Sanctuary Wealth and VestGen Wealth Partners are taking steps to ensure continuity for the future as both firms announce next-generation advisor additions to their ranks.
Sanctuary Wealth announced this week that Mitch Benedon has joined Eclipse Private Wealth Management, a partner firm based in Princeton, New Jersey. Benedon began his career at Merrill Lynch in 2019, where he built a $50 million book of business within five years.
Eclipse was founded in 2024 by Alex Freedman and her father following their departure from Morgan Stanley. The firm focuses on financial planning and investment management for wealthy individuals and families.
“We are thrilled that Mitch has decided to join our firm as we embark on our strategic growth plan,” Freedman said in a release announcing the move. “I’ve known Mitch professionally for several years and have been impressed by his early success as well as his devotion to his clients.”
Benedon’s addition comes through Sanctuary’s Enterprise Partner Program, introduced in late 2024. The initiative supports inorganic growth for its partner firms by offering capital and strategic resources to recruit new advisors.
“Sanctuary is passionate about creating an environment where our partner firms can grow faster than they could anywhere else, through a range of opportunities including inorganic growth,” said Vince Fertitta, president of Sanctuary Wealth.
Sanctuary now has more than 125 partner firms across 32 states and reports over $50 billion in assets on its platform. It expanded its affiliation options last year via its May 2024 acquisition of tru Independence.
Separately, VestGen Wealth Partners announced that it has brought on Daniel Stringfellow and Gavin Bolanos to strengthen its next-gen advisor bench.
It's a significant leap forward for VestGen, which debuted just last December with 10 financial advisory practices managing a combined $5.3 billion in assets on its platform.
Stringfellow most recently supported a $300 million team at Rothschild Wealth Partners and previously worked in business development in Chicago. He also played professional golf on the PGA Tour Canada before entering the wealth management industry.
Bolanos joins following his graduation with honors from the University of Alabama, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in consumer science with a focus on financial planning and counseling. He previously interned for five consecutive summers at a large wealth management practice and is certified in using eMoney Advisor tools.
eMoney Advisor is one of the top proposal development software for advisors and RIAs. Read the full list in this guide.
“To be successful in the coming years, wealth management firms will need to attract the best and brightest NexGen advisors, and I’m thrilled to welcome Daniel and Gavin to our team,” Josh Gerry, founder and CEO of VestGen, said in a Thursday announcement of the move.
“Our strategy is to work with elite advisors looking for continuity for their lives’ work,” Gerry added.
Merrill's latest hires span Colorado to Louisiana, even as industry-wide recruiting data suggests the firm is losing almost as many advisors as it gains.
The $36 million buy allegedly hid inflated books and a $50 million diversion.
“An award citing emotional distress is very unusual,” an industry executive said.
New EBRI research found workers who participated in employer financial education reported higher confidence, literacy and financial satisfaction.
Beyond operational excellence, the winning advisors of the future are the ones who can reach across multiple disciplines without discarding specialist skills.
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
