Financial Services Acquisitions in California

Beast Industries, the creator-led entertainment and consumer products platform founded by Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson, has acquired fintech app Step to add youth-focused financial services and financial literacy tools to its ecosystem. The deal brings Step's technology, full-stack fintech team and more than 7 million users into Beast's distribution and content-driven platform to accelerate product development and expand access to financial wellness offerings.

Blue Ridge Associates has acquired the ESOP third‑party administration (TPA) services business from AmbroseAdvisors, including the ESOP administration team and clients. AmbroseAdvisors will retain its advisory business while Blue Ridge expands its ESOP administration capabilities and client base to meet growing demand for ESOP formation and related services.

WTW has completed its acquisition of Newfront, a San Francisco-based, technology-enabled insurance broker. The deal brings Newfront's ~650+ employees and specialty broking capabilities into WTW's global platform to strengthen its U.S. middle-market presence and advance its technology and specialty strategies.

Wealthspire’s Ground Control Business Management has acquired Los Angeles-based Ceres Financial Management, LLC. The acquisition will fold Ceres into Ground Control’s operations and expand the firm’s business-management and wealth services footprint in Southern California for high-net-worth clients, with Ceres founder Craig Shenkler joining as a managing director.

Taylor Fresh Foods, parent company of Taylor Farms, has acquired a 16.3% minority ownership stake in Pacific Valley Bank, a locally owned community bank headquartered in Salinas, California. The investment strengthens the bank's capital base, reinforces local ownership and governance, and adds Taylor representation on the bank's board.

Beacon Pointe Advisors has acquired Litman Gregory Wealth Management, a $2.7 billion registered investment adviser previously affiliated with iM Global Partner, in a deal that closed December 31, 2025. The acquisition expands Beacon Pointe's national footprint—strengthening its presence in Northern California and establishing a new office in Missouri—while adding an 18-person advisory team and specialist planning capabilities.

Sequoia Financial Group, an Akron-based SEC-registered wealth manager with $29.9 billion AUM, has acquired Pasadena-based Sterling Financial Group, a seven-person independent investment advisory firm with $406 million in AUM. The deal expands Sequoia's footprint in California and brings Sterling's advisors and clients into Sequoia's platform; terms were not disclosed.

Citizens Financial Group has acquired Bradley Wealth Partners, a Newport Beach-based advisory team that previously managed $880 million in client assets, and integrated the team's advisors into Citizens Private Wealth. The move expands Citizens' private wealth footprint in Southern California and strengthens its capabilities serving next-generation and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

OTR Solutions has acquired TruckSmarter’s factoring and business banking division, assuming all factoring and banking operations and onboarding TruckSmarter’s factoring clients. The deal lets TruckSmarter focus on its AI-driven dispatching and load board technology while expanding OTR’s freight finance and banking capabilities for carriers nationwide.

Mariner Wealth Advisors has acquired Defined Financial Planning, a San Rafael, California–based registered investment adviser with approximately $164 million in assets under advisement. The acquisition, which closed Oct. 31, 2025, expands Mariner's West Coast footprint and brings a three-person team into Mariner's national advisory platform.

SavvyMoney, a Dublin, California–based provider of credit-score and financial wellness software for banks and fintechs, raised a $225 million minority investment co-led by PSG and Canapi Ventures, with continued investment from Spectrum Equity. The capital will accelerate SavvyMoney’s product roadmap, AI capabilities and go-to-market expansion across its network of more than 1,500 financial institution partners.

Prime Pensions, an independent retirement plan administration and consulting provider based in Florham Park, New Jersey, has acquired Presberg Pensions, a third-party retirement plan administrator headquartered in Westlake Village, California. The deal strengthens Prime Pensions' footprint in the California market and gives Presberg's clients access to Prime Pensions' national scale, technology, and compliance capabilities; financial terms were not disclosed.

Aave Labs has acquired Stable Finance, a San Francisco-based fintech startup that created the Stable app for stablecoin savings. The acquisition brings Stable Finance’s founder Mario Baxter Cabrera and the engineering team into Aave Labs to accelerate development of consumer-focused onchain savings and other consumer DeFi products.

Merchant has entered a partnership with Validus Capital, a Los Angeles–based registered investment adviser managing roughly $2.5 billion, to provide growth capital and strategic resources. The capital will support Validus’s plans to expand alternatives distribution and reporting capabilities, attract advisors to its platform, and scale its multi-family office services.

Columbia Banking System completed its previously announced acquisition of Pacific Premier Bancorp, bringing Pacific Premier into the Columbia Bank family and rebranding the combined operations under the Columbia name. The deal significantly expands Columbia's presence across Southern California and the broader western U.S., increasing Columbia's assets to approximately $70 billion and creating a combined network of more than 350 locations.

Gateway Investment Advisers, an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers, has completed the acquisition of the business of Belmont Capital Group, a Los Angeles-based provider of options-based separately managed account (SMA) strategies. The deal brings Belmont's investment team into Gateway's new Los Angeles office and adds single-stock risk-management and options-based overlay capabilities to Gateway's AIA direct-indexing and tax-management offerings.

RWA Wealth Partners, an independent boutique wealth management firm managing $18 billion in client assets, has acquired Moirai Wealth Management, a San Francisco-based RIA with $344 million in assets under management. The deal (closed August 15, 2025) adds a four-member team and strengthens RWA's West Coast presence and family office capabilities.

Kayne Anderson BDC, Inc. made a strategic financing and equity investment in SG Credit Partners, providing an $80 million term loan, a $34 million delayed-draw term loan facility, and a $12 million common equity investment. Following the transaction, KBDC owns a 22.5% equity stake in SG Credit and has an option to purchase additional equity, a move KBDC said complements and expands its direct lending and origination platform.

Marsh McLennan Agency (MMA), a business of Marsh, has acquired Olympic Insurance Agency, an independent insurance agency based in Simi Valley, California. Olympic's team, including principals Don and Bob Barberie, will remain in place as MMA expands its capabilities and client coverage in Southern California, particularly in real estate and manufacturing risk solutions.

Origami Capital Partners announced a strategic partnership with Coromandel Capital under which Origami will provide capital and support to accelerate Coromandel’s lending programs and scale its origination capacity. Coromandel, a Los Angeles-based private credit firm focused on asset-backed lending for FinTech and specialty finance, will continue to focus on self-liquidating asset pools with Origami’s backing.

Modern Wealth Management has acquired El Segundo-based Kaye Capital Management in an asset purchase, bringing KCM's $700M+ AUM (plus $300M AUA) onto Modern Wealth's platform and pushing the firm's total AUM past $8.5 billion. The four-person KCM team and leaders Ken Watten and David Hilton join Modern Wealth as managing directors, strengthening the firm's institutional retirement plan advisory capabilities and expanding its California presence.

Steward Partners acquired Consilium Wealth Management, onboarding Partner John H. Seo and his nearly ten-member team and adding approximately $1.1 billion in client assets to Steward's Legacy Division. The deal deepens Steward Partners' presence in Northern California and expands its Bay Area footprint while providing succession and continuity support for the Consilium team and clients.

True North Advisors, a Dallas-based registered investment adviser, has acquired Danville, California-based Blue Investment Partners, adding approximately $353 million in AUM and expanding True North’s presence in the San Francisco Bay Area. The deal is True North’s second acquisition since forming a growth partnership with Wealth Partners Capital Group and HGGC’s Aspire Holdings platform and closed June 30, 2025; financial terms were not disclosed.

PACT Capital Partners has made a minority equity investment in Accel-KKR. Proceeds will be used to increase Accel-KKR's capital commitments and support the firm's growth and capabilities; no proceeds are being distributed to Accel-KKR principals and specific terms were not disclosed.

Genesis Bank has completed its acquisition of Excel Bank, a tradename of EH National Bank, effective June 13, 2025. The deal expands Genesis Bank's Southern California footprint — adding Beverly Hills and Temecula locations — and brings Excel's small- and mid-sized business, commercial real estate, fiduciary and specialty clients onto Genesis's technology and product platform.

Wealthsimple has acqui-hired the entire team from Plenty, a San Francisco–based fintech focused on financial planning for couples. The Plenty product was shut down and founders Emily Luk and Channing Allen joined Wealthsimple to help build household- and couple-focused financial features for Wealthsimple's platform; financial terms were not disclosed.

American Plus Bank completed the acquisition of the Long Beach branch of United Fidelity Bank, fsb, which operates as International City Bank. The transaction transfers approximately $74 million in loans and $117 million in deposits to American Plus Bank as it expands its Southern California footprint.

SKY Leasing has acquired JetBlue Ventures, JetBlue Airways' corporate venture capital arm. The deal transfers ownership of the San Francisco–based VC firm to SKY while JetBlue remains a strategic partner and JetBlue Ventures continues to manage its existing and future investments under a brand licensing agreement.

Relation Insurance Services acquired the assets of Engle and Associates Insurance Brokers effective May 1, 2025; financial terms were not disclosed. The deal brings the 45+-year family-owned San Luis Obispo insurance agency into Relation's national platform, giving Engle access to Relation's carrier relationships, tools and specialties while keeping local leadership in place.

EP Wealth Advisors has entered a strategic partnership to bring NBS Financial Services into its Westlake Village office, adding over $230 million in AUM. The move strengthens EP Wealth’s Southern California footprint and integrates NBS’s local advisory team into EP Wealth’s platform; financial terms were not disclosed.

Earned Wealth, a tech-enabled financial services firm focused on doctors, has acquired Chahal & Associates, a Hercules, California-based tax and accounting firm serving roughly 2,200 doctors and high-net-worth clients. The deal expands Earned's tax, accounting and payroll capabilities as part of its doctor-focused platform following a 2024 growth investment from Summit Partners and Silversmith Capital.

Creative Planning, a large independent RIA, announced that Monterey Private Wealth, a Monterey, California–based registered investment advisor overseeing over $1 billion in client assets, has joined Creative Planning. The transaction strengthens Creative Planning’s West Coast presence and gives Monterey’s clients access to Creative Planning’s broader suite of wealth management services while retaining the Monterey advisory team and office.

ARDRI, a technology-forward non-QM and business-purpose mortgage lender based in Calabasas, California, has acquired The Lending Spot (TLS), a high-performing Non-QM wholesale lender led by Kevin O'Shaughnessy. The acquisition brings TLS's experienced team, broker relationships, and operational expertise into ARDRI's platform to expand product capabilities, national reach, and servicing for TPO mortgage brokers.

OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC has acquired the Retirement Services Division of BayBridge Capital Group in Pleasanton, California. The deal expands OneDigital's financial services and retirement capabilities in the San Francisco Bay Area while the remaining BayBridge wealth-management business will continue to operate under the BayBridge name.

California Bank & Trust (a division of Zions Bancorporation) has completed the acquisition of FirstBank’s California banking operations, converting four FirstBank branches in the Coachella Valley (Palm Desert and Indio) to CB&T locations. The deal expands CB&T’s local footprint and brings FirstBank clients and employees into CB&T’s network as part of its broader commitment to the region.

Trimont has completed the acquisition of Wells Fargo’s non-agency third-party Commercial Mortgage Servicing (CMS) business, a deal backed by Värde Partners. The transaction adds more than 19,000 loans, secured by 21,500 properties, and over 700 staff to Trimont’s platform, making Trimont the largest servicer of securitized commercial real estate loans in the United States with approximately $700 billion in loans under management.

reAlpha Tech Corp. (Nasdaq: AIRE) acquired GTG Financial, Inc., a mortgage brokerage founded by Glenn Groves, to expand its mortgage operations and geographic footprint. The deal will integrate GTG Financial into reAlpha's AI-powered homebuying platform (powered by subsidiary Be My Neighbor) to bolster loan processing capacity and provide more seamless mortgage lending and refinancing services.

Tocqueville Asset Management announced that the advisory team from Poplar Forest Capital (managing ~$1.3 billion in assets) will join Tocqueville, with Poplar Forest founder Dale Harvey becoming a shareholder and member of Tocqueville's management committee. Financial terms were not disclosed; the move is intended to expand Tocqueville's research and investment capabilities by integrating the Poplar Forest team's value-oriented asset management expertise.

Private investment funds advised by BC Partners Credit, with a minority investment from Mount Logan Capital, have acquired Runway Growth Capital LLC. Runway will continue to operate independently as the external investment adviser to Runway Growth Finance Corp., with the existing management team remaining in place; the transaction is intended to expand Runway's origination capacity, product offerings and financing capabilities for growth-stage companies.

Nuvision Credit Union and SafeAmerica Credit Union announced a regulatory- and member-approved merger, effective February 1, 2025, that will operate under the Nuvision name and charter. The combined institution will have about $3.8 billion in assets, serve roughly 200,000 members across 36 branches in multiple states, and retain leadership and staff from both organizations.

Creative Planning, a large independent wealth management firm based in Overland Park, Kansas, has acquired Maxwell Wealth Strategies of Pleasanton, California. The deal closed January 17, 2025 and brings Maxwell's approximately $290 million in AUM and its advisory team into Creative Planning to expand the firm's reach and client service capabilities.

Northwestern Mutual has entered a strategic partnership with Sixth Street in which Northwestern Mutual will acquire a minority equity interest in Sixth Street and commit to have Sixth Street manage $13 billion of assets, with potential to scale. The agreement expands Northwestern Mutual's access to private and opportunistic investments while providing Sixth Street with a strategic institutional investor relationship.

Treehouse Wealth Advisors, a women-led wealth management firm based in Walnut Creek, CA, has acquired The Humphreys Group, a San Francisco-based B-Corp RIA focused on women-centered wealth management and ESG investing. The transaction — executed as part of a long-term succession plan for The Humphreys Group's president Diane Bourdo — expands Treehouse's Bay Area footprint and preserves The Humphreys Group's client offerings and team under the Treehouse banner.

Orion has completed the acquisition of Summit Wealth Systems, an award-winning advisor technology provider. Summit's co-founder and CEO Reed Colley joined Orion as President of Orion Advisor Technology, and Summit's 12 employees transitioned to Orion as the company integrates Summit's software into its platform.

Cleveland-based MAI Capital Management has acquired Concentric Wealth Management, a Lafayette, California RIA with six employees and $662 million in client assets, effective December 31, 2024. Concentric's founders, Eric Flett and Stewart McGuire, will adopt MAI branding and join as regional presidents as the firm integrates MAI's operations, HR and marketing resources.

Marcy Venture Partners, the VC firm co-founded by Jay-Z, has merged with Pendulum Opportunities (the investment arm of Pendulum Holdings) to create MarcyPen Capital Partners, a combined platform reporting roughly $900 million in assets under management. The combined firm will continue fundraising efforts under MarcyPen Opportunities Fund II (target $250 million), with more than $100 million reportedly secured.

Apella Wealth, a national RIA headquartered in West Hartford, Connecticut, has acquired Young Wealth Management, a Davis, California-based registered investment adviser with $144 million in AUM. The deal, which closed December 13, 2024, expands Apella's West Coast presence and is the firm’s twentieth acquisition and ninth since partnering with Wealth Partners Capital Group.

Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Capital acquired a 42% minority stake in U.S. private credit manager Silver Rock Financial LP through a mix of cash and Mubadala capital stock, with an option to increase to 50%. The deal brings Silver Rock principals and M‑Cor (the Milken family office) into Mubadala Capital’s asset management platform while preserving Silver Rock’s operational independence and management leadership; the transaction is expected to close by Q2 2025.

Signature Estate & Investment Advisors (SEIA) has acquired Beverly Investment Advisors, bringing founder Canon Price back to SEIA after 22 years. Price's practice — built to roughly $300 million in assets under advisement — will leverage SEIA's platform, technology and succession planning resources to serve clients and expand services.

West Coast Community Bancorp (parent of Santa Cruz County Bank) completed a merger with 1st Capital Bancorp (and 1st Capital Bank) effective October 1, 2024, and launched the combined bank brand, West Coast Community Bank, on April 1, 2025. The stock-for-stock transaction (1st Capital shareholders received 0.36 shares of Bancorp) expanded the combined franchise across California's Central Coast and Silicon Valley, creating a ~10-branch community bank with roughly $2.8 billion in total assets and increased lending capacity.