Financial Advisor Transition Report 2026
Short answer: The UpTick Financial Advisor Transition Report 2026 is a free, 10-page guide for experienced advisors weighing a move. It covers first-half 2026 wirehouse movement, every wirehouse’s 2027 pay plan, recruiting deal levels, the RIA landscape and a 2027 decision checklist.
Inside the financial advisor transition report
- The four wirehouses lost a net 517 advisors in the first half of 2026, and 46% of leavers went independent.
- How each wirehouse changed pay for 2027, from Merrill’s Lending Growth Award to Wells Fargo’s $16,000 hurdle.
- Recruiting package levels by model, and why the ten-year math matters more than the check.
- RIA consolidation and Fidelity’s $100 million custody minimum.
- A seven-step 2027 checklist for advisors.
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Questions this financial advisor transition report answers
- How many advisors are leaving the wirehouses, and where are they going?
- Which wirehouses are gaining and losing advisors?
- How did each firm change advisor pay for 2027?
- What are recruiting packages worth now, by model?
- How fast is the independent and RIA channel growing?
- What does Fidelity’s $100 million custody minimum mean for small RIAs?
- What should I do before my firm’s 2027 plan takes effect?
Our approach
This report is built from public, sourced data reported by InvestmentNews, WealthManagement.com, Financial Planning, ThinkAdvisor, American Banker and Cerulli Associates research, as of November 12, 2026. It does not promote any single firm or business model. UpTick Consulting Partners is paid by receiving firms, so our consulting is at no cost to advisors.
Related: Advisor transition consulting · Going independent · Merrill report · Morgan Stanley report · UBS report · Wells Fargo report · Edward Jones report
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About UpTick Consulting Partners: UpTick is a financial advisor recruiting firm and transition consultancy in Red Bank, New Jersey. UpTick is not an investment advisor and does not provide investment, tax or legal advice. 646.734.0334 · marc@uptickrecruiting.com · uptickrecruiting.com