Financial Services Acquisitions in Kansas

CAPTRUST Financial Advisors has onboarded Meritage Portfolio Management, a Kansas City–based wealth and investment management firm with $2.4 billion in client assets. The Meritage team of 17 colleagues (including nine advisors) joined CAPTRUST in a deal that closed in December 2025 and will operate under the CAPTRUST brand; Houlihan Lokey served as Meritage's financial advisor.

Simplicity Group Holdings, Inc. has acquired Brokers Edge, a Lenexa, Kansas-based wholesaler specializing in traditional fixed annuities, fixed indexed annuities, and life insurance products. The deal brings Brokers Edge founder Rich Hellerich into the Simplicity partnership and expands Simplicity’s life and annuity distribution capabilities for advisors and their clients.

Equity Bancshares, Inc. (Equity Bank) completed the acquisition of KansasLand Bancshares, Inc., the parent of KansasLand Bank, expanding Equity's Kansas footprint and adding locations in Quinter and Americus, Kansas. The acquired KansasLand branches will convert to Equity Bank and Equity expects to consolidate core and digital systems later in the third quarter.

Abry Partners has agreed to acquire an equity interest in Prime Capital Investment Advisors (PCIA), providing growth capital and joining PCIA’s board to support expansion. The partnership will supply additional investment capital while preserving PCIA’s client-focused service model and leadership team.

Carson Wealth announced an equity partnership with Overland Park-based Integrated Wealth, bringing the six-person advisory team into Carson’s network and rebranding the firm as Carson Wealth. The deal gives Integrated Wealth access to Carson’s technology, investment offerings and operating resources to support growth of its $400 million AUM practice and expand Carson’s footprint into Kansas.

T. Rowe Price has entered a definitive agreement to acquire Retiree, Inc., a fintech firm that provides retirement income planning software. The terms were not disclosed and the deal is expected to close in Q2 2023; T. Rowe Price said the acquisition will expand its retirement income capabilities and integrate Retiree's tax-aware income planning technology into its retirement solutions.

Creative Planning, an independent wealth management firm based in McLean, Virginia, acquired Sullivan, Bruyette, Speros & Blayney (SBSB), a Overland Park-based advisory firm with over $5 billion in assets under management. The deal brings more than 60 SBSB team members to Creative Planning and expands its capabilities and presence in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Macquarie Asset Management completed its acquisition of Waddell & Reed Financial, Inc., retaining the asset management business and adding approximately $76 billion in AUM. Concurrently, Macquarie sold Waddell & Reed's wealth management platform to LPL Financial, and the firms entered a long-term strategic partnership.

OneDigital Investment Advisors, a wholly-owned subsidiary of OneDigital, has acquired three offices of Vertical Financial Group in St. Louis, Overland Park and Chicago, expanding OneDigital's retirement and wealth capabilities. The move adds over 80 retirement plans (~$1B in plan assets) and wealth management for 400+ households to OneDigital's Retirement & Wealth vertical.

Stewart Information Services Corporation acquired United States Appraisals to strengthen its digital mortgage fulfillment and valuation management capabilities, adding national appraisal expertise and the Valuguard mobile inspection technology. The deal (with Berkery Noyes as exclusive financial advisor to United States Appraisals) expands Stewart's appraisal and valuation offerings for lenders, banks, investors and mortgage industry partners.

Creative Planning, Inc., a large independent Registered Investment Adviser, has acquired Coe Financial Services, an RIA based in Wichita, Kansas, bringing roughly $126 million of client assets into Creative Planning and establishing a Wichita office. The acquisition adds Richard Coe and his team to Creative Planning and expands the firm's geographic footprint and advisory capabilities in the region.

OneDigital has acquired Resources Investment Advisors, LLC, an Overland Park, Kansas-based SEC-registered retirement plan and investment advisory firm founded in 1987. The deal expands OneDigital's capabilities by integrating retirement plan consulting and wealth management with its healthcare benefits offering to deliver a holistic employee wellbeing solution.

Economic Group Pension Services (EGPS), a national retirement plan consulting and administration firm, acquired Qualified Plan Solutions LC of Wichita, Kansas effective January 1, 2020. The transaction expands EGPS’s Midwest presence; former owner Scott Slagle joins EGPS as Regional Vice President for the Wichita office.