Avantax Acquires SEP Financial Services from Stephen E. Plain

Avantax Adds S&P Financial Services and Noble Oak Financial Advisor Teams

July 31, 2024

Financial Services

Avantax (a community within Cetera Holdings) announced it has onboarded two advisory teams: S&P Financial Services (John Surace and Kelly Powers) from Osaic, bringing about $150 million in client assets, and Noble Oak Financial (Josh Linton, Mike Koltz and Danielle Boutwell) from LPL Financial, bringing about $300 million in client assets. The hires expand Avantax’s tax-focused wealth-management capabilities and overall assets under administration while positioning the firm to grow advisor headcount and client relationships in Long Island, New York and the Augusta, Georgia area.

Avantax Acquires Integrated Tax & Wealth Strategies’ $760M Wealth Management Business

May 5, 2024

Wealth Management

Avantax acquired the wealth management business of Integrated Tax & Wealth Strategies, which manages $760 million in client assets as of December 31, 2023. The founder, Brian Stephens, will continue with the tax practice while the wealth team joined Avantax as W-2 investment adviser representatives to deepen Avantax’s tax‑focused wealth management capabilities and expand AUM.

Cetera Holdings Acquires Avantax

November 27, 2023

Financial Services

Cetera Holdings (the holding company of Cetera Financial Group) completed the acquisition of Avantax, Inc. for $26.00 per share in cash, taking Avantax private. The deal adds Avantax's tax-focused wealth management capabilities — including 3,111 financial professionals and approximately $82.3 billion in assets under administration — to Cetera's advisor platform and strengthens its tax-centric offering and multi-custodial capabilities.

Avantax Acquires GA Investment Management

May 20, 2024

Wealth Management

Avantax has acquired Pennsylvania-based GA Investment Management, onboarding $400 million of GA client assets to its platform and converting 10 GA employees to Avantax W-2 employees. The GA partners selected Avantax as part of a succession plan because of aligned tax-focused planning, in-house asset management, eMoney compatibility, and access to Avantax's network for future advisor growth.

Wealth Enhancement Group Acquires Peak Financial Services, Inc.

July 9, 2024

Financial Services

Wealth Enhancement Group, a national independent wealth management firm, has acquired Peak Financial Services, Inc., a hybrid RIA based in Northborough, Massachusetts that oversees more than $123 million in client assets. The deal expands Wealth Enhancement Group's presence in Massachusetts and the Northeast and brings Peak Financial's founder Kevin O'Brien and his team onto Wealth Enhancement's platform.

Apex Accounting and Tax, Inc. Acquires Phases Accounting & Tax Service, Inc.

March 2, 2023

Accounting & Tax

Apex Accounting and Tax, Inc. has acquired Phases Accounting & Tax Service, Inc., a Colorado Springs–based accounting and tax firm founded in 1987 by Debby Miller. The deal, advised on the sell-side by SDR Ventures, brings Phases’ ~1,750 clients into Apex’s Littleton-based accounting platform to expand Apex’s service offering and regional footprint in the Rocky Mountain region.