Two serial acquirers backed by Wealth Partners Capital Group have added a combined $412 million in client assets, extending their geographic reach and niche expertise. Waverly Advisors, a fee-only RIA based in Birmingham, Alabama, has acquired MCS Family Wealth Advisors, which manages approximately $151 million from offices in Bend and Eugene, Oregon. Separately, Apella Wealth, headquartered in West Hartford, Connecticut, has added Blue Spark Capital Advisors, a firm with roughly $261 million in assets and offices in New York City and Great Barrington, Massachusetts.
MCS Family Wealth Advisors was founded in 1991 by Michael Stalker, who built the practice around financial planning, retirement planning, and investment management for high-net-worth individuals and families. Jeff Yamada, who has worked alongside Stalker since 2004, is the firm's other senior advisor. Both will join Waverly as partners and wealth advisors. Stalker said the firm's mission has been to "transform money from a source of worry to a resource for fulfillment," and he sees a shared philosophy with Waverly. Justin Russell, Waverly's president and CEO, called MCS "an excellent addition to our growing presence in the Pacific Northwest."
The MCS deal marks Waverly's 37th acquisition since Wealth Partners Capital Group and HGGC's Aspire Holdings platform took an equity stake in December 2021. Waverly now oversees approximately $38.4 billion in client assets. Oregon has been a repeated target for the firm's expansion strategy. Earlier this year, Waverly began its 2026 deal calendar with Pure Portfolios, a $437 million wealth manager in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Over the summer, it added InVista Advisors, a $332 million practice in Montgomery, Alabama, and Smithfield Trust, a Pittsburgh-based trust company with roughly $3 billion in assets.
Apella Wealth's acquisition of Blue Spark Capital Advisors brings a practice led by Maura Griffin, a certified financial planner with an MBA and more than 25 years in the financial industry. Griffin's firm specializes in advising women navigating divorce, the loss of a spouse or partner, career changes, and retirement, with a strong emphasis on client education. Griffin joins Apella as a partner and senior wealth advisor, bringing her team with her. Jim Scanlan, Apella's CEO, praised Griffin for building "a highly respected firm grounded in thoughtful advice, strong client relationships, and a commitment to helping women make confident financial decisions, especially through life's biggest transitions."
Blue Spark is Apella's 30th acquisition overall and its 19th since Wealth Partners Capital Group invested in September 2021. Apella now manages approximately $12.5 billion. The deal follows Apella's back-to-back acquisitions on opposite coasts: Morris Financial Concepts, a Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, firm with about $544 million, and Longview Financial Advisors, a San Rafael, California, practice with roughly $384 million.
The two deals underscore the continued consolidation in the RIA space, as larger platforms seek to add scale and specialized expertise. Waverly's expansion in Oregon reflects a broader trend of regional growth, while Apella's addition of Blue Spark highlights the increasing focus on serving women investors and their unique financial planning needs. Both firms are backed by Wealth Partners Capital Group, which has been an active investor in the RIA sector.
For advisors considering a sale, the transactions illustrate the value of a clear niche and a strong regional presence. MCS's long history in Oregon and Blue Spark's focus on women's life transitions made them attractive targets for acquirers looking to diversify their client bases. As the RIA industry continues to mature, deals like these are likely to remain common, with buyers seeking both scale and specialized capabilities.
