#1 Investment Bank in RIA Space Marks Its Third Anniversary Amid RIA Deal-Flow Acceleration With "M&A May"

Dynasty Investment Bank Highlights $162B In Advised Transactions And Growing Demand For Succession And Liquidity Solutions

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dynasty Investment Bank, the investment banking division of Dynasty Financial Partners, today marked its three-year anniversary as merger and acquisition activity across the independent wealth management industry continues to build.

In 2025, Dynasty Investment Bank was the #1 investment bank serving the independent RIA industry with 15 completed transactions across sell-side, buy-side, recruitment, strategic advisory, and capital transactions, representing $162 billion of assets under management.

To mark its third anniversary, Dynasty Investment Bank is launching “M&A May,” featuring content and conversations focused on how deals are sourced, structured, and executed in the RIA market. Content can be viewed on Dynasty Financial Partners’ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynasty-financial-partners

"We're committed to driving value for our clients across their entire lifecycle," said Sam Anderson, Chief Capital Officer and Co-Head of Dynasty Investment Bank. "That means getting the people part right while optimizing valuation, deal structure, tax structuring and long-term incentive alignment. In addition, leveraging our deep operating technology expertise allows us to provide truly differentiated pre- and post-closing M&A transition support. Clients are asking for this level of service, and we're built to provide it."

There were over 300 RIA transactions in 2025. These deals were propelled in part by a wave of succession solutions that will see more than 100,000 advisors exit the industry over the next decade — many without clear succession plans.

Harris Baltch, Managing Director and Co-Head of Dynasty Investment Bank, noted that “M&A has become a primary tool for firms to confront retirement and succession issues.” The earlier RIAs engage on these issues, he added, “the more control they have over valuation, structure, and long-term alignment they enjoy.”

Dynasty Investment Bank advised on 15 transactions in 2025, spanning sell- and buy-side M&A, recruitment, strategic advisory, and capital solutions, representing $162 billion in assets under management, up from AUM advisory of $14.6bn in 2024.

Recent engagements include advising Jazz Wealth on its sale to Steward Partners, Cyndeo Wealth Partners on its minority recapitalization with Rise Growth Partners, and Abacus Global Management (NYSE: ABX) on its minority investment in Manning & Napier, a diversified wealth and asset management firm with approximately $18 billion under management.

“This work isn’t new to us,” said Dynasty Financial Partners Founder and CEO Shirl Penney. “Long before formally launching our investing banking unit in 2023, we had earned a strong position in the independent RIA market by staying focused on how these firms operate and grow.”

In addition to “M&A May,” Dynasty Investment Bank recently launched its “Breakaway Investment Banking" initiative, combining Dynasty Investment Bank’s transaction expertise with Diamond Consultants’ advisor transition capabilities to support larger teams pursuing independence. To learn more, visit: https://www.breakawaybank.com

Dynasty Investment Bank also publishes a quarterly newsletter, “Inside the Deal,” which analyzes transaction trends and industry developments, and hosts webinars on topics including M&A, capital raising, and strategic planning. To view the latest quarterly newsletter, visit: https://dynastyinvestmentbank.com/resources/category/inside-the-deal. To view our catalogue of webinars, visit: https://dynastyinvestmentbank.com/resources/category/webinars

About Dynasty Investment Bank

Dynasty Investment Bank is a leading investment bank dedicated to serving the asset and wealth management industry and is provided through Dynasty Securities, LLC, a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Our firm specializes in buy-and sell-side M&A, succession planning strategies, strategic advisory services, valuations, and providing flexible capital solutions to help firms achieve their strategic objectives. As an affiliate of Dynasty Financial Partners, a premier wealth management technology middle and back-office service provider to over $100 billion in assets under administration across the US, our investment banking team leverages the synthetic scale to provide our clients with unique market perspectives and deliver high quality execution.

For more information, please visit www.dynastyinvestmentbank.com

About Dynasty

Dynasty empowers independent wealth management firms by providing access to an open architecture platform of technology, business services, and holistic investment management capabilities. Dynasty delivers Supported Independence®, helping advisory firms launch, scale, and grow through proprietary and third party solutions, one of the largest investment platforms in the RIA space, and a leading investment bank dedicated to the asset and wealth management industries.

For more information, visit www.dynastyfinancialpartners.com.

Also visit Dynasty on social media:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dynasty-financial-partners
Twitter: @DynastyFP

Disclosure:

All publicly announced transactions involving the acquisition of an independent advisory firm were reviewed for inclusion, along with deals in which Dynasty invested through one of its capital programs. The ranking covers the period from January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2025, and excludes large-cap banks.