At a glance
- The practice, built by Cynthia "Cindy" Boyle and John Boyle, now lists their daughter, Mary Steele, as managing partner; its advisors also serve clients in Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina.
- Stifel Independent Advisors was acquired by Equitable Advisors in a deal that closed in February 2026.
- The team cited Osaic's size, curated asset management through Osaic affiliate Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management, and the breadth of its succession-planning resources.
Freehold Wealth Management, a $576 million estate-planning practice in Landrum, South Carolina, joined Osaic's network from Stifel Independent Advisors, InvestmentNews reported Oct. 23. The practice, built by Cynthia "Cindy" Boyle and John Boyle, now lists their daughter, Mary Steele, as managing partner; its advisors also serve clients in Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina.
Stifel Independent Advisors was acquired by Equitable Advisors in a deal that closed in February 2026.
The team cited Osaic's size, curated asset management through Osaic affiliate Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management, and the breadth of its succession-planning resources.
The report does not describe the affiliation's terms or what the succession offering includes.
Steele said she is focused on building the family business into a firm that can serve clients and their families for decades to come, citing Osaic's community and succession-planning capabilities.
Osaic, based in Scottsdale and known as Advisor Group before a 2023 rebrand, supports more than 11,000 financial professionals and is backed by private equity firm Reverence Capital Partners. InvestmentNews described succession planning as a recurring theme in Osaic's recruiting. Earlier in 2025 the firm took a majority investment in Innovative Wealth Team, a Nashville company providing succession-planning services.
Reported by the Recruiting & transitions desk from InvestmentNews. Published . Corrections