Cetera Financial Group

When LPL announced its acquisition of Commonwealth, financial advisor John Fitzgerald knew choosing where to take Fitzgerald Financial Group next wasn't about following the crowd. He looked for the right fit, not the fastest one, and found it at Cetera within its Summit Financial Networks community. A home office visit with Summit's leadership confirmed what Fitzgerald was looking for – a service model that felt like the one that had kept him at Commonwealth for so long. John’s team serves roughly 400 households, more than 1,300 accounts, and oversees approximately $185 million in AUA (as of July 20, 2026), from their Vineland, New Jersey-based office. John plans to continue growing his practice primarily through referrals while also pursuing inorganic growth, including acquiring books of business and partnering with advisors seeking a succession solution. Read the press release here: https://bit.ly/3TTblqy

Growth isn't left to chance at Cetera. It's engineered through the tools and support financial professionals like Grant R. Raskin have access to every day.

A new chapter for Avantax Planning Partners – and an important milestone for Cetera Planning Partners. Today, Avantax Planning Partners officially joins Cetera Planning Partners, completing the combination with The Retirement Planning Group announced earlier this year. Together, these two established employee-advisor businesses now move forward as one national RIA community. Cetera Planning Partners brings together more than 100 advisors and over $20 billion in AUA, with a comprehensive approach spanning financial planning, tax strategy, investments, estate planning, insurance and more. We’re excited for what’s ahead for Cetera Planning Partners and the clients it serves.

The right partner starts by asking the right questions. Where do you want to take the business? What do you envision next? For Aaron Persons, Cetera delivered on that vision – driving real growth and total advisor retention.

Director and Managing Member, Financial Advisor Antoine Duncan, CPA came to GrowthLine with a vision. What came back was a digital presence that truly reflects who he is, what he stands for, and how he serves his clients. That kind of outcome doesn’t happen by accident. The GrowthLine team took the time to understand Antoine’s story, then translated it into a polished, professional brand experience built to connect with the right audience. Five years in, that’s still the GrowthLine difference: creating platforms that feel authentic, intentional, and unmistakably personal – because the best advisor brands don’t just look good, they build trust.

With roots going back more than 150 years, Maine Community Bank has grown into the largest mutual savings bank operating exclusively in the state, with nearly $3 billion in deposits across 21 branches. Its wealth management program has now partnered with Cetera Financial Institutions to support the next stage of its growth. The partnership brings greater consistency in service and a more hands-on approach to MCB's growing program, centered on personalized service for its Portland-based client base. Read more in the press release here: https://bit.ly/4iKchaX

For Wealth Management Advisor Schanice Staples, coming back to Cetera feels like coming home. Previously affiliated with Cetera earlier in her career, she now returns with eleven and a half years of experience in the industry to lead her own firm, Resilient Opulence Wealth Management in Renton, Washington. She built the firm around the idea that true financial success isn't just about the numbers on a balance sheet. It's about building a resilient life that can withstand unexpected changes and support what matters most to her clients. That familiar foundation, combined with the independence of her own firm, gives Schanice the perfect environment to help her clients thrive, backed by new tools and technology designed to elevate the client experience. Welcome to Cetera, Schanice!

Kevin Conard, CRPC® leads Cetera Planning Partners, a Community built around one integrated organization, allowing for a single team to support the client relationship from every angle. Financial professionals within Cetera Planning Partners have an entire team behind them, spanning investments, financial planning, tax, estate planning, technology, operations, and growth, so they can focus their time on relationships and advice. It's a combination of Cetera's scale with the connectivity of a smaller, entrepreneurial organization, built to give clients a personal relationship backed by significant resources. For Kevin, success goes beyond the numbers. He measures it by whether advisors and employees feel like they're part of something they're proud of, and whether clients genuinely feel well cared for. The growth and results, he says, tend to follow from there. Early in his career, Kevin set out to learn from great leaders wherever he could find them, a habit that still shapes how he leads Cetera Planning Partners today. Outside of work, he's kept busy keeping pace with three sons – catching high school basketball and soccer games, debating dinner plans, and spending summer weekends at the Lake of the Ozarks.

One of the many reasons financial professionals value being part of the Cetera community is our network built for growth with direct access to specialized guidance like this. In partnership with Capital Group, the Cetera Advice & Growth Workshops kicked off in Concord, CA and Dallas, TX last week. These interactive sessions are designed to help Cetera financial professionals uncover practical opportunities for growth within their existing book of business. Experts from Cetera Advisory, Cetera Investment Management, Cetera Workplace and Retirement, and Capital Group came together for a collaborative experience focused on turning ideas into action. Four more stops are on the way across the country, each designed to help advisors attract clients, boost efficiency, and drive retirement plan business.

Real independence isn't just having your name on the door – it's having control over the decisions that matter. At Cetera, financial advisors like Milton Cooley, EA, NTPI Fellow choose who they serve and how, backed by a platform built to support that autonomy rather than limit it.