Hightower said Monday it acquired Bickling Financial Services Inc., a registered investment advisor that oversees $625 million in assets and has three offices in Massachusetts.
The firm was founded in 1984 by Dorothy Bickling, who was one of the first women to earn the certified financial planner designation.
Her sons, Spencer Betts and Andrew Betts, are now co-managing principals of the firm; Spencer Betts joined the firm in 2000 and Andrew Betts in 2007.
Bickling has five advisors and 14 employees overall.
Hightower, a Chicago-based RIA aggregator, said that at the end of 2022, it had $144.3 billion in assets under administration and $113.7 billion in assets under management.
Last week, Hightower announced that it had facilitated a merger between one of its units, TC Wealth Partners, and EFG Advisors, a wealth management firm overseeing more than $800 million in assets.
Looking to refine your strategy for investing in stocks in the US market? Discover expert insights, key trends, and risk management techniques to maximize your returns
The RIA led by Merrill Lynch veteran John Thiel is helping its advisors take part in the growing trend toward fee-based annuities.
Driven by robust transaction activity amid market turbulence and increased focus on billion-dollar plus targets, Echelon Partners expects another all-time high in 2025.
The looming threat of federal funding cuts to state and local governments has lawmakers weighing a levy that was phased out in 1981.
The fintech firms' new tools and integrations address pain points in overseeing investment lineups, account monitoring, and more.
RIAs face rising regulatory pressure in 2025. Forward-looking firms are responding with embedded technology, not more paperwork.
As inheritances are set to reshape client portfolios and next-gen heirs demand digital-first experiences, firms are retooling their wealth tech stacks and succession models in real time.