OneVest and Merit Financial Advisors Forge Strategic Partnership to Fuel Next-Gen Growth and Advisor Innovation
The collaboration unites Merit's aggressive national expansion strategy with OneVest's elite wealth operating system to redefine the RIA experience.
NEW YORK, March 5, 2026 /CNW/ - OneVest, a leading provider of modern wealth management technology, and Merit Financial Advisors ("Merit"), a premier national wealth management firm, today announced a strategic partnership designed to accelerate Merit's vision of building the "RIA of the Future." This collaboration arrives as Merit enters its most acquisitive year to date, targeting 15 additional acquisitions in 2026 following a milestone year where it doubled its assets to over $24 billion.
The partnership centers on delivering an enterprise-resilient, unified operating model that supports Merit's rapid scale while maintaining its signature focus on exceptional advisor care. By integrating OneVest's game-changing platform, frequently cited as the most sophisticated and agile architecture in the market, Merit is equipping its growing network with an engine designed to eliminate the "manual labor tax" that often plagues legacy wealth management firms.
"As we continue our rapid growth trajectory and welcome more advisor teams to the Merit family, our priority is providing them with the absolute best-in-class infrastructure," said Rick Kent, CEO of Merit Financial Advisors. "We aren't just looking for tools; we are looking for a partner that helps us move faster without compromising the personalized experience our advisors and clients deserve. OneVest is that partner, offering the technology designed for the scale we are achieving today and the innovation we need for tomorrow."
Empowering Growth Through Innovation
OneVest's platform is purpose-built for the modern growth firm, moving beyond simple dashboards to provide an intelligent execution and collaboration engine. The partnership directly supports Merit's strategic goals, including:
- Accelerated Advisor Integration: Streamlining the onboarding of new teams through a unified, modern workflow that eliminates the fragmentation of M&A and allows new offices to hit the ground running.
- Industry-Leading Advisor Care: Leveraging the most advanced tech stack available today to automate administrative burdens. This liberates advisors from acting as "system integrators," allowing them to move from task-managers back to relationship-leaders.
- Unified Client Experience: Merging complex multi-custodial, performance and financial planning data into a single, cohesive interface that defines the modern standard for client engagement.
- A Forward-Looking Technology Partnership: Merit's leadership has emphasized partnering with firms that share its long-term vision. As the industry evolves, the firm is exploring how emerging, intelligent technologies can enhance advisor support and improve operational efficiency at scale, shifting from software that shows you work, to an engine that does the work.
"Merit is a visionary firm that understands technology is no longer just a support function, it is a competitive differentiator," said Amar Ahluwalia, CEO of OneVest. "Our platform was engineered to be the premier choice for the elite wealth enterprise, providing the battle-tested, high-velocity power required for firms like Merit to scale without limits. Together, we are setting a new standard for how wealth management firms can grow while delivering a frictionless experience that keeps the advisor at the center of the story."
About OneVest
OneVest is a financial technology company redefining wealth management through an intelligent, agentic operating system. By advancing fragmented legacy software with a unified, AI-native platform built for autonomous execution, OneVest enables firms to operate with greater speed, control, and scale. Its open architecture deploys intelligence across the enterprise, transforming operations and freeing advisors to grow. OneVest serves financial institutions across the U.S., Canada, and global markets. Please visit www.onevest.com for more information.
About Merit Financial Advisors
Merit Financial Group, LLC, doing business as Merit Financial Advisors ("Merit"), is a national wealth management firm that supports both the independent broker-dealer and RIA models. Merit exists to enrich the lives of those they serve, and its mission is to revolutionize the client experience by building the wealth management firm of the future. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Merit has over 55 offices throughout the U.S. and managed $24.69 billion in assets as of January 1, 2026 ($17.86 billion in advisory, $2.73 billion in brokerage assets, $2.3 billion in retirement assets, $1.8 billion in ESOP). For more information, please visit www.meritfinancialadvisors.com, Investment advice offered through Merit Financial Group, LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser.
SOURCE OneVest Technologies Inc.
Tina Tuli, [email protected]
Share this article