HighTower has attracted a pair of breakaway brokers that manage some $1 billion in client assets: Joel Talish, formerly of Wells Fargo Clearing Services in Westchester County, New York, and John Buffa, who used to work for a Morgan Stanley office in Paramus, New Jersey.
The two formed Cognetic Capital Advisors, which is affiliated with HighTower.
"2016 was one of the most successful years in HighTower history, and we're continuing that momentum into 2017 with two significant additions," said Michael Parker, chief development officer for HighTower. "Joel, John and the rest of the team at Cognetic Capital Advisors exemplify the high caliber of independent business that thrives on the HighTower platform."
Talish has 21 years in the business, while Buffa has 18, according to FINRA BrokerCheck.
Cognetic Capital Advisors is the second billion-dollar team to join HighTower community this year. Earlier in 2017, Fortress Wealth Planning launched on the HighTower platform in Jacksonville, Florida.
RBC Wealth Management says it recruited two advisors from Merrill Lynch in Minneapolis with over $1 million in yearly fees and commissions and about $145 million in assets under management.
Steven Culbert and Mark Smith each has over 10 years of industry experience; they made the move to RBC with investment associate Nathan Conery.
"We're very excited to welcome Steven and Mark to RBC Wealth Management," said Tom Schulenberg, director of the Minneapolis complex, in a statement. "They have strong industry knowledge and backgrounds, and will work tirelessly to meet the needs of their clients. They are great additions to the firm."
RBC Wealth Management, based in Minneapolis, has $279 billion in total client assets managed by about 1,800 financial advisors operating in 200 locations in 40 states.
In late-January, RBC welcomed a new branch director to its Raleigh, N.C. office: Bob Gipp, who formerly worked for Wells Fargo Advisors.
First Allied Recruiting
San Diego-based First Allied Securities, part of the Cetera Financial Group, says that the affiliated independent financial advisory firm Lifestyle Financial Advisors recently welcomed the Laura A. Nagle independent advisory practice into its business in the Gulf Coast region of Texas.
Ms. Nagle, a 35-year industry veteran, moved to Lifestyle with more than $167 million in client assets; Lifestyle is led by founder Michael A. Wegner, CWS.
"First Allied is very pleased to have assisted in the merger of Laura Nagle's independent advisory practice into Lifestyle Financial Advisors," said First Allied President &C CEO Kevin Keefe.
"Ms. Nagle has been an extraordinarily successful, well-established financial advisor, primarily serving retirement-planning accounts in the South Houston area, and her business fits extremely well with Lifestyle's advisory specialties and geographic footprint," Keefe explained.
