Wealth Enhancement Group gets another foothold in Texas

Wealth Enhancement Group gets another foothold in Texas
The national independent’s growth continues in the Lone Star State with a $254M RIA led by an experienced advisor duo.
JUL 02, 2024

Wealth Enhancement Group, a national independent wealth management firm, has augmented its presence in the Lone Star state.

On Tuesday, the national independent wealth firm announced its acquisition of Starfox Financial Services, an independent RIA based in The Woodlands, Texas.

Starfox manages over $254 million in client assets and is led by founding partner and wealth advisor Jose Palafox, alongside partner and wealth advisor Bill Friebel.

Welcoming the team, Jeff Dekko, chief executive officer of Wealth Enhancement Group, underscored how the Palafox, Friebel, and the others at Starfox “[treat] their clients like family and [care] deeply for their community.

“The level of dedicated, personal attention and care they provide makes them a great fit for our firm, and I'm glad they chose to join us," Dekko said in a statement Tuesday.

Founded in 2006, Starfox Financial Services operates under the motto "Faith, Family, Finance." The firm offers a wide range of services including financial planning, retirement planning, college planning, investment management, and retirement income planning.

They also work with businesses, helping them manage their retirement plans and increase the financial literacy of their workforce.

Palafox, whose 23-year industry record began with Merrill Lynch, commented on the strategic benefits of the partnership with Wealth Enhancement Group.

"This strategic partnership aligns with our philosophy of prioritizing client focus and continuous growth,” he said. “We anticipate enhancing the resources for our clients, particularly in the areas of estate and tax planning."

Jim Cahn, chief strategy officer of Wealth Enhancement Group, highlighted the “collaborative wealth management approach to financial planning and investment management” of the Starfox team.

"The advisors at Starfox are highly credentialed, educated, and experienced,” he said. “We're excited to bring them on board, so they and their clients will have access to even more resources through our Roundtable team of specialists."

With the addition of Starfox Financial Services, Wealth Enhancement Group now has six locations in Texas, including the $1.22B Houston-based Financial Advisory Group, which it acquired in late May, and has total client assets of more than $85.3 billion.

More recently last month, the national firm added Atlas Fiduciary Financial, a $219 million fee-only firm, to its Eastern US footprint.

Latest News

Fintech bytes: Envestnet reaffirms $1B RIA commitment with Tamarac tech investment
Fintech bytes: Envestnet reaffirms $1B RIA commitment with Tamarac tech investment

Also, Orion has added BlackRock, Fidelity, and Vanguard to its custom portfolios suite, and RedBlack has set up a new headquarters after crossing a trillion-dollar milestone.

RIA moves: Maridea acquires multigenerational practice in Pennsylvania debut
RIA moves: Maridea acquires multigenerational practice in Pennsylvania debut

Also, New York-based Legacy Edge Advisors names its first-ever CEO, while Novare Capital Management hires a Vanguard veteran with a multigenerational planning focus.

Private equity eyes 401(k) plans, but fees remain a hurdle
Private equity eyes 401(k) plans, but fees remain a hurdle

Asset managers are racing to bring private market products to retirement plans, but cost and liquidity concerns linger.

IRS floats proposal ending tax breaks for schools that weigh race
IRS floats proposal ending tax breaks for schools that weigh race

Treasury's latest tax-exemption crackdown on private schools lands in the wake of a separate push to restrict refundable credits for some immigrant filers.

Trust over tech:  The hidden signal of stock success in the AI era
Trust over tech: The hidden signal of stock success in the AI era

Workforce trust measures predicted which companies came out ahead during COVID-19. The same dynamic may now be playing out across the AI transition — and the data suggests the spread could be just as wide.

SPONSORED Direct indexing webinar targets tax-loss harvesting amid market swings

Northern Trust’s Ken Lassner shows advisors how to convert volatility into after-tax portfolio gains

SPONSORED Who builds the income when the pension disappears?

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