Two firms have announced acquisitions to expand their operations and capabilities.
Mega-RIA Mariner has expanded its presence in Ohio with the acquisition of $325 million AUM firm Hyre Personal Wealth Advisors.
Hyre was founded twenty years ago by Jim Hyre and adds five team members, including three advisors, to Mariner’s headcount. The team remains in place in the Columbus office and now operate under the Mariner brand, which now has two offices in the city among its eight in Ohio.
“Identifying and integrating exceptional talent is core to how we grow Mariner with purpose,” said Marty Bicknell, CEO and president of Mariner. “Jim’s wealth of experience, particularly in guiding clients before and during major life events, brings a level of insight and relationship depth that strengthens our entire organization. His reputation for high-touch service and long-standing client loyalty aligns perfectly with our vision to continually raise the bar for what clients should expect from their advisor.”
Mariner and its affiliates advise on more than $555 billion in assets.
Meanwhile, fee-only RIA Savant sealed the biggest deal of the two by adding $1.15 billion firm Corrigan Financial in Middletown, Rhode Island, bringing its national footprint to 44 offices across 19 states. The significant assets under management take Savant’s AUM to approximately $29.6 billion with $1.2 billion AUA.
The Corrigan deal is Savant’s first so far of 2025 and is one of several that it has made involving AUM of $1 billion or more.
Corrigan has 25 employees and is led by Danile G. Corrigan who founded the firm in 1989. Savant employee members own approximately 65% of the firm and Corrigan and 15 shareholders of Corrigan Financial became member-owners upon joining Savant at close.
Corrigan Financial offers a range of services from personal financial planning, investment management, tax planning and preparation, and estate planning services. The tax offering will become part of the Savant Tax & Consulting business line.
“Savant’s tax focus was one of the major reasons we considered partnering with the firm, but we were also attracted to the firm’s long-term vision, which can help benefit both our clients and our team,” said Corrigan.
Brent Brodeski, founder and CEO of Savant also noted the importance of the tax element to the acquisition.
“It’s important to note that the majority of Corrigan’s financial planners hold the CPA license, given the importance of integrating tax planning into clients’ financial plans and the current nationwide shortage of CPAs,” he said.
Limra data shows RILAs and variable annuities outperforming, while fixed-rate deferred sales lag their 2024 highs.
The S&P 500's longest rally in more than 20 years came amid evidence of labor market resilience in the immediate wake of April's Liberation Day tariffs.
With membership in the "century club" expected to quadruple in three decades, joint studies from Nationwide and the TIAA Institute shed new light on people's planning blind spots.
The Watchman Group's Andrew Herzog has noticed his more left-leaning clients have been "looking to get out of the stock market, perhaps do more fixed income or go to cash" while his right-leaning clients are more comfortable keeping assets as they have them.
As you work with clients to navigate the current markets, stay grounded in their values and priorities.
From direct lending to asset-based finance to commercial real estate debt.
RIAs face rising regulatory pressure in 2025. Forward-looking firms are responding with embedded technology, not more paperwork.