Goldman giveth, Mercer ups minimums, will Blackstone buy an RIA?

Loading player...
Ian, Andrew and Alex are back for the first This Week in Wealth episode of 2026. And despite the year only being days old, there has been no shortage of big RIA news. The team discusses Andrew’s scoop on Goldman Sachs’ plans to refer clients of its Ayco executive financial counseling division out to independent wealth managers. Two of the country’s largest wealth managers have already signed up, but questions remain about how it will work. We also go deep on mega-RIA Mercer Advisors’ decision to raise fees by 50% for some of its smaller-dollar clients. Finally, it would not be an early 2026 podcast without some predictions. Happy new year!
9 Jan English United States Investing

Other recent episodes

Bumps in the road

Alex, Ian and Alec discuss a relatively rocky week for some key players in the wealth management industry, starting with some indicators in LPL Financial's latest earnings report that its recruiting engine has slowed down amidst its battle to retain Commonwealth advisors. The trio also go over the recent spate…
8 May 28 min

What’s next for the original RIA aggregator?

Ian, Sam, and Alex discuss the task ahead for Focus Financial Partners’ new CEO, Adam Birenbaum, who is charged with steering the firm through a cycle that goes beyond acquisition and consolidation. The team also digs into Merchant Investment Management’s latest capital raise, its second in less than two years,…
1 May 26 min

The winners and losers in advisor recruitment

Some 11,000 advisors switched firms last year. But which companies suffered the biggest exits, and where did those advisors go? Ian and Alex have the answers. They also wrap up a series of new initiatives from Charles Schwab, plus Ian provides updates from a somewhat secret conference in San Francisco.
24 Apr 26 min

Who’s been busy buying RIAs?

Via the magic of Citywire RIA’s new Deals Database, Alex, Ian, and Alec take a look at the most notable wealth management M&A of Q1. Who’s been busy buying? What have they bought? Which PE firms are driving the deals? And what does it all mean for the rest of…
17 Apr 27 min

The Batnick breakdown

Special guest Michael Batnick, the managing partner of Ritholtz Wealth Management (and a prodigious podcaster in his own right!), joins Ian and Alex to discuss the latest changes to Fidelity's lucrative Wealth Advisor Solutions network, how his $7.6bn RIA found an internal succession solution and the red flags around private…
9 Apr 35 min