Advisor Moves · Recruiting · Independence
Prospera and Raymond James Add Advisory Teams Managing More Than $550 Million
Prospera Financial Services added Chris Palmer's Abound Advisors while Raymond James welcomed the Burklow-led Seven Arrows Wealth, bringing on a combined more than $550 million in client assets as the competition for experienced advisors intensifies.
By Advisor News Network
August 11, 2026
3 min
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$550MAUM
The competition for experienced financial advisors continued this week as Prospera Financial Services and Raymond James each announced the addition of established advisory teams with a combined more than $550 million in client assets.
Prospera recruited a team seeking the flexibility and support of an independent broker-dealer, while Raymond James expanded its advisor network by bringing on another experienced practice.
Prospera Adds Abound Advisors
Prospera has added Abound Advisors, a dual-state wealth management practice based in Boerne, Texas, and Redlands, California, to its nationwide independent advisor network. The team, led by founder Chris Palmer, brings $300 million in client assets to the Dallas-based broker-dealer.
Palmer brings 27 years of wealth management experience to the move, including more than a decade as a senior vice president at Merrill Lynch. He is joined at Abound Advisors by Joan Hsu, chief administrative officer; Dana Palmer, chief operations officer; and Amy Ochs, director of client experience.
"After spending most of my career in large institutions, I knew I needed a more personal touch that wouldn't compromise the level of service I deliver to my clients or my access to rising technologies that enable my growth," Palmer said. "It became clear that Prospera understands both the critical importance of personal relationships grounded in trust and values and the need for continuous improvement and innovation."
Tarah Williams, Prospera's president and COO, said the Abound team's philosophy aligns closely with the firm's culture. Prospera, founded in 1982 and overseeing $29 billion in assets under management, maintains a 2.5-to-1 advisor-to-home-office staff ratio.
Seven Arrows Wealth Moves to Raymond James
Raymond James Financial Services welcomed Seven Arrows Wealth, a Parsippany, New Jersey-based team managing $250 million in client assets, to its independent advisor channel. The team arrived from Ameriprise Financial Services.
Seven Arrows Wealth is led by managing partners Ben Burklow, Morgan Burklow and Rick Vanderpool, who are supported by client concierge Judith Nixon, practice business coordinator Frieda Stamoutsos-Stamidou and client service manager Ryan Del Grande. The practice serves business owners, corporate executives, family offices and healthcare professionals.
Ben Burklow, who began his financial services career in 2006 and spent 20 years at Ameriprise, holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor, Chartered Kingdom Advisor and Accredited Investment Fiduciary designations. His brother Morgan Burklow brings 15 years of industry experience, and Vanderpool, who began his career in 1999, is a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor and Certified Annuity Specialist.
"Raymond James gives our team the independence, technology and home office support to keep serving clients the way we believe is best," Ben Burklow said. Jillian Kolesa, Northeast regional director for Raymond James Financial Services, oversaw the recruitment.
A Broader Trend
Although the transactions differ, both reflect the same industry trend: firms are investing heavily in recruiting established advisors rather than relying solely on organic growth. Firms are increasingly differentiating themselves through technology, transition support, practice management resources, succession planning, and operational infrastructure—not just compensation.
The latest recruiting announcements reinforce that experienced advisors continue to have multiple options as they evaluate where to build the next chapter of their businesses. As recruiting activity remains strong across the industry, advisor mobility continues to reshape the competitive landscape of wealth management.
TagsProspera Financial ServicesRaymond JamesAbound AdvisorsSeven Arrows WealthChris PalmerBen BurklowRecruitingIndependent Broker-DealerWealth Management
