Carson Group has crossed a new threshold in its acquisition strategy, with an Ohio-based wealth management practice officially marking the Omaha-based registered investment advisor's 50th fully integrated office.
The deal brings Elios Financial Group, which manages approximately $367 million in assets, into the Carson Wealth brand as a new location in Westlake, Ohio, according to a company announcement on Monday morning.
The practice is led by managing partner and wealth advisor James Elios alongside partner and wealth advisor Brandon Steinhagen and a three-person client support team. Founded more than 25 years ago, the firm has built its reputation on proactive retirement planning and a boutique, education-driven approach for clients preparing for retirement.
"Reaching our 50th integrated office is a tremendous milestone in our journey and reflects the caliber of people and firms that have chosen to build their future with Carson Wealth," said Burt White, chief executive of Carson Group, who highlighted the Carson platform's "scale, planning capabilities, technology and specialized expertise."
Elios said his firm's relationship with Carson stretched back nearly two decades, beginning through the company's coaching and practice management program.
"As we planned for the future of our clients, our team and the legacy we've built, Carson became the clear long-term partner to support us," he said.
Michael Belluomini, senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions at Carson Group, said the firm treated the relationship as a long-term courtship rather than a transaction to be rushed.
"He did what a good business owner should do: He explored his options, brought in outside representation and took a hard look at what would be best for his clients, his team and the business he spent decades building," Belluomini said.
As part of the acquisition, the Elios team gains access to Carson's integrated platform, including advanced financial planning, investment management, tax and estate planning resources, private client offerings, marketing and technology support.
The Elios transaction builds on a busy summer stretch of activity for Carson, which included a Northern Kentucky advisory office overseeing roughly $201 million, a $236 million Roseville, California team, and a $1.76 billion Wells Fargo team that broke away in New Hampshire.
According to Echelon Partners' second-quarter 2026 RIA M&A Deal Report, Carson Wealth completed six deals in the quarter representing approximately $2.16 billion in acquired assets, trailing only Stratos Wealth Network's 11 announced transactions among the period's most prolific buyers.
RIAs accounted for 80.8% of all wealth management M&A transactions in the second quarter, their highest share on record by Echelon's monitoring, as private-equity-backed platforms and serial acquirers like Carson continue to consolidate the market.
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