Mariner Wealth Advisors today announced that it has acquired Viewpoint Financial Network, a California-based firm with offices in the Los Angeles metropolitan area and in the San Francisco Bay Area and $950 million in assets under advisement.
The deal closed on December 30, at which time Viewpoint Financial Network assumed the Mariner Wealth Advisors name. It was the 14th transaction for the Overland Park, Kansas-based firm, which just last week announced that it closed another deal with two New Hampshire teams with a combined $1.3 billion in AUA.
Viewpoint Financial Network, founded by principal Benjamin Wong, has 39 years of experience bringing clients holistic financial planning and wealth management services, a news release said. Its team has experience in investment, retirement, and divorce services and estate and tax planning, the release said. The partnership, it said, “will enable it to expand capabilities, including tax and estate implementation services, trust and insurance services, retirement solutions for businesses, and more.”
“As we kick off 2022, I’m grateful for the tireless work of our associates and continued loyalty from our clients, which made this past year of unprecedented growth possible,” Marty Bicknell, CEO and president of Mariner Wealth Advisors, said in a statement. “It’s a privilege to welcome the talented Viewpoint Financial Network team to our family.”
Bicknell last week told Financial Advisor that their “pipeline is as robust as ever and I think we are probably on track to do anywhere between three to five [acquisitions] a quarter for 2022.”
With this latest deal, Mariner Wealth Advisors has nine offices in California. But during the interview with Financial Advisor, Bicknell said location is not the firm’s priority. “For us, it’s more about talent. Location is secondary. So, we don’t start with pins on a map, we start with finding the right people and the right fit for our organization,” he said.
Wong, who will continue to oversee the two offices and the 15 associates as managing director and senior wealth advisor, said Viewpoint Financial Network has focused on putting the clients’ needs at the forefront of its decisions. “Mariner Wealth Advisors also follows a client-first mission. Not only do they put their clients first, but they also share our values of integrity and offering world-class service, and joining their team is the right step in continuing to serve our clients for generations to come,” he said.
Founded in 2006, Mariner Wealth Advisors advises on $56 billion in client assets in 67 offices in 31 states.