Cetera Financial Group has launched Cetera Planning Partners, a national employee-advisor registered investment advisory firm unifying Avantax Planning Partners and The Retirement Planning Group into a single integrated platform. The combined entity will oversee approximately 19 billion dollars in assets under advisement across more than 100 advisors, operating within Cetera’s RIA and Branches channel.
The launch consolidates two established advisory platforms into a coordinated offering spanning financial planning, tax strategy, investments, estate planning, insurance, trust services, and retirement solutions. Advisors within Cetera Planning Partners gain access to in-house specialists across these disciplines, established CPA firm relationships, and a multi-custodial platform designed to give advisors and clients greater flexibility. The structure also provides a succession solution for practices planning ownership transitions, with clients, teams, and existing practice legacies preserved through the process.
The Retirement Planning Group has already rebranded as Cetera Planning Partners, with Avantax Planning Partners expected to complete its integration and join the brand later in 2026. The launch continues Cetera’s broader employee-advisor RIA expansion strategy, which has included approximately 70 transactions over the past six years, including the additions of Darnall Sikes Wealth Partners, Plains Wealth Management, and Matkovic Financial Group in 2026 alone. Cetera is home to approximately 12,000 financial professionals and institutions.
KEY QUOTES:
“We built Cetera Planning Partners around a simple idea — advisors should never have to choose between what’s best for their clients today and what’s right for the future. For growth-focused advisors, that means more time with clients and a full bench of specialists behind them. For those thinking about succession, it means certainty: for their clients, their team, and the legacy they’ve built.”
Jennifer Hanau, President, Cetera RIA and Branches Channel, Cetera Financial Group
“Advisor sentiment is increasingly aligned with the RIA model, driven by accelerating client demand for financial planning and advice. Cetera Planning Partners is how we lead it.”
Mike Durbin, CEO, Cetera Financial Group
