in an RIA through…

Citywire RIA’s roving reporter Alec Rich hopped on a plane to Georgia to cover the latest twist in an ongoing legal battle between $129bn breakaway OpenArc Corporate Advisors (plus Dynasty Financial Partners and Charles Schwab) and Merrill Lynch. He joins the pod to share everything he learned in Atlanta and…