Financial Services Acquisitions in Ohio

Simplicity Group has acquired Wholehan Marketing, a brokerage general agency with offices in Tampa, Florida and Toledo, Ohio, and welcomed Wholehan leaders Chris Wholehan and Jessica Hernandez as partners. The deal expands Simplicity's distribution and product capabilities by giving Wholehan's advisors access to Simplicity's platform, marketing engine, and broader suite of life, annuity, DI and LTC products.

Earned, a PE-backed wealth management platform focused on healthcare professionals, has acquired OJM Group, a Cincinnati-based registered investment adviser serving physicians and high-net-worth clients. The deal adds nearly $1 billion in assets under management and brings OJM's ~12-person team onto Earned's platform, further expanding Earned's integrated services for medical professionals.

Wealth Enhancement, a national independent wealth management firm, has acquired Cincinnati-based hybrid RIA L.M. Kohn & Company, which oversees more than $2.2 billion in client assets and employs 23 people. The deal closed on December 6, 2025 and increases Wealth Enhancement's total client assets to over $131 billion, while expanding its footprint across the Midwest and South.

Civista Bancshares, Inc. (parent of Civista Bank) completed a merger with The Farmers Savings Bank, headquartered in Spencer, Ohio, adding two branches and approximately $236 million in low-cost deposits. The deal expands Civista's footprint into Medina and Lorain Counties and brings the combined organization to approximately $4.4 billion in total assets; a system conversion is planned for Q1 2026.

Lincoln International has completed the acquisition of MarshBerry, a global investment banking and consulting firm serving insurance brokerages, wealth management and accounting practices. The deal strengthens Lincoln’s Financial Services platform and expands its advisory capabilities in the insurance distribution and wealth & retirement markets; sellers included MarshBerry management and Atlas Merchant Capital.

Carson Group announced it has acquired Akron, Ohio-based Wells Trecaso Financial Group, which manages approximately $570 million in AUM. Wells Trecaso will become a wholly owned Carson Wealth office, with the team retaining leadership while gaining access to Carson's planning, tax and investment resources to support growth and succession planning.

Waverly Advisors, a Birmingham-based RIA backed by Wealth Partners Capital Group and HGGC's Aspire platform, has acquired Brass Tax Wealth Management, a Blue Ash, Ohio wealth management firm. The deal adds approximately $465 million in AUM to Waverly and expands the firm's presence in Ohio; financial terms were not disclosed and the entire Brass Tax team joined Waverly.

Simplicity Group Holdings has acquired Aptus Wealth, a Registered Investment Advisor based in Lewis Center, Ohio. Josh Pick, founder of Aptus Wealth, will join Simplicity as a partner and Aptus Wealth will operate as Simplicity Wealth Advisors, integrating into Simplicity's wealth platform and proprietary materials.

Steward Partners, an employee-owned financial services firm, has acquired Longbridge Wealth Advisors, a ten-person wealth advisory team led by Jack Elgin and Neven Zelich, adding $481 million in client assets and establishing a presence in North Canton, Ohio. The addition expands Steward Partners' Legacy Division to provide succession and continuity solutions for established advisory teams while preserving Longbridge's brand and client relationships.

WesBanco, Inc. completed its acquisition of Premier Financial Corp. (and merged Premier Bank into WesBanco Bank) on February 28, 2025, and completed customer and branch conversions in mid-May 2025. The transaction brought roughly 400,000 consumer and 50,000 business relationships, approximately 70 former Premier financial centers and about 900 employees onto WesBanco’s platform, creating a regional bank with roughly $27 billion in assets and expanded presence across nine states.

GTCR and Stone Point Capital jointly acquired Ultimus Fund Solutions in a transaction that recapitalizes the company, with GTCR reinvesting and providing liquidity to GTCR Fund XII. Ultimus, a Cincinnati-based fund administrator serving over 450 clients and administering more than $600 billion in assets, will be jointly controlled by GTCR and Stone Point and led by existing management.

Matic Insurance Services Inc. secured $30 million in growth capital from Vistara Growth to accelerate the expansion of its embedded insurtech platform. The financing will be used to broaden distribution partnerships, continue development of Matic's proprietary technology, and enhance customer experience across mortgage, banking and other financial partners.

Wealth Enhancement, a national independent wealth management firm, acquired Danison & Associates, an independent RIA based in Columbus, Ohio that oversees roughly $82 million in client assets. The deal closed on December 31, 2024 and marks Wealth Enhancement's first office in Greater Columbus as the two-advisor team joins Wealth Enhancement's platform and centralized planning and back-office services.

Farmers National Banc Corp., through its subsidiary National Associates, Inc., completed the acquisition of Crest Retirement Advisors LLC on December 16, 2024. Crest will continue to operate from its Dublin, Ohio location and will merge with National Associates as part of Farmers' strategy to expand its wealth management and retirement plan administration capabilities in Central Ohio.

ZEDRA, a global provider of wealth, corporate and fund services backed by Corsair and BCI, has joined forces with Gryphon, an Ohio-headquartered fund administrator. The integration significantly expands ZEDRA's U.S. fund administration business (doubling its size) and grows combined assets under administration to roughly $30 billion.

CX Institutional, LLC d/b/a Credent Wealth Management, an Indiana-headquartered fee-only RIA, has acquired Clarify Wealth Management, a Cincinnati-based fee-only RIA with approximately $450 million in AUM. The deal expands Credent's geographic footprint into Cincinnati, Columbus and Lafayette, Indiana, pushes Credent's AUM above $3 billion, and provides a succession plan for Clarify's founding partners.

MAI Capital Management has acquired Bolan Capital Management, a boutique wealth management firm with $238 million in client assets under management. The terms were not disclosed; Bolan will adopt the MAI brand and founder Brian Bolan will become a Senior Wealth Advisor as the deal (effective September 27, 2024) expands MAI's footprint in the Cincinnati/Nashville region.

North Valley Bancshares, parent of North Valley Bank of Zanesville, signed an all-cash agreement to acquire Commodore Financial Network, parent of Commodore Bank of Somerset; financial terms were not disclosed. The deal — subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals — is expected to close in the second or third quarter of 2024 and will convert the Somerset, Millersport and Hebron Commodore Bank branches to North Valley Bank locations.

MAI Capital Management, a Cleveland-based registered investment adviser, has acquired R. Karras Asset Management & Planning, adding approximately $110 million of client assets under management. The deal will fold Karras into MAI's brand and infrastructure, expanding MAI's capabilities (tax and estate planning, alternative investing) and enabling founder Robert Karras to continue as Senior Wealth Advisor and Managing Director.

LCNB Corp. (the holding company for LCNB National Bank) agreed to acquire Eagle Financial Bancorp, Inc. (the holding company for EAGLE.bank) in a stock-and-cash merger that will expand LCNB's presence in the Cincinnati market. EFBI operates three full-service banking offices and reported $175.8 million in assets and $135.0 million in deposits as of September 30, 2023; the deal is expected to close in Q2 2024 and to be accretive to earnings with a tangible book value earn-back of approximately 2.1 years.

Sequoia Financial Group, an Akron-based SEC-registered wealth manager with nearly $16 billion in AUM, has agreed to acquire Cleveland-based Cirrus Wealth Management. The transaction, intended to support Cirrus's succession plan and expand Sequoia's advisor platform and client services, is expected to close on July 31, 2023; financial terms were not disclosed.

Mariner Wealth Advisors has agreed to acquire Canton, Ohio–based McGervey Wealth Management, adding approximately $105 million in assets under advisement and establishing Mariner’s fourth office in Ohio. The deal, announced December 13, 2022, will close on December 28, 2022; McGervey’s team (all five associates) will remain with the firm and the office will take the Mariner name.

Specialty Program Group, LLC (SPG) has acquired the assets of Business Underwriters Associates, LLC (BUA), a Northeast Ohio-based brokerage general agent specializing in life, annuities, disability and health insurance. The deal is the second acquisition in SPG's strategy to build a BGA-driven life and annuity wholesale platform alongside its prior acquisition of Brokers' Service Marketing Group (BSMG).

Republic Bancorp, Inc. agreed to acquire Cincinnati-based CBank and its wholly owned leasing subsidiary, Commercial Industrial Finance, Inc. (CIF), in an all-cash merger valued at approximately $51 million. The deal expands Republic Bank's Cincinnati footprint and significantly broadens its equipment leasing capabilities and national leasing footprint; the transaction closed after customary approvals and integration planning.

San Francisco-based Valeas Capital Partners has committed more than $200 million to acquire a minority stake in Akron, Ohio-based Sequoia Financial Group, joining existing minority investor Kudu Investment Management. Sequoia — which will remain majority employee-owned — will use the capital to accelerate organic and inorganic growth, invest in technology and expand client services.

Mercer Global Advisors (Mercer Advisors) has acquired The Asset Advisory Group, Inc. (TAAG), a Cincinnati-based wealth management firm managing about $370 million in AUM across roughly 160 clients. The deal expands Mercer’s presence in Ohio and provides TAAG’s founders a succession solution while adding TAAG’s advisory team and capabilities to Mercer’s national RIA platform.

Wealth Enhancement Group has acquired Bohmer Kilcoyne Wealth Management, a Cincinnati-based hybrid RIA that oversees approximately $677 million in client assets. The addition of the Bohmer Kilcoyne team (three advisors and five support staff) brings Wealth Enhancement Group's total client assets to more than $57.3 billion and expands the firm's presence in a key Midwest-to-East Coast market.

MAI Capital Management, a Cleveland-area registered investment adviser, has acquired Pareto Wealth Management, a Cleveland-based wealth management team led by Sean Kriak and Joe Palko. The deal expands MAI's financial planning and wealth capabilities in Northeast Ohio; Pareto was previously a division of McDonald Partners Wealth Advisory Group.

Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: FMAO) has signed an agreement to acquire Peoples-Sidney Financial Corporation (Peoples) and its subsidiary Peoples Federal Savings and Loan Association in a stock-and-cash transaction valued at an implied aggregate of approximately $27.0 million. The deal expands F&M's community banking footprint into Sidney and Shelby County, Ohio; Peoples operates a main office in Sidney plus two branch offices and reported $132.7 million in total assets as of March 31, 2022.

Integrity Marketing Group has entered into an agreement to acquire The Valdez Group, an independent marketing organization (IMO) headquartered in Ontario, Ohio. Founders Eric Valdez and Kimberly Harper-Valdez will become Managing Partners at Integrity as the IMO gains access to Integrity's technology, back-office services and distribution platform; financial terms were not disclosed.

New Orleans-based Eustis Mortgage Corporation has acquired Canton, Ohio-based Signature Mortgage Corporation, bringing Signature's 30+ member Canton team into the Eustis family. The deal folds Signature's operations and brand into Eustis' platform, with Signature founder Bob Catlin remaining as Senior Vice President to support integration and operational continuity.

Flexpoint Ford has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Clearstead Advisors, a Cleveland-based registered investment advisor with approximately $29 billion in assets under management and advisement. The investment, which will see current investor Rosemont Investment Partners exit its minority stake, is intended to accelerate Clearstead's organic growth and strategic acquisitions and is expected to close by year-end subject to regulatory approval.

Simplicity Group, a Summit, New Jersey-based financial product distribution platform, has acquired Ohio-based Oxbow Marketing Company and welcomed Oxbow President Robb Daugherty as a partner. Oxbow, an exclusive wholesale distributor of life and annuity products with over 35 years in business, will rebrand to Simplicity and leverage Simplicity's resources to support its agent partners in the annuity, life and wealth-management markets.

MAI Capital Management, a Cleveland-based registered investment adviser, has acquired Storey & Associates, a North Canton, Ohio financial planning and asset management firm. The deal, which closed Sept. 30, 2021, adds approximately $230 million in assets under management and brings founders Harlan Storey and Kevin Krakora and all Storey employees into MAI; financial terms were not disclosed.

San Francisco-based G2 Insurance Services LLC has acquired the assets of Schroeder Group, Inc., an independent insurance brokerage based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The deal brings Schroeder’s specialty expertise in equine mortality, farm and ranch, agribusiness and personal insurance onto G2’s platform; the Schroeder team will continue to operate from their Cincinnati office.

CI Financial Corp. agreed to acquire full ownership of Bowling Portfolio Management LLC, a woman‑owned registered investment advisor in Cincinnati with approximately US$450 million in assets under management. The deal expands CI's U.S. wealth management footprint in the Midwest; Darren Kavesh will be named President and CEO and Kathy Wayner will remain in a consulting role. Terms were not disclosed and the transaction is subject to regulatory approval.

MAI Capital Management, an independent registered investment adviser based in Cleveland, acquired Rodman Capital Management of Alliance, Ohio, in a deal that closed December 6, 2019. The acquisition adds more than $75 million of assets under management and brings David Rodman into MAI as Wealth Manager and Managing Director, expanding MAI's geographic footprint in Ohio.

Ascensus acquired United Retirement Plan Consultants (URPC) from Stonehenge Partners in June 2019. The transaction, terms undisclosed, adds URPC's national retirement plan design, consulting and administration capabilities — including 12 U.S. sales/service centers and a processing center in India — to Ascensus's recordkeeping and TPA platform.

Solidifi, a Buffalo-based provider of residential real estate appraisal services, acquired Cincinnati-based Southwest Financial Services Ltd., a national provider of outsourced title, valuation and flood-determination services to home equity lenders. The deal expands Solidifi’s home-equity product offerings and strengthens its solutions for lenders, while Southwest’s president will remain on as an advisor.