Carson Group has acquired True North Financial, a Billings, Mont.-based registered investment advisor with about $400 million in assets. The deal adds a second Billings location for Carson Wealth, one of three Carson Group subsidiaries, and marks its sixth acquisition of the year.
True North Financial consists of a six-person team led by Managing Partner and wealth advisor Ty Vogele and wealth advisors David Guenthner and Ryan Wittman. The team will operate as Carson Wealth | True North Financial.
Vogele and Wittman started True North in 2015 as a practice affiliated with Ameriprise Financial. They broke away to launch their own RIA in 2020, with Guenthner joining earlier this year.
The team now has access to Carson’s investment strategies, advanced tax planning and estate planning resources.
“As advisors, we often find ourselves wearing too many hats,” Vogele said in a statement. “We were struggling with balancing client needs, firm growth and everyday demands. Now, we have the resources and support to deepen client relationships and explore innovative financial planning solutions. We believe this partnership will propel our practice to the next level.”
Based in Omaha, Neb., Carson Group was founded in 1983 by Ron Carson and serves financial advisors and investors through its three businesses—Carson Wealth, its retail wealth management arm; Carson Partners, an RIA partnership platform; and Carson Coaching, an advisor coaching service. Carson Group currently manages $38 billion in assets across all three, serving more than 50,000 families through a network of more than 150 partner offices, including more than 50 Carson Wealth locations.
In April, Carson stepped down from his role as chief executive to become chairman of the board, with Burt White, managing partner and chief strategy officer, taking over his position.
That same month, Carson’s former CMO Mary Kate Gulick filed a lawsuit against the firm, claiming it did not adequately respond to allegations a Carson employee had committed sexual assault and that Carson made the decision to keep the employee at the company.