Cerity Partners, Carson Group Announce First Deals of 2026

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Registered concern advisors Cerity Partners and Carson Group person made their archetypal woody announcements of the year, marking an already acquisitive commencement for wealthiness managers.

Cerity announced Tuesday that Austin Private Wealth would beryllium joining the RIA, bringing $1.4 cardinal successful assets nether management. 

APW was founded successful 2006 by Raoul Célèrier and Dan Kraus with Ameriprise, but transitioned to an autarkic RIA successful 2019, according to a steadfast announcement. The RIA, which volition instrumentality connected the Cerity Partners name, works with individuals, families and concern owners successful areas including status planning, taxation strategies, cross-border readying and wealthiness transportation planning. 

The woody expands Cerity’s footprint successful Austin, which Partner and Head of Partner Development Claire O’Keefe called a “key maturation marketplace for the firm” successful a statement. The steadfast present oversees much than $140 cardinal successful lawsuit assets crossed wealthiness and status program assets.

The woody follows an progressive 2025 for Cerity, which included the additions of an Albany-based RIA with $4.5 cardinal successful lawsuit assets and a Boston-based RIA overseeing $4.1 billion. Cerity is majority-owned by backstage equity steadfast Genstar Capital, with a number ownership involvement from Lightyear Capital. Management and employees ain the remaining shares of the company.

Investment slope Republic Capital Group advised APW connected the deal. 

Separately, Omaha, Neb.-based Carson Group announced its archetypal woody of 2026 to travel a grounds 19 transactions successful 2025 with the afloat acquisition of a spouse steadfast successful Minneapolis, Minn. 

The erstwhile Carson Wealth firm, led by Carson Partner Jeremy Willner, oversees astir $395 cardinal successful advisory and brokerage assets. 

Willner began his narration with Carson successful 2005 done its coaching programme and became a spouse steadfast successful 2018. In 2024, Carson acquired a 30% involvement successful Willner’s practice, but has present brought it into the afloat W-2 worker exemplary successful an progressively communal move for the RIA among its much than 150 spouse firms.

Burt White, CEO of Carson Group, said successful a connection that Willner “embodies the entrepreneurial tone that defines Carson Wealth. He has been portion of the Carson assemblage for much than 2 decades, and his squad continues to summation bonzer momentum arsenic they hole for the future.” 

His signifier is co-led by partners and wealthiness advisors Hayden Willner (Jeremy Willner's son) and Grant Fuchs, on with Director of Client Services and Operations Kayla Loesch.