Deals & Moves: RFG Caps Record Recruiting Run With Farther Advisor
RFG Advisory recorded its strongest recruiting performance since its 2003 founding during the first half of 2026. The firm added Brian LaHue and his Indiana-based team, Sweet Life Financial Planning, which brought over $100 million in assets under management from Farther. This move pushes the Birmingham-based hybrid RIA toward a total of $9 billion in assets under management. CEO Shannon Spotswood attributes the momentum to the company's operating system and infrastructure support for growth-minded advisors.
Elsewhere in the industry, Arax Advisory Partners continues a steady pace of expansion. The firm signed an agreement to acquire Transcend Capital Advisors, which manages over $3 billion. This acquisition marks the seventh deal of 2026 for the RedBird Capital-backed group as it continues to build a national footprint. Transcend, founded in 2019 by former New York Stock Exchange CEO Duncan Niederauer, serves more than 1,000 clients across multiple states.
In Minneapolis, NorthRock Partners added Kowalski Financial to its platform. This five-person team manages $200 million and joins NorthRock’s Personal Office model, which coordinates services including tax, estate, and legal planning. The addition is part of a broader strategy for NorthRock to increase its footprint in the Midwest.
These moves reflect a trend of consolidation and team movement within the independent wealth management space. Firms are focused on providing tech-enabled operating platforms to attract experienced advisors and offer scale to their clients.