Two registered investment advisors announced separate deals Monday, with Mariner targeting a Florida-based first responder specialist and Mission Wealth completing a pair of mergers that bring its 2026 acquisition count to four.
Mariner has agreed to acquire Atlantic Wealth Partners, a Jupiter, Florida advisory practice founded by Steve Olson that manages roughly $218 million in assets. The transaction is scheduled to close June 30, with three advisors from the firm expected to move across.
Atlantic Wealth Partners has concentrated its client base around police, fire rescue, and emergency services personnel across Palm Beach and Martin counties, building ties with organizations including the Palm Beach Policemen's Benevolent Association.
That niche focus dovetails with an area Mariner has been systematically developing. Through Mariner Institutional, the firm already oversees approximately $35 billion across 256 retirement plans covering public safety workers nationally, and recently hired Steve Callaghan, a former NYPD Bomb Technician and US Navy veteran, as a senior wealth consultant dedicated to that client segment.
"First responders dedicate their lives to serving their communities while navigating financial situations that are often uniquely complex," said Marty Bicknell, president and CEO of Mariner. "Atlantic Wealth Partners has earned trust by understanding those realities and building lasting relationships within the communities they serve. Their addition strengthens an important area of focus for Mariner and aligns with our purpose to positively impact the lives of many. Together, we will continue investing in the resources and expertise designed to help first responder families pursue their long-term financial goals."
Meanwhile, Santa Barbara-based Mission Wealth said it had finalized two mergers in May, bringing in independent advisory teams from Southern California and the Pacific Northwest with more than $1 billion in combined assets under management.
The deals (the names of the firms were not included in Mission Wealth's release) represent the firm's third and fourth completed transactions this year and extend its footprint across two regions it had flagged as strategic priorities.
Mission Wealth, which now oversees more than $16.8 billion in client assets, described the additions as consistent with a values-led approach to growth, with both incoming teams bringing capabilities across investment management, tax planning, estate planning, and multigenerational wealth strategy.
"Our growth this year reflects a deliberate effort to partner with firms that share our values and commitment to clients," said Matthew Adams, CEO and managing partner of Mission Wealth. "We are focused on bringing together the right people, capabilities, and culture to better serve clients over time."
The firm said existing client relationships would be maintained with continuity of service, with the scale of the broader platform available to both advisor teams going forward.
The mega-RIA with roughly $160 billion in client assets remains firmly in acquisition mode amid rumors of private equity giants vying to scoop it up.
Record annuity demand for principal protection collides with the most hawkish Fed dissent since 2016.
The PE-backed RIA makes its first major move since bringing in a new capital partner, adding a Massachusetts advisory firm alongside a second East Coast RIA
Stearns Financial Group's addition brings 30 advisors and three decades of North Carolina planning experience to the platform.
An 86-year-old from Dallas tried to withdraw funds from his account, but Edward Jones invoked a FINRA-backed temporary lockout before he eventually left for Merrill Lynch.
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
