LPL Financial continues to expand its advisor network, most recently adding a team that managed approximately $300 million in client assets. The advisors of Paxel Financial Consulting, led by Chin Po, have moved to LPL's broker-dealer and registered investment adviser platform, operating under the infrastructure of Private Advisor Group (PAG), a large OSJ within LPL. LPL took a minority stake in PAG late last year, aligning with Merchant Investment Management in the firm's capital structure.
Paxel, founded in 1989, serves clients with a focus on financial and estate planning for families dealing with complex cross-border situations. The team includes advisors Young Po, Harry Lee, Jim Xu, and Gary Jiang. Chin Po, one of three CPAs on the core team, emphasized the importance of understanding clients' unique circumstances, particularly those navigating immigration and cross-border financial complexities. LPL's chief growth officer, Marc Cohen, framed the addition as part of the firm's broader recruiting momentum.
LPL has been particularly active in attracting advisors from Cetera. In recent weeks, the firm announced the additions of Frank Patton and Kimberlee Mott of PacK Financial in Kentucky, Dawn Parks of Sunny Day Financial in Texas, and Williams Tax & Financial Services in California. Collectively, these teams reported serving $640 million in advisory, brokerage, and retirement plan assets at their previous firm. This pattern underscores LPL's aggressive recruitment strategy, which has been a key driver of its growth.
In a separate move, Kestra Private Wealth Services and its affiliated Kindred Wealth Partners have added Kathryn McGough, JD, CFP, an attorney-turned-advisor who previously managed approximately $240 million in client assets. McGough, formerly with Hightower, is establishing a Kindred office in the Greater Chicago area, extending the firm's presence there. Her practice concentrates on estate planning for multigenerational, high-net-worth families, including wealth-transfer strategy and estate-tax planning. McGough said her career decisions have always been guided by what is in the best interest of her clients, and this move provides the independence and resources to support that commitment.
Kestra Private Wealth Services president Rob Bartenstein noted that advisors considering a move often hear a consistent theme: they should not have to trade independence for the resources of a larger platform. Kindred managing partner Chuck Palmer added that McGough's background strengthens the firm's value proposition for multigenerational families and supports its continued growth. This hire reflects a broader trend of advisors seeking platforms that combine independence with robust support, as seen in recent senior talent additions across the industry.
Oxford Financial Group, an independent RIA overseeing more than $38 billion in assets under advisement, has named Jason Gust a managing director and family office fellow in its Grand Rapids, Michigan office. Gust joins from VA Enterprises, a Grand Rapids-based single-family office, where he served as director of finance overseeing tax strategy, treasury, and wealth operations. He previously served as controller at Buttonwood Capital Management. In his new role, Gust will work on tax and estate planning, wealth preservation, asset protection, and capital deployment for Oxford's most complex client families, coordinating planning across insurance, philanthropy, and trust administration.
Oxford chief executive Jeffrey Thomasson said Gust's background inside family office environments made him "the perfect addition" to the Grand Rapids team, given the level of coordination those clients require. The firm, which ranks among the largest independent RIAs in the U.S., is bolstering its capacity to serve ultra-high-net-worth families, multigenerational trusts, and business owners in West Michigan. This hire follows a pattern of RIAs adding senior talent to meet growing demand for comprehensive wealth management, as highlighted in recent RIA consolidation and expansion moves.
In a smaller but notable addition, Howard Bailey Financial has added Jake Boyer as an advisory team associate at its Fort Wayne, Indiana headquarters. Boyer, a recent graduate of Taylor University, previously worked as a college financial representative with Northwestern Mutual and is pursuing his Series 65 license. Reid Braun, director of advisor operations and senior financial advisor at Howard Bailey, said Boyer's qualities give him "all the right ingredients to make an immediate impact within the firm." Boyer said he is drawn to the firm's focus on long-term client relationships.
These moves illustrate the competitive landscape for advisor talent, with firms like LPL and Kestra leveraging their platforms to attract experienced advisors, while RIAs like Oxford deepen their bench in key markets. As the industry continues to evolve, the ability to offer both independence and robust support remains a critical differentiator, a theme echoed in Cerulli's projections on advisor-held private capital.
