Wealth Management Acquisitions in Kansas

Merit Financial Advisors has acquired SSC Wealth LLC, the wealth management division of SSC CPAs + Advisors, adding approximately $259.6 million in AUM and transferring the advisory business, assets, and four employees to Merit. The deal formalizes a strategic partnership between Merit and SSC CPAs + Advisors to deepen coordination between wealth management and advanced tax planning for high-net-worth clients and business owners.

Creative Planning has acquired Lawrence, Kansas-based Edmonds Duncan Registered Investment Advisors, with the deal closing October 1 and six Edmonds Duncan employees joining Creative Planning. The acquisition adds roughly $550 million of AUM and expands Creative Planning's presence in Kansas while enabling Edmonds Duncan clients to access Creative Planning's broader suite of planning, investment, tax, trust and estate services.

TPG Capital has made a substantial minority growth investment in Creative Planning, a leading independent wealth management firm, joining existing investor General Atlantic. Terms were not disclosed; Creative Planning CEO Peter Mallouk will remain in place and retain a majority stake. The capital will support continued expansion and enhancement of the firm's wealth-management and planning-led service offerings.

The Retirement Planning Group (TRPG), a Cetera-backed wealth management platform headquartered in Leawood, Kansas, has acquired 100% of the assets of Dightman Capital Group, Inc., an RIA based in Overland Park, Kansas. Owner Brian Dightman becomes a W‑2 advisor at TRPG as part of TRPG’s ongoing M&A strategy to integrate independent advisors and expand its assets and client base.

Cetera Holdings, the holding company of Cetera Financial Group, has acquired The Retirement Planning Group, LLC (TRPG), an independent RIA headquartered in Leawood, Kansas. TRPG manages approximately $1.4 billion in AUM across about 1,825 client accounts, has ~40 employees (including 14 advisors), and will join Cetera’s advisor network to expand its wealth-management capabilities and advisor affiliations.

Creative Planning, an independent wealth management firm based in Overland Park, Kansas, acquired Sunrise Advisors, a Leawood, Kansas-based registered investment adviser managing approximately $700 million in AUM. The deal brings Sunrise’s advisors and clients into Creative Planning’s platform to expand its Kansas City presence and add wealth management capabilities and talent.

General Atlantic, a global growth equity firm, has made a strategic minority investment in Creative Planning. Creative Planning CEO Peter Mallouk will remain CEO and retain a majority controlling stake; financial terms were not disclosed. The investment is positioned to support Creative Planning's continued expansion of its wealth management platform (Creative Planning manages approximately $50 billion AUM and ~650 employees across 27 offices).

LNC Partners completed a strategic minority growth investment in Prime Capital Investment Advisors (PCIA) to support the firm’s continued expansion and acquisition strategy. PCIA, headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, is a full-service wealth management and retirement plan advisory firm with roughly $11 billion in client assets and a multi-office footprint across the U.S.