Merit Financial Acquires $1.1B Buffalo Firm Moldenhauer & Associates

Merit Financial Advisors, a Georgia-based registered investment advisory firm, has acquired Moldenhauer & Associates, a Buffalo-area wealth management practice managing approximately $1.1 billion in client assets, the companies announced Wednesday. The deal extends Merit's geographic footprint into Western New York and marks a significant addition to the firm's national growth strategy.

Moldenhauer & Associates becomes the tenth former Commonwealth Financial Network team to affiliate with Merit, underscoring a pattern of consolidation among advisors who previously operated under that independent broker-dealer platform. The acquisition signals that Merit has cultivated a recognizable pipeline from Commonwealth's former advisor community as the industry continues to see breakaway and transitioning teams seek larger institutional homes.

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Merit framed the transaction as part of a broader effort to position the firm for sustained long-term growth while also addressing succession and continuity concerns — factors that frequently drive established regional practices to align with larger aggregators. For Moldenhauer & Associates, joining Merit is expected to provide operational infrastructure and resources that support the firm's next chapter without disrupting existing client relationships.

The wealth management acquisition landscape has remained highly active, with well-capitalized RIA aggregators competing aggressively to absorb established regional firms that manage billions in assets. Merit's latest deal illustrates how firms with deep community roots and loyal client bases have become attractive targets for growth-oriented national platforms seeking both scale and geographic diversification.

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