Alaris in the News

EP Wealth Expands On East Coast, Adding $418M AUM RIA In Maryland

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March 31, 2026
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5 mins read
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Published on FA Magazine on March 31, 2026

EP Wealth Expands On East Coast, Adding $418M AUM RIA In Maryland

March 31, 2026 • FA Staff

Torrance, Calif.-based EP Wealth Advisors has established a new East Coast presence with the acquisition of Divergent Planning LLC, a fee-only fiduciary RIA in Bethesda, Md., that oversees about $418 million in assets under management.

In a news release today, EP Wealth, a fee-only RIA itself and manager of more than $42.2 billion in assets across 67 offices in 23 states, said the Divergent deal will add seven team members as the firm establishes a Mid-Atlantic footprint.

Divergent is the fourth acquisition this year for the acquisitive EP Wealth, which didn’t disclose the legal or financial terms of the deal. The transaction closed Friday March 27.

“Divergent Planning represents exactly the kind of team we want to grow with at EP Wealth—planning-led, fiduciary-minded, and deeply committed to earning client trust,” said Ryan Parker, CEO of EP Wealth, in a statement.

Divergent was co-founded in 2010 by Ara Abrahamian and Matt Brock. In 2017, they became a fee-only, fiduciary RIA, a model that put it in alignment with EP Wealth’s platform and values, said the acquirer in the release.

“Comprehensive planning has always meant looking at every part of a client’s financial life and building thoughtful, disciplined strategies around what matters most to them,” said Brock. “This partnership allows us to continue delivering highly personalized advice while strengthening the infrastructure and long-term vision behind the work we do for our clients.”

Kyle Miller, chief M&A partnership officer at EP Wealth, added, “From our earliest conversations, it was clear this was more than a strategic fit—it was a true alignment of values. Ara and Matt have built Divergent with real intention, grounded in thoughtful planning and deep respect for the client relationship.”

Alaris Acquisitions, an M&A advisory firm specializing exclusively in the wealth management industry, acted as the advisor for this transaction, according to the release.

EP Wealth Expands On East Coast, Adding $418M AUM RIA In Maryland

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"Working with Alaris was like being part of a team. their industry knowledge and experience was extremely valuable and the level of professionalism they provided was crucial throughout the entire process."
William Blanton, Owner, Acquired by Composition Wealth
"Alaris was amazing! Not only did they help me find the right fit (or firm?), but they made the transition much smoother than it would've been on my own. And I believe the overall outcome was much better than it would've been without them."
William Rosenthal, Owner, Acquired by Beacon Pointe
"Alaris was a great partner with us in the M&A process. We felt better educated, guided and ultimately able to identify who was a great fit for us as a result of their process."
Dean Barber, Owner, Acquired by Modern Wealth Management
"Working with Alaris gave us a great sense of confidence through the entire journey and their knowledge of the buyer universe accelerated the process. They are organized, transparent, and frankly, just a great team to work with. We were very happy with them and received a much higher valuation than we would have on our own."
John Horseman, Owner, Acquired by Allworth
"I first met Allen and Alaris during the summer of 2021. By the end of the year, my life had changed as they were an integral part in helping me make the next transition in my business career by selling/merging with a bigger company. Their communication and recommendations along the way were priceless, and being that this was the biggest career move of my life, they did a wonderful job at making me feel the very comfortable during the process."
Marc Wolff, Owner, Acquired by Beacon Pointe
"Alaris stands out amongst its peers. We appreciate the fact that they took a substantial amount of time to understand our firm and culture - no other M&A advisor has ever done that. The seller economics will always be important and while Alaris seeks to maximize that part of the seller outcome, it's never at the expense of cultural fit."
Glenn Spencer, CEO, Prime Capital Financial
"At Beacon Pointe, culture is everything. We know when Alaris brings us a prospective partner they have gone through a robust process, are well educated, and have a high probability of being a fit for our family. It's a refreshing model for our industry."
Matt Cooper, President, Beacon Pointe Advisors
"We love working with Alaris because they understand our model and culture. When they bring us a prospective partner, we have extreme confidence that it's a great fit for both parties. They truly care about the outcome for the buyer and the seller equally."
Mike Dolberg, CEO, Apollon Wealth Management
"Working with Alaris was like being part of a team. their industry knowledge and experience was extremely valuable and the level of professionalism they provided was crucial throughout the entire process."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"Alaris was amazing! Not only did they help me find the right fit (or firm?), but they made the transition much smoother than it would've been on my own. And I believe the overall outcome was much better than it would've been without them."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"Alaris was a great partner with us in the M&A process. We felt better educated, guided and ultimately able to identify who was a great fit for us as a result of their process."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"Working with Alaris gave us a great sense of confidence through the entire journey and their knowledge of the buyer universe accelerated the process. They are organized, transparent, and frankly, just a great team to work with. We were very happy with them and received a much higher valuation than we would have on our own."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"I first met Allen and Alaris during the summer of 2021. By the end of the year, my life had changed as they were an integral part in helping me make the next transition in my business career by selling/merging with a bigger company. Their communication and recommendations along the way were priceless, and being that this was the biggest career move of my life, they did a wonderful job at making me feel the very comfortable during the process."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"Alaris stands out amongst its peers. We appreciate the fact that they took a substantial amount of time to understand our firm and culture - no other M&A advisor has ever done that. The seller economics will always be important and while Alaris seeks to maximize that part of the seller outcome, it's never at the expense of cultural fit."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"At Beacon Pointe, culture is everything. We know when Alaris brings us a prospective partner they have gone through a robust process, are well educated, and have a high probability of being a fit for our family. It's a refreshing model for our industry."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"We love working with Alaris because they understand our model and culture. When they bring us a prospective partner, we have extreme confidence that it's a great fit for both parties. They truly care about the outcome for the buyer and the seller equally."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"Working with Alaris was like being part of a team. their industry knowledge and experience was extremely valuable and the level of professionalism they provided was crucial throughout the entire process."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"Alaris was amazing! Not only did they help me find the right fit (or firm?), but they made the transition much smoother than it would've been on my own. And I believe the overall outcome was much better than it would've been without them."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"Alaris was a great partner with us in the M&A process. We felt better educated, guided and ultimately able to identify who was a great fit for us as a result of their process."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"Working with Alaris gave us a great sense of confidence through the entire journey and their knowledge of the buyer universe accelerated the process. They are organized, transparent, and frankly, just a great team to work with. We were very happy with them and received a much higher valuation than we would have on our own."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"I first met Allen and Alaris during the summer of 2021. By the end of the year, my life had changed as they were an integral part in helping me make the next transition in my business career by selling/merging with a bigger company. Their communication and recommendations along the way were priceless, and being that this was the biggest career move of my life, they did a wonderful job at making me feel the very comfortable during the process."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"Alaris stands out amongst its peers. We appreciate the fact that they took a substantial amount of time to understand our firm and culture - no other M&A advisor has ever done that. The seller economics will always be important and while Alaris seeks to maximize that part of the seller outcome, it's never at the expense of cultural fit."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"At Beacon Pointe, culture is everything. We know when Alaris brings us a prospective partner they have gone through a robust process, are well educated, and have a high probability of being a fit for our family. It's a refreshing model for our industry."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"We love working with Alaris because they understand our model and culture. When they bring us a prospective partner, we have extreme confidence that it's a great fit for both parties. They truly care about the outcome for the buyer and the seller equally."
Mike Dohlberg
CEO Apollon Wealth Management
"Working with Alaris was like being part of a team. their industry knowledge and experience was extremely valuable and the level of professionalism they provided was crucial throughout the entire process."
William Blanton, Owner, Acquired by Composition Wealth
"Alaris was amazing! Not only did they help me find the right fit (or firm?), but they made the transition much smoother than it would've been on my own. And I believe the overall outcome was much better than it would've been without them."
William Rosenthal, Owner, Acquired by Beacon Pointe
"Alaris was a great partner with us in the M&A process. We felt better educated, guided and ultimately able to identify who was a great fit for us as a result of their process."
Dean Barber, Owner, Acquired by Modern Wealth Management
"Working with Alaris gave us a great sense of confidence through the entire journey and their knowledge of the buyer universe accelerated the process. They are organized, transparent, and frankly, just a great team to work with. We were very happy with them and received a much higher valuation than we would have on our own."
John Horseman, Owner, Acquired by Allworth
"I first met Allen and Alaris during the summer of 2021. By the end of the year, my life had changed as they were an integral part in helping me make the next transition in my business career by selling/merging with a bigger company. Their communication and recommendations along the way were priceless, and being that this was the biggest career move of my life, they did a wonderful job at making me feel the very comfortable during the process."
Marc Wolff, Owner, Acquired by Beacon Pointe
"Alaris stands out amongst its peers. We appreciate the fact that they took a substantial amount of time to understand our firm and culture - no other M&A advisor has ever done that. The seller economics will always be important and while Alaris seeks to maximize that part of the seller outcome, it's never at the expense of cultural fit."
Glenn Spencer, CEO, Prime Capital Financial
"At Beacon Pointe, culture is everything. We know when Alaris brings us a prospective partner they have gone through a robust process, are well educated, and have a high probability of being a fit for our family. It's a refreshing model for our industry."
Matt Cooper, President, Beacon Pointe Advisors
"We love working with Alaris because they understand our model and culture. When they bring us a prospective partner, we have extreme confidence that it's a great fit for both parties. They truly care about the outcome for the buyer and the seller equally."
Mike Dolberg, CEO, Apollon Wealth Management
Alaris in the News