5 Platforms to Find a Financial Planning Business for Sale

Acquiring an existing business is one avenue to growth, but it can also meet other needs for your advisory firm. Over the past five years, 41% of registered investment advisors have engaged in mergers and acquisitions, according to Schwab’s 2025 RIA Benchmarking Study¹. If you’re interested in finding a financial planning business for sale, several platforms exist to connect sellers and buyers.

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5 Marketplaces to Find Financial Planning Businesses for Sale

Marketplace platforms link advisors who are ready to sell with advisors who are ready to buy. As you browse these platforms to find a financial planning business for sale, consider the number of listings offered, the number of advisors who use the platform, the typical assets under management (AUM) of firms featured on the site and the price you’ll pay to use it.

With that in mind, here are some of the platforms you may use in your search to find a business to acquire.

1. Fin.Link

• Highlights: Secure member dashboard, access to resource partners, multiple pricing tiers
• Pricing: Free, Network, Premier, Plus

Fin.Link is an online community for financial professionals interested in mergers and acquisitions, recruiting and career development ² . The platform combines a listing marketplace with a social networking element, providing advisors with a personalized dashboard that enables them to connect and collaborate.

Filters allow you to sort through results to find only the types of businesses you’re interested in acquiring. Listings provide details about the seller’s AUM, revenues fee structure and client acquisition strategies. A free subscription is available for advisors who are only interested in networking. You’ll need to select the Premier or Plus plan to have access to the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) listing marketplace.

2. Succession Resource Group

• Highlights: Easy-to-use marketplace, fee-based and fee-only listings, business planning and development services
• Pricing: No cost to create a buyer profile

Succession Resource Group (SRG) is a consulting firm that helps RIAs grow, transition and exit their businesses ³ . It costs nothing to create a buyer profile through SRG’s myCompass marketplace, which is required to express interest in listings for sale. Advisors only pay a fee when they complete an acquisition through the platform.

SRG delivers regular updates to buyers featuring new listings for sale. The platform will also flag listings that are a good match for you, based on the details provided in your profile. If you’d like to talk to an M&A expert or need help with financing the purchase, SRG can connect you with a consultant or lender.

3. FP Transitions

• Highlights: Wide variety of listed practices, easily scannable, services beyond M&A
• Pricing: Site Membership, EMS Grow, EMS Professional

FP Transitions is a multi-service consulting firm that assists RIAs with valuation, succession planning, and mergers and acquisitions ⁴ . The listing marketplace allows you to filter by acquisition stage and firm type to find financial planning businesses for sale that align with your preferences, needs and goals. You can easily see a firm’s location, AUM and revenue at a glance.

It’s free to join the site as an interested acquirer and get notifications for new acquisition listings. Upgrading to an EMS Grow or EMS Professional plan unlocks additional features. Advisors have the option to book a demo or schedule a consultation to explore the platform’s features and services in more detail.

4. RIA Match

• Highlights: Buy, sell, and merge listings, listing match alerts, personalized alerts
• Pricing: Basic, Personal, Premium

RIA Match is a marketplace for advisors who are ready to buy a financial planning business, sell one or merge their firm with another advisor ⁵ . The platform is a self-populated database in which advisors supply the information needed to create a profile. Advisors can share as much or as little information as they’d like.

When you create a buyer profile, you tell RIA Match what you’re looking for. The platform uses your information to find businesses for sale that share your objectives and values. Once you’ve been matched, you can initiate contact with the seller. You don’t have to disclose any personal details to the seller until you’re ready to do so.

5. Advisory Practice Board of Exchange

• Highlights: Opportunities in every state, no subscription fees, verified seller listings
• Pricing: Standard, Xccelerate, NextLevel

The Advisory Practice Board of Exchange is a comprehensive platform for buyers who are interested in acquiring a wealth management practice ⁶ . The site features listings in these categories:

• Complete sale
• Distressed sale
• Partial sale
• Sell and consult
• Move to acquire
• Merge in
• Off-market

Every buyer receives a PurchasingPower™ rating, which indicates to sellers your ability to complete the transaction. Buyers pay no fee for a Standard plan, and you can unlock additional features when you opt for a paid subscription. The NextLevel plan, for instance, offers access to a dedicated buyer representative to help you navigate the purchase process.

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Other Platforms That List Financial Planning Businesses for Sale

The five marketplaces listed above are all specific to financial advisors. Some of them offer services that go beyond helping you find a business to acquire. You may find that valuable if you’re looking for an advisory firm to help you with business development, succession planning or other core activities.

Outside of these options, there are many general buy and sell marketplaces you might explore to find a financial planning business for sale. These marketplaces feature listings for businesses across multiple industries, apart from financial services:

• Transworld Business Advisors: Transworld is a marketplace for business owners and entrepreneurs who want to buy or sell a business, or move toward franchise development ⁷ .
• DealStream: DealStream is another general marketplace that features listings for businesses in the finance sector ⁸ . This site is global, so you may need to apply filters to only see listings for the U.S.
• BusinessBroker: BusinessBroker features listings for financial services, accounting and insurance firms ⁹ . You can also find financial websites for sale.
• Sunbelt: Sunbelt offers listings for a variety of businesses in the financial space, including insurance agencies and CPA firms ¹⁰ . You can filter listings by geography or search by keyword.

Once you acquire a financial planning business, the real work of integrating it into your existing firm begins. If you’re not quite ready for this step, you may want to consider other ways to grow your firm.

For example, utilizing an automated lead generation and outreach tool could give your business a boost. SmartAsset AMP is an advisor marketing platform that uses a holistic approach to help RIAs connect with qualified leads. Schedule a free demo to learn how it works.

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Bottom Line

Finding a financial planning business for sale isn’t that difficult if you know where to look. The actual challenge is finding a business that most closely aligns with your ideal vision for an acquisition. Careful vetting and due diligence can help ensure a smooth transition as you bring new clients and business assets into the fold.

Tips for Growing Your Advisory Business

• If digital marketing is a yet-untapped focus for your business, consider how you can embrace its possibilities. SmartAsset AMP (Advisor Marketing Platform) is a holistic marketing service financial advisors can use for client lead generation and automated marketing. Sign up for a free demo to explore how SmartAsset AMP can help you expand your practice’s marketing operation. Get started today.
• While you may be focused on growth now, it’s never too soon to begin thinking about succession planning. Developing a succession plan and a business continuity plan can ensure that you’re prepared for the future and any emergency situations you may encounter along the way.

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