Wells Fargo Adviser Moves to Ameriprise; Cetera Gains Former LPL Advisers

Several notable financial advisory team moves and acquisitions have occurred recently, highlighting ongoing shifts in the U.S. wealth management and brokerage landscape. Harpland Financial Management has transitioned from Wells Fargo Clearing Services to Ameriprise Financial's branch channel, bringing over $160 million in client assets to the Houston-based practice supported by regional Ameriprise leadership. Ameriprise currently operates a broad network of over 10,000 advisers nationwide, maintaining a significant presence in the wealth management sector. In Chicago, cousins Matthew and Christopher Callero, formerly affiliated with Woodbury Financial Services, joined Cetera Financial Specialists within its tax and accounting channel, managing almost $265 million in assets. Their move reflects integration challenges faced by Osaic’s broker/dealer consolidations. Cetera operates approximately 12,000 advisers and institutions with over $625 billion in assets under administration, positioning itself as a major player in the intermediary space. Longtime LPL Financial advisers Scott Thaxton and Greg Pennini joined Cetera Financial Group’s adviser channel recently, bringing $350 million in client assets across 1,200 accounts. This adds depth to Cetera’s adviser community and further extends its asset base amidst industry consolidation trends. Separately, Merit Financial Advisors, an Atlanta-based firm, finalized the acquisition of Blueprint Wealth Advisors, expanding into Illinois and Wisconsin and entering the Chicago market with an addition of $1.2 billion in total assets. Blueprint's leadership, including managing partners Ryan Evans and Nick Wilkins, will join Merit as regional directors and partners. This acquisition broadens Merit's geographic footprint and wealth management capabilities for high-net-worth clients. Merit Financial’s asset base totals over $20 billion across various asset categories, including advisement, brokerage, and retirement assets. These moves collectively illustrate a dynamic market environment where brokerage firms and advisory practices are realigning through acquisitions and channel changes to optimize client service and scale. The integration and network expansions reflect strategic responses to evolving regulatory, technological, and competitive pressures. The transitions also highlight ongoing challenges related to broker/dealer consolidations and integration processes impacting adviser decisions. Firms like Cetera and Ameriprise continue to attract established teams by leveraging institutional support and broad platform resources. Such shifts are influential for compliance, regulatory reporting, and operational workflows within these organizations, affecting market positioning as well as adviser retention and recruitment strategies.