Mercer Advisors Targets Greater Denver, Colorado

Denver-headquartered Mercer Advisors, a national registered investment advisor (RIA), has been one of the largest acquirers of wealth management firms in the North American market.

Despite the industry-wide slowdown, Mercer Advisors is
continuing its run of M&A transactions by adding $1.675
billion in client assets through two new acquisitions in October.
It has acquired Minneapolis-based Waypoint
Capital Advisors, an investment advisory and financial
planning firm, as well as Chapel &
Collins, an RIA based in Fort Collins, Colorado.

These acquisitions, which have expanded the firm’s assets
under management past $66 billion, also enhance its presence
in multiple markets, it said in a statement. The financial sizes
of the transaction weren”t disclosed.

The latest purchases continue a run of acquisitions by Mercer. In
October, it acquired Kiely Wealth Advisory Group of North
Carolina and in March, it acquired MDK Private Wealth Management.
This is despite the industry M&A slow-down in 2024.
Fidelity’s September 2024 report shows 155 deals through
September, an 11 per cent drop from 174 in the same period last
year. See more commentary
here and
here.

Waypoint

Waypoint manages nearly $1 billion in client assets for
ultra-high net worth individuals and families across the US.
Waypoint will expand services to UHNW clients and
multigenerational families by tapping into Mercer Advisors’
specialists and capabilities in these areas. 

The acquisition of Waypoint also bolsters Mercer Advisors’ UHNW
practices, Mercer said, such as access to differentiated
private investments, dedicated tax, estate, and investment
strategists and more. 

“Partnering with Mercer Advisors for our next phase of growth was
the clear choice. We have the shared vision of providing clients
with personalized fiduciary financial advice that not only helps
them execute their financial plans, but also fulfills their life
plans,” said Jon Kennedy, CEO and managing partner at Waypoint.

“Waypoint is a terrific complement to Mercer Advisors and will
deepen the depth and breadth of our teams focused on serving
multi-family offices and ultra-high net worth families,” added
Dave Welling, CEO of Mercer Advisors. “They have built a team
with deep expertise managing, coordinating and solving the unique
needs of generationally wealthy families. Importantly, they do so
in a way that aligns the firm to act in the best interest of
their clients.” 

Chapel & Collins

Mercer has also acquired Chapel & Collins which manages about
$675 million for more than 500 individuals and families. Chapel &
Collins specializes in serving business owners, retirees and
pre-retirees, in addition to advising corporate retirement plans
and providing institutional consulting services. The addition of
Chapel & Collins pushes Mercer Advisors’ assets under management
in Colorado to nearly $5 billion across its seven offices and
over 150 employees in the Greater Denver Area. 

Chapel & Collins offers in-depth financial planning to address
the management, preservation and transfer of multigenerational
wealth. The firm provides a range of services catering to
high net worth investors, including estate, charitable, giving
and trust planning, alternative investments, tax
planning and more. Founding partner Dennis Collins sought out
Mercer Advisors for its extensive resources, specialized services
and operational support.  

For Mercer Advisors, Chapel & Collins brings additional financial
planning depth and wealth advisor capacity to the
region. Since relocating its headquarters to Denver in 2017,
Mercer Advisors has grown to serve more than 2,200 families in
the Denver area.

“Growing our footprint in Greater Denver and Fort Collins helps
us deepen our roots in one of our key markets,” Welling said. “By
extending our integrated wealth management experience to more
families in the Denver area, we’re able to help amplify and
simplify their financial lives. In doing so, we can make a
meaningful impact on these vibrant local communities.”

Mercer Advisors operates nationally through 80 locations
across the country, managing over $66 billion in client
assets.