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Three Focus Financial Partner Firms Close Merger Deals

Eliane Chavagnon

26 January 2016

Three Focus Financial partner firms – Benefit Funding Services Group, Bridgewater Wealth & Financial Management and Buckingham Asset Management – have closed mergers.

In Irvine, CA, Benefit Funding Services Group has merged with Powers Capital Group, an RIA based in Orange County, CA. Patrick Powers, founder of Powers Capital, will head BFSG’s wealth management division. The transaction allows BFSG to add a significant HNW client base and a team of investment professionals, while providing Powers and his team with a steady referral source of HNW clients from BFSG’s institutional consulting business.

Meanwhile, Bridgewater Wealth & Financial Management in Bethesda, MD, has merged with Triton Wealth Management, an Easton, MD-based independent wealth management firm. Triton’s founder, Wayne Zussman, will join Bridgewater Wealth as a principal along with Karen Baer from Triton who will join as a senior advisor. Since joining Focus’ partner network, Bridgewater has expanded through three mergers, Focus said.

Lastly, in St Louis, MO, Buckingham Asset Management has merged with the Colorado-based RIA Denver Money Management. The merger will provide DMN clients with more holistic financial planning and investment management services and play a role in the transition of its business to the next generation of executives. Aaron Grey and Joel Martin will run the Denver office. For Buckingham, the move is a continued expansion into new territories, having hit Texas, New Jersey and Wyoming in 2015. Buckingham now has a presence in 12 states.

“The mergers serve as a perfect example of Focus’ founding mission – to create a partnership that brings like-minded entrepreneurs together,” said Rudy Adolf, founder and chief executive of Focus Financial Partners. “We look forward to supporting these firms’ continued growth through Focus’ capital, M&A expertise and value-add programs in various aspects of the business including marketing, pricing and technology.