Cerity Partners is to merge with Cordant Wealth Partners, gaining its first foothold in Oregon and adding a firm known for guiding tech employees through complex compensation packages.
The independent wealth management and advisory firm confirmed the deal covers Portland-based Cordant; a registered investment adviser focused on financial planning and investment management. The tie-up gives Cerity Partners an extended presence in the Pacific Northwest.
Cordant has built its practice around helping tech workers navigate equity and compensation questions that fall outside standard financial planning, including restricted stock units, employee stock purchase plans, deferred compensation arrangements, mega-backdoor Roth conversions and equity diversification strategies.
Claire O'Keefe, partner and head of partner development at Cerity Partners, said the Portland firm fit exactly what her company looks for when evaluating potential partners.
"Cordant Wealth Partners represents exactly the kind of firm we look for in a partner—deeply client-centric, fiduciary in everything they do, and genuinely expert in a niche that matters to a growing segment of high-net-worth clients," O'Keefe said. "Will, Isaac, and their team have built something truly special in Portland, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome them to the Cerity Partners family."
Isaac Presley, president and CEO of Cordant Wealth Partners, said becoming part of the larger platform will let his team lift the level of service across its client base, particularly for those facing complicated equity and stock decisions.
"Joining Cerity Partners is a transformative step for our team and our clients," Presley said. "Cerity Partners gives us the resources and expanded capabilities to serve all our clients at an even higher level. And for our clients who are navigating complex tech compensation and equity decisions, the expanded capabilities we now have access to are genuinely game-changing."
William Anfuso, who founded Cordant, said the merger reflects a long-standing commitment to giving clients top-tier service and planning depth.
"We have always believed that our clients deserve the very best: the most sophisticated planning, the deepest expertise, and a team invested in their long-term success," Anfuso said. "Cerity Partners gives us the resources to deliver all that and more."
Cordant Wealth Partners was established in 2010 and operates as a Portland-based registered investment advisory firm offering holistic financial planning and wealth management services.
Chicago-based Mesirow Fiduciary Solutions adds flexPATH's plan-level outsourced fiduciary book, boosting its retirement market reach to $164 billion.
Also, Raymond James's employee advisor channel adds breakaways from Wells Fargo and Stifel, while UBS welcomes an ex-Morgan Stanley duo in Indiana.
It promised guaranteed principal and 10% monthly returns. The SEC says it invested nothing.
Ten years after entering the fee-based annuity market, MassMutual Ascend says nearly half its lifetime sales came in the past two years alone – but barriers remain among fee-only advisors.
Amplify, WealthReach, Zeplyn and Zocks have unveiled partnerships aimed at automating portfolio management, content creation, account opening, and client communication.
Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains
Dan Biagini of American Equity says the steady decline of pensions, longer lifespans and a reset in interest rates are rewriting how advisors build retirement income