The Mather Group, a fee-only registered investment advisor based in Chicago with roughly $17 billion in client assets, has entered into a partnership with Legacy Consulting Group, a Plano, Texas-based practice managing more than $400 million. The transaction strengthens TMG's presence in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, a market the firm has been actively cultivating.
Legacy is led by partners Roger Shake and Steven Wachs, each with over three decades of industry experience. Shake focuses on clients navigating significant personal and financial transitions, while Wachs serves as chief investment officer, overseeing the firm's investment philosophy and process. The practice caters to individuals, families, and business owners through a financial life planning model that ties monetary decisions to clients' values and long-term objectives.
As part of the partnership, Legacy's clients will gain access to TMG's in-house tax, estate, financial planning, and investment management capabilities. Jennifer des Groseilliers, TMG's chief executive, emphasized that the combination preserves the personalized relationships Legacy clients value while expanding the resources available to support them across all life stages. Wachs echoed that sentiment, noting the move reinforces a long-horizon approach, helping clients look beyond short-term market fluctuations and stay focused on their plans.
The Legacy addition is the latest in a series of inorganic growth moves for The Mather Group this year. Earlier in 2025, the firm absorbed a $300 million planning firm in New Jersey and a Chicago-based practice specializing in business owners. These acquisitions align with TMG's strategy to broaden its geographic reach and service capabilities.
In a separate development, Summit Wealth Group, an independent RIA headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, has acquired the practice of Scott Hardy, a Commonwealth Financial Network advisor overseeing approximately $189 million in client assets. Hardy will join Summit's Brentwood, Tennessee, office as a senior financial advisor. This is not Summit's first recruitment from Commonwealth; the firm previously broke away from Commonwealth to become an RIA with $2.1 billion in assets and later expanded in Tennessee through its acquisition of Premier Private Wealth, a $470 million firm with Commonwealth roots. Randy Morris, Summit's chief executive, noted that having operated within the Commonwealth ecosystem themselves, they understand what advisors value about that model and what they seek as their practices evolve. Hardy cited the opportunity to preserve his client service approach while gaining additional resources as a key draw.
Oxford Financial Group, an Indiana-based multifamily office with more than $38 billion in assets under advisement, has appointed Scott Ryan and Nicholas Detmer as managing directors and partners. Both will join Regent Street, Oxford's private markets team, where they will lead sourcing, due diligence, and monitoring of primary fund commitments and co-investments, including those with emerging managers. Ryan brings over 11 years of experience as senior director of investments at the Indiana University Foundation, where he helped oversee a portion of an endowment of approximately $3.8 billion, covering buyouts, early-stage venture capital, real assets, and hedge funds. Detmer joins from alternatives consultant Aksia, where he was a managing director advising large institutional investors; previously, he spent nearly a decade at the Indiana Public Retirement System, serving as deputy chief investment officer and director of private equity. Jeffrey Thomasson, Oxford's chief executive, said the hires align with client needs, particularly for families who have recently sold businesses and seek thoughtful ways to deploy capital into private companies.
Verdence Capital Advisors, a Hunt Valley, Maryland-based private wealth advisory and multifamily office with approximately $5 billion in assets under management, has hired Craig Rauser from Fidelity to join its Naples, Florida, office as director and private wealth advisor. Rauser, who has nearly two decades of industry experience, will work with ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. Leo Kelly, Verdence's founder and chief executive, highlighted Rauser's ability to build long-term relationships and guide clients through significant financial decisions and life changes. Rauser said he was attracted to the firm's broader team and deeper resources, which can support advice across investment management, financial planning, and other areas of clients' financial lives.
These moves reflect ongoing consolidation and talent recruitment across the RIA space, as firms seek to expand geographically and deepen their service offerings. For more on recent M&A activity, see Carson Group's acquisition of a New Jersey RIA and Aspen Standard Wealth's purchase of a Louisiana firm. Additionally, Raymond James, UBS, and Ameriprise have recruited $3.2 billion in advisor moves, and Americana Partners has launched a family office group with $12.1 billion in assets.
