With the latest addition, Mercer now has over 30 offices across the country and more than $13 billion in assets under management.

The move will make it easier for Stonebridge Financial Group to acquire other practices.

The independent broker/dealer has $185 billion in assets on its corporate RIA platform, up 27 percent year-over-year.

The brokerage brought on $300 million in trailing 12-month production for the year.

It’s getting harder for small independent ski resorts to compete with larger scale players. Sound familiar?

The RIA expects it will be managing $10 billion by the end of 2018, up from $9 billion it anticipated at the end of its second quarter.

Headcount is down 3 percent from a year ago, as earnings and assets climb higher.

Succession Lending positions itself as an alternative to Live Oak Bank, the innovative lender that brought small business loans to collateral-light RIAs.

The acquisition is part of Stifel’s effort to grow its asset and wealth management business.