NewEdge Wealth has recruited W. Trevor Beaney, the former chief executive of Florida Atlantic Securities Corp., as a partner in its Coral Gables office, marking the latest step in the registered investment advisor's push to expand its presence in South Florida's competitive wealth management market.
Beaney, who led the Miami-based broker-dealer for nearly a decade, oversaw more than $1 billion in total client assets. He joined Florida Atlantic in 2012 as a vice president after starting his career at Morgan Stanley in 2006, where he managed portfolios for ultra-high-net-worth and institutional clients with over $650 million in investment assets.
“Trevor and his team bring a depth of experience in managing equity and fixed-income portfolios for high net worth individuals and their families, as well as non-profit and for-profit corporations,” said Rob Sechan, founder and managing partner of NewEdge Capital Group, the parent company of the RIA. “Their unique business model dovetails well with the sophisticated wealth management strategies our team provides to our South Florida clients.”
Expanding into an ultra-high-net-worth market
Beaney's hire comes as NewEdge Wealth accelerates a multi-state growth strategy that has taken the firm into Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, and Minnesota in recent months. The firm has pushed aggressively into new markets, adding advisor teams with deep regional relationships and significant books of business.
NewEdge Wealth now counts more than 75 ultra-high-net-worth advisors across 22 offices, stretching from New York and Chicago to Miami and San Francisco. South Florida has emerged as a particular focus: earlier this year, the firm widened its Florida footprint with a high-net-worth Merrill Lynch team as part of a broader effort to build scale in the region. Beaney will be joined at the Coral Gables office by Kristie Feliz Smith, who joins as a client service associate.
Why advisors are moving to independent platforms
The move reflects a broader trend reshaping the wealth management industry: experienced advisors and firm leaders are leaving wirehouse and regional broker-dealer environments to join larger independent platforms, drawn by expanded investment capabilities and infrastructure support.
“Our clients have complex financial needs, and NewEdge has the investment solutions and technology to best serve the institutions, families and individuals we work with,” Beaney said in the announcement. “Partnering with NewEdge also provides support for our next phase of growth.”
As NewEdge deepened its Atlanta expansion with two senior hires earlier in 2026, the firm signaled that people moves, rather than firm acquisitions, remain its preferred growth mechanism. This strategy mirrors broader industry trends, as seen in Modera Wealth's recent acquisition and the ongoing movement of advisors to independent platforms.
For advisors considering similar transitions, the shift underscores the appeal of platforms that offer robust technology and investment solutions, as highlighted in Nevis's recent funding round for AI-driven back-office tools. Meanwhile, the regulatory environment remains a consideration, as evidenced by a Florida broker's FINRA bar for non-compliance.
