Cetera Acquires Tennessee RIA; Bluespring Closes Deal
Cetera Financial Group acquired the assets of Marmo Financial Group, a Johnson City, Tenn.-based registered investment advisor managing approximately $300 million in assets under management across 620 clients, the company said.
Scott Marmo, founder, principal advisor and sole owner of Marmo Financial Group, along with his team, joins Cetera Planning Partners, Cetera’s national employee-advisor RIA with approximately $19 billion in assets under administration. Cetera will retain and continue operating the Marmo Financial Group office, expanding its footprint to Tennessee.
“What ultimately brought me to Cetera was the combination of that culture fit with the ability to add in-house estate planning, legal support, and CPA services, which are capabilities our clients have been asking for,” Marmo said, in a statement.
Cetera Planning Partners was created in April, when Cetera combined two of its internal, owned RIAs, Avantax Planning Partners and The Retirement Planning Group. Together, they deliver financial planning for clients and provide advisors resources to focus on their client relationships.
Bluespring Wealth Acquires Atlanta-Based Element Wealth Advisors
Bluespring Wealth Partners, the Austin, Texas-based RIA arm of Kestra Holdings, acquired Element Wealth Advisors, a Kestra Financial affiliate headquartered in Atlanta with about $450 million in client assets. This represents Bluespring’s sixth deal this year.
Todd Mitman and Jeremy Reese founded Element Wealth Advisors in 2005.
Through this partnership, Element gains access to operational, strategic and technology resources designed to enhance its capabilities and support long-term growth, the company said.
“Choosing the right partner was one of the most important decisions we could make for our firm and our clients,” Mitman said in a statement. “Bluespring stood out because they know how to support growing firms without changing what makes them successful.”
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Baird Recruits The Kashian Karels Group to Edina Office
The Kashian Karels Group has joined Baird’s wealth management office in Edina, Minn., the company said.
The team includes Darla J. Kashian, director and financial advisor; Michael L. Karels, director and financial advisor; Tanner Petroske, associate financial advisor; and Ann Hoen, assistant vice president. The team joins from RBC, where they managed over $508 million in client assets and focused on retirement services for private clients and businesses, asset allocation strategies and lending solutions.
Baird’s private wealth management business had more than $372 billion in client assets as of March 31, 2026.
GCG Advisory Partners Adds Head Investment Partners
GCG Advisory Partners, parent company of GCG Wealth Management, announced that Head Investment Partners, a Knoxville, Tenn.-based advisor with $180 million in assets under management, joined its platform.
Daniel Head, managing director, will join GCG as an operating and equity partner, gaining access to GCG’s technology platform, operational support, marketing resources and capital for continued growth.
“GCG was the only partner that wanted to build on what we’ve created rather than change it,” Head said in a statement.
Head Investment Partners will serve as GCG’s anchor equity partner in the Tennessee region. The firm will retain its brand, and its team will continue to manage day-to-day operations, the company said. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
LPL Financial Welcomes Tribute Financial
Tribute Financial has joined LPL Financial’s broker/dealer and RIA platform.
Led by President and CEO Kevin Daniels, the team has over $500 million in assets and joins from United Planners Financial Services. Based in offices in Missouri and Connecticut, Tribute Financial is a family-oriented practice serving a diverse client base that spans generations and financial backgrounds.
The Tribute Financial team includes advisors Martin Nadeau, Zach Daniels, Scott Kearns and Caleb Sanders, along with a support staff.
Merrill Lynch Lures Two Teams With Combined $560M
Merrill has added two advisor teams managing a combined $560 million in client assets.
Financial advisors Roy Savarick and Evan Savarick join Merrill from Wells Fargo and manage $280 million in client assets. Evan is based in Merrill’s Park Avenue office in New York City, led by Market Executive Joe Doonan, while Roy is part of the Florida Tropics Market, led by Market Executive Jason Edelmann.
In addition, Brandon Pribyl and his sons, Tobey and Bailey, join Merrill from Baird Private Wealth, where they manage $280 million in client assets. They are based in the Davenport, Iowa, office, led by Resident Director Heidi Parkhurst, and are part of the Mid Land Market, led by Market Executive Will Cohen.