Best Citywire RIA Podcasts (2025)

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The most important RIA stories of 2025 39:12

Play Pause

7d ago39:12

39:12

We have a quiz! Play along at home! It's a fun, if occasionally labored, way of covering the most consequential stories in US wealth management from the last year. How many can you remember and what will their impact be? Alex, Ian and Andrew discuss. On the topic of massive news, the team also breaks down one last big deal — Corient's approach for …

1
Cetera CEO talks RIAs, M&A and that Commonwealth letter 46:09

15d ago46:09

46:09

For our penultimate episode of 2025, This Week in Wealth is joined by Cetera Financial Group CEO Mike Durbin, who discusses everything from the firm’s efforts to recruit Commonwealth advisors to the importance of M&A for growth. In both instances, it’s a case of watch this space! He also explains why the firm is not solely focused on the RIA model …

1
The Robo Rapport 26:17

23d ago26:17

26:17

When robo-advisors first arrived, they were supposed to be an existential threat to the traditional wealth management industry. But It didn't quite work out that way. Alex, Ian and Alec discuss a few timely events in the robo business, as two of the sector's biggest businesses — Wealthfront and Betterment — pursue an IPO and raise fees on their sma…

1
It’s 2025. Do you know where your data is? 27:43

1M ago27:43

27:43

Alec Rich, Ian Wenik and Alex Steger discuss Citywire’s recent scoop on Mobile Assistant, a transcription service for advisors, which floated (and ultimately decided against) using anonymized historical data to train a wealth-focused AI tool. The story is interesting for a number of reasons, not least because it raises questions about what kind of …

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One of the messiest divorces in RIA M&A 30:31

1M ago30:31

30:31

Andrew, Ian and Alex discuss the end of a two-year legal saga between Mercer and ACG Wealth, a $1.3bn shop that the mega-RIA acquired in 2021. The deal quickly soured leading to claims and counterclaims over missing revenue, lower payouts, golf days and defamation. The team recap one of the messiest divorces in RIA M&A. They also breakdown LPL's mo…

1
A tale of two mega-RIAs 24:21

1M ago24:21

24:21

Ian, Sam and Alex discuss the quiet rise of $580bn RIA Wealthspire, which this week unveiled its new C-suite following its re-acquisition by PE backer Madison Dearborn and subsequent merger with three other businesses. The team also looks at another wealth giant, $89bn AlTi Global. The firm is also a product of a series of mergers, and – according …

1
Schwab, the belle of its own ball 22:14

2M ago22:14

22:14

Ian and Sam join the pod from Denver, Colorado where they have been attending Schwab Impact, the custodian's annual advisor jamboree. A bellwether for the wider wealth management industry, headlines from this year’s conference have been dominated by ... err ... Schwab, which has been busy buying a private markets platform, launching a growth consul…

1
Stifel slams the door on sale talks... or does it? 26:01

2M ago26:01

26:01

Alex, Ian and Sam discuss Sam's reporting on investment bank and broker-dealer Stifel emphatically denying that it is selling itself to Raymond James and how Thursday's denial doesn't necessarily mean the story is over, plus Ian explains how and why Constellation Wealth Capital's Karl Heckenberg is looking to raise $2bn from investors to buy minori…

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How the RIA industry's most prolific banker views the M&A market 39:59

2M ago39:59

39:59

Ian and Houlihan Lokey managing director Steven Levitt have an extended conversation about how RIA auction processes work, what Steven learned from selling his own business to a larger institution and what might cause wealth management dealmaking to slow down.By Citywire

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Schwab takes its ball back, Edelman sputters 33:33

2M ago33:33

33:33

Alex, Ian and Andrew break down two of Citywire's biggest scoops of 2025: Schwab's decision to tighten the eligibility requirements for clients to be referred out to its affiliated RIAs and Edelman Financial Engines halting its sale process and subsequently changing CEOs. The trio also recap Creative Planning's acquisition of retirement plan busine…

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Under the shadow of Ares 20:39

3M ago20:39

20:39

Alex, Ian and Andrew have an in-depth discussion about the hidden role that alternative asset manager Ares Management has played in funding so much of the M&A activity in the wealth management industry through its private credit division. Now that Ares is a direct equity investor in an RIA through its recent deal with EP Wealth, what is the future …

1
Merrill went down to Georgia ... and got denied a TRO 32:30

3M ago32:30

32:30

Citywire RIA’s roving reporter Alec Rich hopped on a plane to Georgia to cover the latest twist in an ongoing legal battle between $129bn breakaway OpenArc Corporate Advisors (plus Dynasty Financial Partners and Charles Schwab) and Merrill Lynch. He joins the pod to share everything he learned in Atlanta and explain what happens next. Also on the p…

1
The biggest breakaway (ever?) 32:20

3M ago32:20

32:20

Andrew Foerch, Alec Rich and Alex Steger discuss a $129bn team's decision to ditch Merrill Lynch and set up an RIA with help from Dynasty and Schwab. The scale of the move is huge and so are its ramifications for all parties involved. Not least because Merrill has already filed a doozy of a lawsuit. Andrew, Alec and Alex get into it all. They also …

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Hightower's next act 22:10

3M ago22:10

22:10

Ian Wenik, Andrew Foerch and Alex Steger discuss the latest evolution in Hightower's corporate strategy — to consolidate and centralize its affiliate advisors. The team explores the firm's motivation for doing this and what it says about the wider RIA market. They also analyze two major deals — Creative Planning's swoop for SageView and the Pritzke…

1
Here’s what you need to know before selling your RIA 41:11

4M ago41:11

41:11

Few people have overseen more RIA deals than Accelerated Wealth Partners CEO Eric Amar. During a decade at Focus Financial Partners, he worked on more than 60 mergers and acquisitions, giving him a firsthand view of what buyers want, and what sellers should know, when making a deal. In this episode of This Week in Wealth, Eric talks to Ian and Alex…

1
LPL retention rundown 14:37

4M ago14:37

14:37

Ian and Sam Bojarski have an extended discussion about Sam's scoop on LPL Financial making a concerted push to convert hybrid advisors onto its corporate RIA. In addition to discussing who wins financially through these conversions, Ian and Sam touch on Sam's brush with fame and King of the Hill.By Citywire

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Inside a $60bn RIA mega-merger 26:59

4M ago26:59

26:59

M&A, beards, babies and baseball — this podcast has it all! Ian, Alex and Andrew go deep on MAI and Evoke's tie-up and Merchant’s minority investment in a $2.5bn California RIA — two deals which speak to the maturity of the RIA market and the variety options now available to sellers. Facial hair, paternity leave and the Mets also get a mention.…

1
Cresset's institutional play 20:34

4M ago20:34

20:34

Ian and — in his podcast return — Andrew Foerch discuss what Cresset's move to merge with $124bn investment consultancy Monticello Associates says about the industry-wide drive to acquire wealth assets which may not be under management and talk about how $25bn Homrich Berg's rebrand is a sign of how much the RIA industry has changed recently.…

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The Raymond James exodus 29:50

5M ago29:50

29:50

Alex, Ian and Alec Rich discuss three major Citywire RIA exclusives: Alec’s scoop on a flood of exits from Raymond James’s custody unit, Ian’s discovery that Hightower founder Elliot Weissbluth is returning to the wealth business and a new feature highlighting the fastest-growing RIAs under $1bn in assets.…

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The Fastest-Growing RIAs in America 19:22

5M ago19:22

19:22

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Alec Rich do a deep dive into one of Citywire’s biggest projects: 50 Growers Across America. The trio discuss how they identified the fastest-growing RIAs in the country, how those firms beat the competition and their relationships with institutional investors.By Citywire

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Minority Report 16:34

5M ago16:34

16:34

Alex Steger and Ian Wenik do a deep dive into why so many new RIA-focused minority investors have popped up in recent years, what they're offering and why sellers might like them to traditional options such as private equity firms and strategic acquirers.By Citywire

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Peter Mallouk talks crazy deals, declining multiples and life as a clubbie 34:17

5M ago34:17

34:17

Creative Planning CEO Peter Mallouk joins This Week in Wealth to discuss the state of RIA M&A, how his own role has evolved, and what’s next for his $370bn firm. Mallouk, who has completed scores of acquisitions, including the 2023 deal for Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management, explains why there is still plenty of PE money chasing RIAs but …

1
Debt Deal Deep Dive 22:47

5M ago22:47

22:47

Alex Steger and Ian Wenik walk through Osaic's $4.3bn debt capital raise, which allowed Citywire RIA readers and listeners to get a rare look inside the financial terms of a large RIA acquisition, along with AllianceBernstein's efforts to acquire an RIA. Plus, Alec Rich joins to the show to recap a new lawsuit filed against Edelman Financial Engine…

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Peering over the edge of the cliff 21:19

6M ago21:19

21:19

Ian Wenik and Alec Rich come back from the long weekend to discuss how a new survey from AdvisorPro sheds light on the looming demographic crisis RIAs face and recap how Merit Financial Advisors grew to $20bn and secured a new investment from Constellation Wealth Capital.By Citywire

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Halftime report 27:21

6M ago27:21

27:21

Alex and Ian look back at the most popular RIA news stories of H1 (there's a quiz and quiz music), check in on their own forecasts for 2025 (not a total bust), and discuss some of the more unexpected events of the year so far. Happy 4th of July listeners!By Citywire

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Carson's contentious court case 27:54

6M ago27:54

27:54

Alex, Ian and Sam discuss the latest developments in an ongoing legal dispute between Carson Group and a former marketing executive. They also break down robo-advisor Wealthfront's decision to pursue an IPO and LPL's attempts to keep Commonwealth advisors in the fold.By Citywire

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IPO intimations 27:44

6M ago27:44

27:44

Using a poll of attendees at Citywire's San Diego CIO Summit as a jumping-off point, Alex, Ian and Sam discuss when — or if — an RIA will go public, why private credit is simultaneously both popular with and scary for wealth managers and a rollback of some SEC proposals which had garnered major coverage.…

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A new era for RIAs 26:21

7M ago26:21

26:21

Focus Financial Partners chief executive Michael Nathanson believes that RIAs are in a new era, that the 'age of the founder is coming to an end' and that aggregators need a new model. Alex, Ian and Andrew (plus a special, arguably unwanted, guest) discuss Nathanson's comments, map out how the RIA industry has evolved and forecast where things will…

1
There's no such thing as a free lunch 23:52

7M ago23:52

23:52

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Alec Rich discuss their latest scoops on Pershing instituting a new asset-based fee for custodial clients, an explosive lawsuit between an Osaic client and his advisor-turned-ex-wife, and $8bn Wealthcare's agreement to sell itself to an insurance giant.By Citywire

1
Orion plays board games 24:52

7M ago24:52

24:52

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik, Sam Bojarski and Alec Rich recap recent Citywire scoops on Orion founder Eric Clarke leaving the tech company's board, a wave of layoffs at LPL acquisition Atria Wealth Solutions and the changing dynamics within the SEC.By Citywire

1
Mercer’s messy divorce 25:43

7M ago25:43

25:43

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik, Andrew Foerch and Sam Bojarski discuss Mercer Advisors’ latest salvo in a sprawling legal battle related to ACG Wealth, an acquisition it made in 2021, but which has since soured into acrimony. They also explore Citywire’s exclusive research on RIAs’ working habits and find out what happened in Vegas (where Ian went to repor…

1
An unobstructed view 25:25

8M ago25:25

25:25

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Andrew Foerch look at what Hightower's first acquisition of 2025 means in the context of the company's history, discuss Citywire's new data project examining how much RIA employees get paid and recap last week's Citywire CIO Summit in Nashville.By Citywire

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None of your (outside) business 22:21

8M ago22:21

22:21

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Sam Bojarski break down Sam's feature on how a new proposal from Finra governing advisors' outside business has some up in arms, discuss Ian's latest scoop on LPL's battle to retain Commonwealth advisors and look at the current balance of power among custodians.By Citywire

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Secondary concerns 18:39

8M ago18:39

18:39

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Alec Rich discuss Ian's scoop on General Atlantic looking to move part of its investment in Creative Planning into a continuation vehicle, find out why it's getting more expensive to be a CFP, and examine a new PE deal in the RIA space.By Citywire

1
Feeding frenzy 20:31

8M ago20:31

20:31

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA deputy editor Andrew Foerch discuss Commonwealth Financial Network's push to get as many of its advisors to stay on board through its sale to LPL as possible as rivals circle, highlight one multi-billion dollar team which has already left, and provide an update on the legal battle between LPL and Ameriprise.…

1
A tradition unlike any other 20:57

9M ago20:57

20:57

With Alex Steger out, Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA deputy editor Andrew Foerch discuss the made-for-Hollywood story of an RIA's CEO getting to participate in the Masters golf tournament, Ian's scoop on layoffs at Orion and Andrew's exclusive story on private equity firm CIVC Partners investing in a $10bn wealth manager.…

1
Retention rundown 18:14

9M ago18:14

18:14

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA senior reporter Sam Bojarski discuss LPL's bid to keep Commonwealth's advisors in the fold, Ian's scoop on Goldman Sachs weighing a new RIA referral program, and the tariff chaos that's roiled markets.By Citywire

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LPL captures Commonwealth 15:49

9M ago15:49

15:49

Alex Steger and Ian Wenik do a deep dive into LPL Financial's $2.7bn acquisition of Commonwealth Financial Network: How Ian broke the story, what the immediate impact is around the industry, and who's in position to win (and lose) as the deal gets finalized.By Citywire

1
Money market machinations 14:34

9M ago14:34

14:34

In a packed studio, Alex Steger and Ian Wenik are joined by Citywire RIA senior reporter Sam Bojarski and reporter Lilly Riddle to discuss Charles Schwab and Fidelity's recent restrictions on money market ETF trading, a potential major deal for Focus and an RIA employee's big win on The Bachelor.By Citywire

1
What's the plan for Joe Duran? 24:38

9M ago24:38

24:38

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA deputy editor Andrew Foerch discuss the biggest takeaways from Ian and Andrew's trip to Miami for the Future Proof conference, including Andrew's one-on-one interview with Rise Growth Partners head Joe Duran and the panels the journalists moderated.By Citywire

1
Blackstone enters the fray 21:24

10M ago21:24

21:24

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA reporter Alec Rich recap Ian's scoops on mega-private equity firm Blackstone pursuing a deal in the wealth management business and Pershing's new RIA referral program. Plus, Alec discusses his new feature on the fight between RIA tech companies for clients of the sunsetting Morningstar Office.…

1
The $50,000 Question 18:43

10M ago18:43

18:43

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA deputy editor Andrew Foerch (in his podcast debut!) discuss Andrew's scoop on the SEC offering $50,000 to its employees to quit and put LPL Financial's impending $4bn capital raise in context.By Citywire

1
"Ellevest's robo retreat" 18:26

10M ago18:26

18:26

Alex Steger and Ian Wenik discuss Ellevest's decision to sell its robo-advisory unit to Betterment after raising more than $150m in venture capital money and a prominent Los Angeles RIA's choice to rebrand itself.By Citywire

1
Can you SEC what's coming? 18:28

10M ago18:28

18:28

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA senior reporter Sam Bojarski go over the key takeaways from Sam's exclusive interview with SEC commissioner Hester Peirce and a Canadian multi-family office's decision to buy itself out of its deal with Focus Financial Partners.By Citywire

1
Client referrals aren't cheap 18:43

11M ago18:43

18:43

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA reporter Alec Rich (in his podcast debut!) discuss Charles Schwab's decision to raise fees in its lucrative Schwab Advisor Network referral program and discuss what an RIA acquisition in America's chocolatiest town means for the dealmaking world at large.By Citywire

1
A Goldman Goodbye 17:08

11M ago17:08

17:08

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA reporter Lilly Riddle reflect on Goldman Sachs' efforts to enter the RIA business following the departure of top wealth executive Larry Restieri and learn more about the advisor accused of defrauding clients to invest in a mini golf course.By Citywire

1
1099 Problems 17:55

11M ago17:55

17:55

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA senior reporter Sam Bojarski cover Steward Partners' decision to halt recruitment of Form 1099 contractor advisors, Commonwealth Financial Network's pursuit of an institutional investor and the ongoing legal battle between mega-RIAs Edelman Financial Engines and Mariner Wealth Advisors.…

1
Will you accept this rose? 18:24

11M ago18:24

18:24

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA reporter Lilly Riddle discuss Envestnet's hire of a new permanent CEO, Focus Financial Partners' dividend recap and — most importantly — the RIA client service associate who will be competing on the latest season of "The Bachelor."By Citywire

1
What's in a name? 19:41

12M ago19:41

19:41

Alex Steger, Ian Wenik and Sam Bojarski weigh in on RIA financier Focus Financial Partners' decision to rebrand its biggest affiliate as 'Focus Partners Wealth,' wealth managers monitoring their advisors' personal phones, and $38bn Steward Partners' decision to pursue a sale.By Citywire

1
Happy New Year! 18:25

12M ago18:25

18:25

Citywire USA editor-in-chief Alex Steger, Citywire RIA editor Ian Wenik and Citywire RIA senior reporter Sam Bojarski discuss the rise of foreign investment in RIAs, the impending shift to Republican control of the SEC and the biggest themes they see playing out in the wealth management business in 2025.…