Mariner Wealth Advisors’ most recent public news shows continued aggressive expansion in 2026, including the March 4 acquisition of Cowell Insurance Services to add property and casualty capabilities and the January 16 addition of Alinity Wealth Management to Mariner Independent. Their newsroom also highlights a January 6, 2026 dual acquisition of First National Advisors and Strava Wealth, which expanded the firm’s footprint and sector-focused capabilities.[2]
What stands out
The biggest theme is growth through acquisition. Mariner’s 2026 announcements point to both geographic expansion and broader service coverage, especially around insurance and independent advisor platforms.[2]
Earlier major move
A notable earlier headline was Mariner’s January 2025 acquisition of Cardinal Investment Advisors, which added about $292 billion in assets under advisement and roughly 40 employees to its institutional practice. That deal pushed Mariner’s total AUA to around $550 billion at the time and further built out Mariner Institutional.[1]
Company context
Mariner’s own site still presents the firm as a large national wealth management platform, and it notes a 2025 Barron’s ranking of #6 among Mega RIAs. Its newsroom suggests the firm has remained active with multiple deals across 2025 and 2026, so the latest story is less about one event and more about a continuing expansion strategy.[4][2]