Cetera Financial Group announced that it has acquired the assets of Marmo Financial Group, a Johnson City, Tennessee-based independent registered investment adviser.
Marmo Financial Group manages approximately $300 million in assets under management across about 620 clients. With the transaction, founder, principal advisor, and sole owner Scott Marmo and his team are joining Cetera Planning Partners, Cetera’s national employee-advisor RIA.
Cetera Planning Partners has approximately $19 billion in assets under administration and combines Cetera entities Avantax Planning Partners and The Retirement Planning Group. The platform is designed to provide integrated financial planning experiences for clients, advisor support, and succession options for practices planning their next phase.
Cetera will retain and continue operating the Marmo Financial Group office, expanding its footprint into Tennessee. The Marmo team is joining Cetera as W-2 employees.
Marmo Financial Group was not previously affiliated with Cetera. Marmo conducted a months-long evaluation before selecting Cetera as the firm’s next partner, citing culture, integrated services, and expanded planning capabilities as major factors in the decision.
By joining Cetera, Marmo Financial Group gains access to expanded resources across financial planning, tax strategy, investments, estate planning, insurance, and retirement solutions. Marmo also said the move allows him to offload compliance responsibilities, portfolio management operations, and day-to-day business administration so he can focus more on client relationships.
Marmo Financial Group had grown organically at double-digit rates as an independent firm. Marmo cited broader RIA industry consolidation, technology changes including artificial intelligence, the demands of scale, and the increasing complexity of holistic client service as reasons for seeking a strategic partner.
The transaction also supports succession planning for Marmo Financial Group, with the goal of protecting the long-term interests of clients and team members.
Cetera is a financial advisor Wealth Hub supporting approximately 12,000 financial professionals and institutions. As of March 31, 2026, Cetera firms managed approximately $630 billion in assets under administration and $296 billion in assets under management.
KEY QUOTES:
“We had been approached by a number of large firms, some with very lucrative offers, but culture alignment was the most important thing to me, and it overrode everything else. What ultimately brought me to Cetera was the combination of that culture fit with the ability to add in-house estate planning, legal support, and CPA services, which are capabilities our clients have been asking for.”
“They did everything they said they would, and I’m excited about what comes next.”
Scott Marmo, Founder, Principal Advisor, and Sole Owner of Marmo Financial Group
“Scott is exactly the kind of advisor and leader that makes our platform so compelling – he’s disciplined, client-focused, and deeply intentional about everything he does. Scott built Marmo Financial from the ground up and drove impressive, highly profitable organic growth, a testament to his discipline and the strength of his team.”
Jennifer Hanau, President, Cetera RIA and Branches Channel
“The fact that Scott looked across the entire market, evaluated a range of offers, and chose us speaks volumes about the strength of our platform and the culture we have built here. Scott and his team are a perfect fit, and we’re thrilled to welcome them. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish with the full resources of Cetera behind them.”
Kevin Conard, Head of Cetera Planning Partners
