Cetera, Apella, Perigon announce advisor additions

It's been a week of significant changes at Cetera, Apella Wealth, and Perigon, as the three firms have welcomed new advisory teams to their respective networks.

Cetera Financial Group announced it has expanded its Summit Financial Networks community with the addition of allwealth Planning, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based team that previously operated under MML Investors Services.

Led by co-founders Eric Bottolfsen, Howard Gershkowitz, and Robert Gershkowitz, the three-member team manages $231 million in assets under administration for individuals, business owners, retirees, and other clients navigating life transitions.

"We believe that independence is crucial to ensuring our clients' best interests are always at the forefront of everything we do," the team stated jointly on Wedneday. "This important affiliation with Summit and Cetera positions us to better serve our clients with leading industry economic research, advanced planning support, and relationships with expert retirement plan specialists."

Meanwhile, Apella Wealth enhanced its presence on the East Coast with the acquisition of Barker Financial Group, a Topsfield, Massachusetts-based RIA with $218 million in assets under management. Founded in 1997 and led by James “Jim” Barker, the firm specializes in financial planning and wealth management for individuals and families.

“We are excited to welcome Jim and his team to the Apella family,” said Patrick Sweeny, CEO of Apella Wealth. “Their extensive experience and commitment to helping clients achieve their financial goals aligns with Apella’s mission and values.”

The acquisition is Apella’s nineteenth overall and eighth since its partnership with Wealth Partners Capital Group began in 2021. The Connecticut-based RIA, which snapped up another East Coast firm in April, now manages $4.72 billion in client assets.

Finally, Perigon Wealth Management, which received an investment from Constellation Wealth Capital earlier this year, grew its presence in Florida by adding the Harrigan Group to its Boca Raton office. Led by Robert Harrigan and his son, Evan Harrigan, the team brings approximately $170 million in client assets from UBS.

Harrigan, a veteran of wealth management with more than four decades of experience, reflected on his decision to join Perigon: “Every day, I work with my clients to help them build a legacy. When I started thinking about mine, I knew I needed a different kind of partner.”

The San Francisco-based firm managed approximately $8.2 billion in client assets as of mid-2024. More recently in October, it shook up its leadership team with key appointments, including a new CFO and a veteran from Focus Financial partner firm The Colony Group, in a bid to ramp up its M&A strategy.