Carson Group cements advisor commitment with $1B Iowa firm acquisition

Carson Group has fully acquired its Cedar Rapids, Iowa office, solidifying its relationship with the local advisory team.

The Omaha, Nebraska-based advisory firm managing $38 billion in assets revealed the transaction Tuesday. The acquisition also includes the firm’s Las Vegas office and brings the Cedar Rapids branch fully under the Carson Wealth brand.

Carson Group currently supports more than 51,000 client families across its network of over 150 partner offices, including more than 50 Carson Wealth locations nationwide. Managing approximately $1 billion in assets under management, the Cedar Rapids office will continue its focus on delivering client services and exploring avenues for growth.

Beyond those concerns, Russ Nieland, the veteran leader of the branch, also emphasized the importance of preserving his firm’s legacy while adapting to future growth opportunities.

"One of the things that’s continuously reinforced at Carson Group is the commitment to legacy," Nieland said in a statement Tuesday. "Our decision to expand our partnership with Carson Group is our way of ensuring our legacy and ensuring the multigenerational ownership structure we established can continue to grow and meet the diverse needs of our clients.”

Along those lines, Carson Group CEO Burt White highlighted the firm’s dedication to supporting advisors through transitions and succession challenges – a long-running problem that's gone from bad to worse over time among RIAs.

“We continually strive to provide the best resources and support to our network of advisors. In many cases, business conditions can make succession plans difficult to execute, which is a growing challenge in our industry,” White said. “Our expanded partnership will help secure the legacy of the talented founding partners of our Cedar Rapids office, while positioning the firm for success and growth in the future.”

Carson Group's move in Iowa follows another transaction in November, wherein the firm staked its first-ever Carson Wealth location in Minnesota. In that deal, it supported a strategic acquisition by one of its partner firms, giving rise to a new $350 million entity in which Carson Group took a non-trivial 30 percent minority stake.