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DFX Advisor Movement Monitor · monthly edition

Financial advisor moves in March 2026

For RIA recruiters, wealth-firm M&A teams and advisor-industry analysts who need to see which firms are gaining and losing advisors each month.

We can't confirm the date of these figures right now, because the details of our latest run could not be confirmed. Recent registration changes may not be counted yet.

2,296 financial advisors changed firms in March 2026, counted from SEC Form ADV and IAPD registration records. Independent RIAs gained a net 125 from wirehouses and broker-dealer affiliated firms: 66 arrived from wirehouses and 16 went the other way; 232 arrived from broker-dealer affiliated firms and 157 went back.

2,296

advisors changed firms in March 2026

125

net advisors gained by independent RIAs from wirehouses and broker-dealer affiliated firms in March 2026

5,872

advisors changed firms in 2026 Q3

24,536

advisors changed firms, 2025 Q4 to 2026 Q3

How much March 2026 may still rise

March 2026 reads 2,296, in line with the October 2025 to January 2026 monthly average of 2,030. Late registrations can still add a few moves; the next edition prints the revised count.

Channel to channel, March 2026

Rows are the kind of firm an advisor left, columns the kind they joined. Darker cells hold more moves.

From Wirehouse
  • Wirehouse144
  • Broker-dealer affiliated163
  • Independent RIA66
  • Newly formed firm3
  • State-registered RIA2
From Broker-dealer affiliated
  • Wirehouse131
  • Broker-dealer affiliated533
  • Independent RIA232
  • Newly formed firm57
  • State-registered RIA29
From Independent RIA
  • Wirehouse16
  • Broker-dealer affiliated157
  • Independent RIA362
  • Newly formed firm32
  • State-registered RIA37
Source: DFX Intelligence, DFX Advisor Movement Monitor, from SEC Form ADV and IAPD registrations. 332 further moves involve firms outside these channels and are counted in the total only.
  • Wirehouse and Independent RIA: 66 moved to Independent RIA firms, 16 moved the other way, a net 50 toward Independent RIA firms.
  • Broker-dealer affiliated and Independent RIA: 232 moved to Independent RIA firms, 157 moved the other way, a net 75 toward Independent RIA firms.
  • Wirehouse and Broker-dealer affiliated: 163 moved to Broker-dealer affiliated firms, 131 moved the other way, a net 32 toward Broker-dealer affiliated firms.

The last six months

MonthAdvisors who changed firms
October 20252,200
November 20251,679
December 20252,192
January 20262,049
February 20261,769
March 20262,296

Who gained and lost advisors, last 90 days

Net advisors joined minus advisors who left each firm, from the same SEC registrations. Bulk transfers and same-firm re-registrations are left out. The newest moves, dated, are on the DFX RIA Movement Tracker.

See who in your network knows the firms gaining advisors: upload your contacts

Largest net gains

  1. LPL Financial LLC+183
    488 joined, 305 left, SCAsk DFX about this firm
  2. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC+152
    306 joined, 154 left, NYAsk DFX about this firm
  3. Advice And Planning Services+90
    104 joined, 14 left, NYAsk DFX about this firm
  4. Empower Advisory Group, LLC+87
    103 joined, 16 left, COAsk DFX about this firm
  5. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc.+80
    91 joined, 11 left, CAAsk DFX about this firm

Largest net losses

  1. Commonwealth Financial Network-142
    14 joined, 156 left, MAAsk DFX about this firm
  2. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated-75
    230 joined, 305 left, NYAsk DFX about this firm
  3. Edward Jones-55
    88 joined, 143 left, MOAsk DFX about this firm
  4. Equitable Advisors, LLC-52
    37 joined, 89 left, NYAsk DFX about this firm
  5. Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC-41
    169 joined, 210 left, MNAsk DFX about this firm

+5 additional gaining firms in the top 10

Every name, record and relationship behind this count, with the source on each.

+5 additional losing firms in the top 10

Every name, record and relationship behind this count, with the source on each.

On DFX Platform you see every firm and advisor behind these moves by name, and follow the firms you recruit from or compete with. 7 days free, then $199 a month.

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Method

A move is an advisor's registration ending at one firm (CRD) and starting at another, from SEC Form ADV and IAPD registration records; same-firm re-registrations and bulk corporate transfers are excluded; complete quarters only; history before 15 September 2026 counts only people still registered, so earlier quarters are lower bounds. Not observed: why anyone moved or the client assets that moved with them.

This edition counts one complete month, by the day each advisor left. The series begins with the fourth quarter of 2024. Counted hourly from the published RIA views; the tracker's method page has the channel definitions: DFX RIA Movement Tracker.

Cite and reuse

Recommended citation:

DFX Advisor Movement Monitor, March 2026 edition (dfxintel.com/trackers/ria-movement/monitor/2026-03), CC BY 4.0.

Quarterly counts by move type: data.csv (free to reuse with attribution, CC BY 4.0).

Every month since October 2024, by the channel advisors left and joined: monthly.csv (README, CC BY 4.0).

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