Mercer announces two deals in as many days

Mercer announces two deals in as many days
RIA aggregator acquired $495M Paragon Wealth Strategies and $95M Brighton Financial Planning.
DEC 06, 2023

Mercer Global Advisors, a Denver-based aggregator of registered investment advisors, announced Tuesday that it had acquired Paragon Wealth Management of Jacksonville, Florida, and followed that Wednesday with the news that it had purchased Brighton Financial Planning, which operates in New Jersey and South Carolina.

Paragon, which was founded in 2008 by Jonathan Castle and Michelle Ash, oversees $495 million in assets for more than 400 clients. The firm services clients as a team, rather than as individual advisors, in order to better understand and communicate with clients. The firm’s shareholders include Scott Snider and Ian Aquilar.

“We were looking to join a national firm that added not only scale and additional support for our team, but also added new services that we could share with our clients,” Ash said in a statement. “In this regard, Mercer Advisors was a perfect fit for us.”

Brighton, a fee-only RIA, was founded more than 25 years ago. It's led by John Middleton and manages $95 million in assets for clients.

“The fact that Mercer Advisors can support me and my team with additional resources, take over middle and back-office responsibilities, and provide my clients with estate planning advice, documentation and administration, in addition to tax return services, made them the perfect partner for us,” Middleton said in a statement. “They presented a one-stop shop solution for all my clients’ financial needs.”

Mercer Global Advisors Inc. has 80 locations across the U.S. and manages more than $50 billion in client assets.

Here's why investors are better off working with advisors when it comes to charitable giving

Latest News

A welcome mat into financial planning
A welcome mat into financial planning

The pandemic hit and internships were in chaos but Hannah Moore saw an opportunity.

RIAs need to visit universities to attract students
RIAs need to visit universities to attract students

RIAs need to find universities that offer financial planning programs and sponsor or host events, advisor suggests.

Orion deepens Capital Group alliance with ETF portfolio tie-up
Orion deepens Capital Group alliance with ETF portfolio tie-up

The leading wealth tech provider is helping more advisors access active ETF models through its exclusive partnership.

JPMorgan client who lost $50M amid dementia battle denied trial
JPMorgan client who lost $50M amid dementia battle denied trial

Case of once-wealthy family highlights risks, raises questions on firms' duties to sophisticated investors suffering cognitive decline.

Stifel loses huge $14.2 million arbitration claim linked to star Miami broker
Stifel loses huge $14.2 million arbitration claim linked to star Miami broker

“The evidence in this case was overwhelming,” says an attorney.

SPONSORED Leading through innovation – with Tom Ruggie of Destiny Wealth Partners

Uncover the key initiatives behind Destiny Wealth Partners’ success and how it became one of the fastest growing fee-only RIAs.

SPONSORED Client engagement strategies, growth and retention in the down markets

Key insights from Gabriel Garcia on adapting to demographic shifts and enhancing client experience in a changing market