The Retirement Planning Group, the employee-based RIA of Cetera, acquired three practices in the first quarter of 2025, expanding the firm’s reach into New York, California and Washington state and bringing approximately $180 million in assets.
The TRPG acquisitions are:
Hawkes Wealth Management
Based in Binghamton, N.Y., the firm was founded in 1981 as Russell Hawkes Associates by the father of current President Peyton R. Hawkes, AIF, who joined the firm in 1987.
Wealtheon Advisors
The San Ramon, Calif., firm’s husband and wife principals, Jay and Valli Doraiswami, sought increased flexibility and support in their practice and the ability to spend more time with their clients.
Financial Research, Inc.
The Seattle firm is led by Jay Cowles. One of TRPG’s financial professionals will manage the firm’s book of business in collaboration with the TRPG team.
“We continue to experience strong interest from independent, client-centric financial advisors seeking to spend more time with their clients and less time running their business,” Kevin Conard, TRPG CEO, said in a news release. “Our latest acquisitions are examples of established wealth management professionals making a change for the benefit of their clients and their business by joining TRPG. We welcome these financial professionals to the TRPG community and encourage other like-minded advisors to consider TRPG as a home for their long-term business needs.”
Cetera Holdings acquired TRPG in May 2023. The Retirement Planning Group is Cetera’s employee-based RIA and an SEC-registered investment advisory firm based in Leawood, Kansas. It has more than 2,000 clients and $2.63 billion in assets under management, as of Oct. 25.
