Deals & Moves: RFG Caps Record Recruiting Run with $100M Advisor
RFG Advisory Nears $9B in Client Assets With $100M Advisor From Farther
RFG Advisory crossed $1.5 billion in recruited assets during the first half of 2026 with the addition of Brian LaHue, who moved his Indiana-based Sweet Life Financial Planning team from Farther with over $100 million in assets under management, the firm announced this week. The Birmingham, Ala.-based hybrid RIA now has close to $9 billion in total AUM.
LaHue, who has a team of three, cited RFG’s operating system and advisor growth platform as key factors in choosing to leave Farther for RFG, according to the announcement. Sweet Life works with clients through a “planning-first approach” that considers wealth, lifestyle, health and long-term personal goals into the planning process.
LaHue has been running Sweet Life for almost four years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
RFG noted its first half as the strongest recruiting period it has seen since its founding in 2003.
“Culture creates opportunity, but execution earns results,” CEO Shannon Spotswood said in a statement. “When you combine exceptional people with the right infrastructure and a relentless commitment to helping Advisors grow, great things happen. This recruiting momentum is a reflection of that.”
In April, RFG invested in Zocks Communications, an AI assistant that its advisors also use for daily operations. In June, it also announced that it had entered into a partnership with private-market fintech iCapital to give its advisors access to investments, including private equity, private credit, hedge funds and structured investments.
The RIA also touts its “ClickONE” operating system, launched in March, which uses artificial intelligence to reduce the “swivel-effect” for advisors in managing client portfolios and financial plans.
Arax Pens 7th Deal of 2026 With $3B RIA
Arax Advisory Partners, a New York-based registered investment advisor subsidiary of the $43 billion Arax Investment Partners, announced Thursday it has signed an agreement to acquire Transcend Capital Advisors, a multi-state RIA with more than $3 billion in assets under management.
Transcend will be the seventh firm to join RedBird Capital Partners-owned Arax in 2026, further expanding the firm’s national footprint, according to the announcement. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter.
Founded in 2019 by former New York Stock Exchange CEO Duncan Niederauer and partners, Transcend serves more than 1,000 clients through a dozen advisors with experience investing in public equities, fixed income, private equity, and other asset classes. The firm is led by President and Chief Investment Officer Jacob Grossman and Head of Fixed Income Robert Brown.
“As we looked to the future, we wanted a partner that would preserve what makes Transcend stand out while expanding what we can deliver to clients,” Niederauer, founder and vice chairman of Transcend, said in a statement.
Transcend is headquartered in Madison, N.J., with offices in Michigan, Rhode Island and Florida.
Houlihan Lokey served as financial advisor to Transcend, and Seward & Kissel LLP served as legal counsel.
In a February interview with Wealth Management, Arax CEO Haig Ariyan said the firm would be looking to “turn up the dial” on recruiting in 2026.
NorthRock Partners Adds $200M Kowalski Financial in Minneapolis
NorthRock Partners, a Minneapolis-based RIA with about $12 billion in AUM, has brought on registered investment advisor Kowalski Financial, a five-person team based in Minneapolis with $200 million in AUM.
Kowalski Financial was founded in 2019 and offers financial planning services, including estate planning and tax services. The deal adds members to what NorthRock calls its “Personal Office” model, which creates teams for clients across investments, tax, estate planning, insurance, legal, business services, and philanthropy.
“NorthRock’s Personal Office model provides an expanded platform of expertise and resources that will allow us to continue delivering the personalized guidance our clients expect,” CEO Marc Kowalski said in a statement.
The group will relocate to NorthRock Partners’ offices in downtown Minneapolis.
