LPL Financial announced that financial advisor Chris Kitaeff, CPFA, MBA, has joined LPL Financial’s broker-dealer, RIA, and custodial platforms. With this move to LPL, Kitaeff joins Maher Wealth Management as a managing director. He reported serving about $385 million in advisory, brokerage, and retirement plan assets and joined LPL from Merrill Lynch.
Kitaeff is a second-generation advisor who has been passionate about wealth management since a young age and followed his father’s footsteps into the industry. He started his career on Wall Street as a hedge fund analyst before joining his father’s practice in 2009.
Kitaeff also received the Forbes Best-in-State Advisor Award for four consecutive years, from 2021 to 2024. To continue that success and provide his clients with more financial freedom on an independent platform, Kitaeff established a new partnership with his former colleague Thom Maher, who joined LPL in 2023 and founded Maher Wealth Management.
Kitaeff says that the behind-the-scenes work of the dedicated team at LPL Strategic Wealth Services (SW) will heighten the client experience. This team combines the freedom and flexibility of entrepreneurship with hands-on business services and support to help practices thrive operationally and strategically. Maher Wealth Management is an existing SW team that receives operations support managed by experienced professionals, including a business strategist, marketing partner, CFO, and administrative assistant.
KEY QUOTES:
“It’s been amazing getting to spend the last 15 years sharing a wall with my father who is now retiring after a storied career in wealth management. As someone who loves to love, I really enjoy making personal connections and developing friendships with my clients.”
“I appreciate Thom’s high moral standards and mission to deliver premium client experiences by attentively listening and understanding what matters most to each client. I also believe clients are better served with an open architecture approach to wealth planning. Being independent opens a universe of investment solutions and allows me as a fiduciary to provide clients with the absolute best customized strategies to meet their needs. LPL is a phenomenal company with a great track record of working with the advisor to help give clients the ultimate experience.”
- Chris Kitaeff
“I’m delighted to join forces with Chris as we embark on this exciting new chapter at Maher Wealth Management. I’ve known Chris for over a decade and know that his heart is in financial services, along with a deep desire to always put clients’ best interests first. Our commitment to delivering premium client experiences remains unwavering, and we are confident this new partnership will allow us to take our service to new heights.”
- Thom Maher
“We welcome Chris to the LPL community and congratulate Maher Wealth Management on growing its team. We applaud their decision to join forces in an ongoing effort to evolve their business and provide differentiated experiences for their clients. At LPL, we are deeply committed to providing advisors with ultimate freedom and flexibility. We look forward to supporting the entire Maher team for years to come.”
- Scott Posner, LPL Executive Vice President, Business Development
