Cetera snags $2.4 billion team from MassMutual

Cetera snags $2.4 billion team from MassMutual
Called Totus Wealth Management, the group had been registered until the end of last month with MML Investors Services, the broker-dealer arm of MassMutual, the insurance company, according to BrokerCheck.
MAY 05, 2021

Cetera Financial Group said on Wednesday it had recruited a large team in Texas with $2.4 billion in wealth management assets.

Called Totus Wealth Management and led by its CEO James Starnes, the group had been registered until the end of last month with MML Investors Services, the broker-dealer arm of MassMutual, the insurance company.

According to BrokerCheck, Starnes is a 20-year veteran of the industry and was registered with MML from March 2017 through last month. He is now registered with Cetera Advisors.

2021 is turning into a red-hot recruiting year for the brokerage industry. More than 4,000 advisers and brokers switched firms in the first quarter of the year, putting 2021 on pace for record industry recruitment activity, according to InvestmentNews research.

Totus is Latin for "the whole or total" and inspires the firm’s approach to client service, Cetera said in a statement. 

Starnes will be joined by a team of six producing financial professionals and four support staff with plans for immediate growth. The firm is located in Houston and has offices in Woodlands, Texas, and plans to expand, the company said.

Last month, Cetera said it had recruited The Advisors, a hybrid team based in Murrysville, Pennsylvania that manages $340 million in assets, from LPL Financial.


Latest News

In an AI world, investors still look for the human touch
In an AI world, investors still look for the human touch

AI is no replacement for trusted financial advisors, but it can meaningfully enhance their capabilities as well as the systems they rely on.

This viral motivational speaker can also be your Prudential financial advisor
This viral motivational speaker can also be your Prudential financial advisor

Prudential's Jordan Toma is no "Finfluencer," but he is a registered financial advisor with four million social media followers and a message of overcoming personal struggles that's reached kids in 150 school across the US.

Fintech bytes: GReminders and Advisor CRM announce AI-related updates
Fintech bytes: GReminders and Advisor CRM announce AI-related updates

GReminders is deepening its integration partnership with a national wealth firm, while Advisor CRM touts a free new meeting tool for RIAs.

SEC charges barred ex-Merrill broker behind Bain Capital private equity fraud
SEC charges barred ex-Merrill broker behind Bain Capital private equity fraud

The Texas-based former advisor reportedly bilked clients out of millions of dollars, keeping them in the dark with doctored statements and a fake email domain.

Trump's tax bill passes senate in hard-fought victory for Republicans
Trump's tax bill passes senate in hard-fought victory for Republicans

The $3.3 trillion tax and spending cut package narrowly got through the upper house, with JD Vance casting the deciding vote to overrule three GOP holdouts.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.