Core Viewpoint - An investment advisory team managing $1.3 billion at UBS has transitioned to an independent wealth management firm, Hampton Bluff Capital Partners, with support from Elevation Point [1]. Group 1: Company Developments - Hampton Bluff Capital Partners, based in Atlanta, has launched as a registered investment advisory firm this week [1]. - The team is led by industry veterans Krunch Kloberdanz and Justin Runager [1]. - This marks the third breakaway team to establish a registered investment advisory (RIA) on Elevation Point's platform this year [1].

Might as well jump, go ahead and… Jump, an AI-powered financial services platform for advisors, raised $80 million in Series B funding, four times the amount it secured in its Series A last year. Insight Partners led the round, with additional investments from F-Prime Capital and Allianz Life Ventures. The new capital will go toward expanding the AI meeting assistant’s tools that are aimed at making advisors’ lives easier. The raise underscores how quickly artificial intelligence is reshaping the wealth ...

Core Insights - LPL Financial Holdings Inc. reported a total advisory and brokerage assets of $2.41 trillion at the end of January 2026, reflecting an increase of $38.0 billion, or 1.6%, from December 2025 [1][3] - The percentage of advisory assets within total assets rose to 59.1%, up from 54.8% a year ago, indicating a shift towards advisory services [1] Advisory and Brokerage Assets - Advisory assets reached $1,422.7 billion, a month-over-month increase of 2.2% from $1,392.7 billion in December 2025, and a year-over-year increase of 43.4% from $992.4 billion in January 2025 [3] - Brokerage assets totaled $985.8 billion, up 0.8% from $977.9 billion in December 2025, and up 20.3% from $819.4 billion in January 2025 [3] - Total advisory and brokerage assets increased to $2,408.5 billion, a 1.6% rise from $2,370.5 billion in December 2025, and a 32.9% increase from $1,811.8 billion in January 2025 [3] Organic and Acquired Net New Assets - Total organic net new assets for January were $4.2 billion, translating to a 2.1% annualized growth rate [2] - Organic net new advisory assets were $6.1 billion, while organic net new brokerage assets were negative at $(2.0) billion [3] - Total acquired net new assets were $0.0 billion, with no new advisory or brokerage assets acquired in January [3] Client Cash Balances - Total client cash balances decreased to $56.5 billion, down $4.5 billion from $61.0 billion in December 2025, representing a 7.4% decline [2][3] - Insured cash account sweep decreased by 6.8% to $38.2 billion, while deposit cash account sweep fell by 7.2% to $14.2 billion [3] - Total bank sweep cash decreased to $52.4 billion, down 6.9% from $56.3 billion in December 2025 [3] Market Drivers - The S&P 500 Index at the end of January was 6,939, reflecting a 1.4% increase from 6,846 in December 2025 and a 14.9% increase from 6,041 in January 2025 [3] - The Russell 2000 Index increased by 5.3% to 2,614 from 2,482 in December 2025, and by 14.2% from 2,288 in January 2025 [3] - The average Fed Funds daily effective rate decreased by 2.4% to 364 basis points from 373 in December 2025, and by 15.9% from 433 basis points in January 2025 [3]

Core Insights - LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (LPLA) has formed a strategic partnership with Simplicity Group to enhance its insurance platform and support for financial advisors, effective May 1, 2026 [1][9] Partnership Details - Simplicity will act as LPLA's preferred Brokerage General Agency (BGA), providing a wide range of insurance products, advanced technology, and dedicated client service support to advisors [2] - LPLA will transition its internal insurance unit, LPL Insurance Associates, to Simplicity to create a more unified experience for advisors and clients [2] Advisor Benefits - Advisors using Simplicity's platform will gain access to specialized wholesale assistance, point-of-sale support, integrated insurance solutions, and advanced planning expertise for high-net-worth individuals [3] Strategic Goals - The partnership aims to provide advisors with advanced technology and support, enabling them to build deeper client relationships and address a broader range of financial needs, which is expected to drive revenue growth and asset retention [5] Market Position - LPLA has a network of over 32,000 advisors and nearly $2.4 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets, which will significantly enhance Simplicity's distribution capabilities and competitive position in the insurance advisory market [6] Ongoing Expansion Efforts - LPLA is actively expanding its wealth management platform through strategic acquisitions and partnerships, including the acquisition of Commonwealth Financial and The Investment Center in 2025, and Crown Capital Securities and Atria Wealth Solutions in 2024 [7][8]

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LPL Financial LLC announced today that financial advisor Tom Madigan, CEPA®, has joined LPL Financial’s broker-dealer, Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) and custodial platforms, aligned with Thimble Island Private Wealth, an existing firm supported by LPL Strategic Wealth (SW). He reported serving approximately $300 million in advisory, brokerage and retirement assets* and joins LPL from UBS. Based outside New Haven, Conn. in Branford, the Thimble Island team i ...

Core Insights - Deutsche Bank Research Institute utilized its AI tool, dbLumina, to analyze the impact of AI on various industries, predicting a significant "great rebalancing" in the global economy [1] - The report titled "What AI Says About AI Eating Itself and the World" highlights that data-rich industries with repetitive tasks are at high risk of disruption, while sectors requiring human empathy or manual dexterity are currently safer [2] Technology Sector - The information technology and software sector is identified as highly susceptible to disruption, as software development relies on logic and patterns that AI can automate [3] - Over 85% of developers are using AI coding assistants, achieving productivity gains of up to 60%, which raises concerns about the sustainability of traditional software licensing models [4] Financial Sector - The financial sector, particularly wealth management, is projected to experience a shift towards "robo-advisors," with AI-driven tools expected to provide advice to nearly 80% of retail investors by 2027 [5] Customer Service - Customer service is anticipated to undergo rapid transformation, with AI predicted to handle up to 75% of all interactions by 2026, relegating human agents to more complex cases [6] Media and Entertainment - The media and entertainment industry is also flagged for potential disruption as generative AI evolves from content analysis to content production, competing directly with human creatives [6]

Annuities were once seen as a dirty word, besmirched for their high fees and murky features. Some people continue to disparage them online. (We’re looking at you, Ken Fisher.) But, that image may be softening. Wealthtech firm Orion is embedding insurance tools into its flagship offering for financial advisors through an enhanced integration with annuities provider DPL Financial Partners. Orion, which has nearly $6 trillion in total client assets on its platform, is one of the leading technology providers ...

Core Insights - The company will increase its quarterly dividend to 99 cents per share from 90 cents in the previous quarter, indicating a positive outlook on financial performance [1] - The recent acquisition of RF Capital Group Inc. is exceeding initial expectations, enhancing the company's position in the wealth management sector [1] Canadian Insurance Segment - Core earnings for the Canadian insurance segment were $105 million in the fourth quarter, a decrease of 15% from $116 million a year earlier, primarily due to unfavorable morbidity in special markets, although this was partially offset by favorable mortality experience [2] - The segment also experienced higher expected earnings from individual insurance and employee plans [2] Wealth Management Segment - Core earnings in the wealth management segment rose to $127 million in the fourth quarter, up from $112 million in the same period of 2024, driven by strong net segregated fund sales and favorable financial markets [3] - The increase was partially offset by the higher impact of new insured annuities sales in group savings and retirement [3] - As of December 31, 2025, the company had $341.1 billion in assets under management and administration, reflecting a 31% year-over-year increase [3]

Here’s to a cool $25 mil. Avantos, an AI-powered operating system for advisors, raised $25 million in Series A funding this week, led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with additional backing from powerhouse wealth management firms like Vanguard, Guardian Life and SEI. The raise comes just over a week after Altruist launched an AI-powered tax planning tool that sent shares of wealth management firms including Charles Schwab and Morgan Stanley tumbling. The company plans to use the capital to expand research a ...

Company Growth and Recruitment - Compound Planning, a digital family office, added seven new advisors in late 2025 and early 2026, managing a total of $795 million in assets [1][2] - Notable new hires include Tony Golden from Merrill Lynch, Wendy Jankowski from Wealth Architects LLC, Tim Couture from First Citizens, and Scott Weigel from Mercer Global Advisors [2][3] - In 2026, Marcel Pfister joined from Silicon Valley Bank, and two senior advisors from Maia Wealth were added, expanding the firm's presence in various locations [3] Executive Appointments - Compound appointed Jessica Faaborg as chief compliance officer and Martin Malloy as head of content, enhancing its leadership team [4] - Akin Adekeye was also hired as general counsel, contributing to the firm's legal and compliance framework [3][4] Strategic Vision - The CEO of Compound, Alex Farman-Farmaian, emphasized the importance of integrating compliance and speed in modern wealth management, aiming to leverage technology for comprehensive client service [5] - The firm has grown to over 100 employees, including more than 50 advisors, and manages $4 billion in assets [6]