Daily intelligence on firms, advisor movement, and recruiting pressure
As of March 8, 2026, RIA Signal tracks 42,527 firms and 430,115 contacts. Over the last 7 days, 44 advisors changed firms, 1,127 entered the industry, and 850 dropped from view. The latest day brought 20 new arrivals and 4 departures.
Snapshot
March 8, 2026
A live view of market size, advisor movement, recruiting lanes, and credential activity across the RIA landscape.
Firms Tracked
42.5K
Current market state
Contacts Tracked
430.1K
Current advisor roster
Advisor Moves
44
Last 7 days
Credential Changes
216
Last 7 days
ACTIVE FIRMS
42.5K
Active Advisors
430.1K
Firm-to-Firm
44
NEW TO INDUSTRY
1.1K
Industry Departures
850
Credential Changes
216
Flow Trends
A quick read on how advisor movement has changed over the latest completed reporting window.
Advisor moves
Last 7 days • firm-to-firm changes
New arrivals
Last 7 days • newly appeared in the industry
Industry departures
Last 7 days • no longer appeared in the industry
Momentum Boards
The firms drawing talent in, losing people fastest, and tracking the strongest net gains.
Top Hiring Firms
Strategic Advisers LLC
+44 net over last 7 days
Wells Fargo Advisors
+6 net over last 7 days
LPL Financial LLC
-4 net over last 7 days
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
-22 net over last 7 days
Morgan Stanley
-8 net over last 7 days
Biggest Outflows
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated
-22 net over last 7 days
Wells Fargo Advisors
+6 net over last 7 days
LPL Financial LLC
-4 net over last 7 days
Morgan Stanley
-8 net over last 7 days
Equitable Advisors, LLC
-20 net over last 7 days
Net Gainers
Strategic Advisers LLC
82 inbound • 38 outbound
Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC
22 inbound • 2 outbound
MML Investors Services, LLC
26 inbound • 9 outbound
Thrivent Investment Management Inc.
22 inbound • 7 outbound
Voya Financial Advisors, Inc.
17 inbound • 2 outbound
Latest Analysis
Structural shifts, geography, team moves, recruiting lanes, and advisor development signals.
RIA Team Moves Watch: Two Office-Level Clusters to Know
RIA team moves tightened into a short office-level watchlist over the last 30 days, with two notable office clusters, one watchlist cluster, and no clean new-firm launch signal.
Mar 8, 2026
Market StructureRIA Market Structure: Three Markets Under One Label
Current disclosures show that RIA market structure breaks into three distinct operating groups: client-facing wealth managers, private fund managers, and institutional asset managers.
Mar 8, 2026
GeographyPrivate Fund Manager Geography Still Runs Through New York and California
Private fund manager geography remains unusually concentrated, with New York and California still accounting for nearly half of the high-confidence private fund manager universe.
Mar 8, 2026
RecruitingRIA Recruiting Watch: The Lanes That Actually Matter
RIA recruiting activity was more concentrated than the topline counts suggest, with one Wells Fargo lane towering over the rest of the direct advisor-move market.
Mar 7, 2026
RegistrationsRIA Registration Overlap Is Smaller Than It Looks
The current roster split shows that SEC-only and state-only firms still dominate the market, while true overlap remains comparatively rare and heavily skewed toward private fund managers.
Mar 7, 2026
CredentialsAdvisor Credential Momentum at the Large Platforms
Advisor credential momentum stayed active over the last week, but the volume was concentrated in a short list of large distribution platforms led by Edward Jones.
Mar 6, 2026
Trend to Watch
Corevision Financial Group has been the clearest recruiting destination, bringing over 4 advisors from Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC over the last 9 days.
Recruiting Lanes
Corevision Financial Group
last 9 days
Raymond James Financial Services Advisors
last 9 days
The Ameriflex Group
last 9 days
Credentials Watch
Credential activity stayed busy over last 7 days, with 111 designation updates and 105 exam changes. Edward Jones and LPL Financial LLC led the volume.
Designation Updates
111
Last 7 days
Exam Changes
105
Last 7 days
Most Active Firms
Market Structure
42,527 firms are currently in the tracked market, including 22,997 SEC-registered firms and 21,508 state-registered firms.
Total Firms
42.5K
SEC Firms
23K
State Firms
21.5K
Active Advisors
430.1K
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