Advisory M&A News – 10/7/24

Hub International Acquires Creative Financial Strategies

Hub International Ltd. announced that it has acquired Creative Financial Strategies LLC. Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, Creative Financial Strategies provides investment and financial advisory services to individual and corporate clientele.

President Terry Crenshaw, Executive Vice President William Phillips and the entire Creative Financial Strategies team will join Hub Carolinas.

“Terry, Bill, and the Creative Financial Strategies team bring an exceptional wealth of experience in financial planning, wealth management and retirement services, which will significantly enhance our service capabilities,” said Joe DeNoyior, president of Hub Retirement and Private Wealth, in a statement.

The move continues to strengthen Hub’s retirement and private wealth practice, which helps plan sponsors with their operations. The several registered investment advisory affiliates of Hub RPW provide investment advisory services to clients whose total assets are approximately $148 billion.

Mercer Advisors Adds 2 Advisory Groups

Mercer Global Advisors Inc., a national registered investment adviser, announced the acquisition of the Kiely Wealth Advisory Group of North Carolina.

KWAG, with $523 million in assets under management, helps both individuals and organizations plan for their financial futures. The firm’s management team has worked together for more than 20 years and serves more than 500 clients. KWAG was seeking a partner that offers expanded wealth management capabilities for clients and could help bolster its new client development efforts.

“For more than 25 years, we’ve focused on serving clients as a fiduciary with financial planning at the center of our service model,” said Joe Kiely, the president, CEO and founder of Kiely Wealth, in a statement. “We were intrigued that Mercer Advisors shares our values and would help us scale.”

Mercer also announced the acquisition of Kades & Cheifetz LLC, a Pennsylvania-based RIA. Located in the suburbs of Philadelphia with additional coverage in Florida, Kades & Cheifetz provides services in generational wealth building. The firm’s partners, Howard Kades and Stephen Cheifetz, manage approximately $440 million in assets.

“Joining Mercer Advisors allows us to free up our time to focus on serving existing and new clients,” Kades said in a statement. “We thrive serving affluent families that want help creating and executing plans that secure their economic futures.”

UBS Hires $400M Financial Adviser Team in New Hampshire

UBS Wealth Management USA announced that Jared Berault has joined the firm. Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, Berault manages more than $400 million in client assets and is joined by Fred Kline as a client associate.

“For many years, Jared has been serving his clients with a deep level of knowledge and integrity, and I am thrilled to have him and Fred join our Manchester office,” said Patrick Henning, the Manchester market director for UBS, in a statement.

With more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Berault guides clients in all areas of wealth management, including retirement and education planning, portfolio construction, liability management, tax minimization, asset preservation and insurance, with a particular focus on helping clients assure retirement income streams.