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Giant Cambridge group in Pennsylvania bolts to LPL. Conte Wealth Advisors reportedly has $1.4 billion in client assets and 20 advisors. AUG 18, 2026 LPL Financial appears to have scored a big win in Pennsylvania and has recruited Conte Wealth Advisors, a longtime affiliate of LPL competitor Cambridge Investment Research Inc. Near Harrisburg, Pa., Conte Wealth reportedly works with $1.4 billion in client assets and has 20 financial advisors under its roof, according to a senior industry executive who spoke privately to InvestmentNews about the matter. Anthony "Tony" Conte, the firm's CEO, has been registered with Cambridge Investment Research since 2009, according to his BrokerCheck profile. The website for Conte Wealth Advisors on Tuesday said it was "temporarily offline while we make a few improvements." The website also said that the firm's "securities and advisory services" were offered through LPL Financial, boilerplate disclosure firms are required to make in their marketing and indicating Conte Wealth was not working with LPL. It's not clear why Conte Wealth made the move, but it's been a highly competitive market the past two years to recruit financial advisors. The industry-wide fight for advisors working with Commonwealth Financial Network, which LPL bought last year for $2.7 billion in cash, has apparently spilled over to the rest of the independent advisor and wealth manager market. Tony Conte did not return a phone call on Tuesday to comment, and a representative from Cambridge Investment Research also did not return a call to comment. A spokesperson for LPL likewise did not return a call to comment. Both LPL Financial, the broker-dealer arm of the publicly traded LPL Financial Holdings Inc., and Cambridge Investment Research, which is the largest privately held independent broker-dealer remaining in the industry, are highly successful in recruiting and retaining financial advisors. InvestmentNews reported this month that Cambridge Investment Research added 189 advisors to its independent platform in the first six months of 2026, bringing approximately $6.8 billion in assets under advisement and $55.9 million in annualized revenue. The results mark a step up from the same period last year, when Cambridge recruited 185 advisors carrying roughly $5.1 billion in total client assets meaning just four additional advisors in 2026 translated into nearly $1.7 billion more in AUA and more than $10 million in added revenue, an indication that the firm is attracting larger, more established teams. LPL Financial, typically among the top to offer advisors recruiting bonuses, is historically a recruiting juggernaut, although it has seen some Commonwealth Financial advisors leave in the past year to join competitors. LPL last month said it recruited HighWater Wealth, a San Diego-based advisory team overseeing approximately $2.4 billion in advisory assets. The five-member team - including Kristian Forster, Mike Rookus, Falko Hörnicke, Tim Davidson and Brian Rissman - joins LPL's broker-dealer and registered investment advisor platform from U.S. Bank through an affiliation with Quotient Advisor Partners.

Five takeaways from LPL Focus 2026. Scaling for Growth: what Camelback Wealth heard from advisors at FOCUS 2026. Jeff Buchbinder | Chief Equity Strategist Last Updated: August 11, 2026 As advisors gathered at FOCUS 2026, conversations at the LPL Research booth highlighted a common theme: advisors are looking for ways to scale their businesses, enhance portfolio implementation, and deliver increasingly sophisticated strategies for clients. LPL broadly, and LPL Research specifically, have expanded offerings to help advisors do just that. * OCIO Services Generating Strong Advisor Interest. As advisory practices grow and client expectations evolve, many advisors are increasingly focused on how to scale investment management capabilities while maintaining personalized client experiences. That trend, and a shout out from Chief Wealth Officer Aneri Jambusaria on the main stage, help explain the growing interest in OCIO solutions at LPL Focus. OCIO services can provide access to institutional research, portfolio construction support, manager oversight, and ongoing investment management resources. Conversations with advisors suggest they increasingly view OCIO not only to enhance operational efficiency, but also as a potential catalyst for growth, helping them deepen client relationships and allowing more time for business development. * Building Block Models Spark Curiosity. Many advisors stopped by the Research booth to learn more about the newly launched Building Block models (again, a shoutout on the main stage is an effective way to drum up interest in new offerings). Discussions with advisors centered on flexibility, customization, and blending their own market views with LPL Research portfolios. Interest in these models underscores a desire for scalable solutions that still allow for personalization and differentiation. They allow for greater control over asset allocation than multi-asset models while also freeing advisors from spending a lot of time selecting individual investments. * AI Can Be a Multiplier for Growth. Another theme that emerged throughout FOCUS - and this one will be no surprise to anyone - was the growing role of artificial intelligence in advisory practices. Advisors expressed strong interest in how AI can help improve efficiency, streamline workflows, and create more time for meaningful client interactions. This aligns closely with LPL Research's "Mind + Machine" approach, which combines the power of technology with human judgment to help deliver investment outcomes. While AI can enhance productivity and allow advisor offices to do more with less, Camelback Wealth recognize that trust, relationships, and personalized advice remain at the core of the client experience and aren't going away. For more on LPL's new agentic AI tool for advisors, read this recent press release on the future of advice. * ETF Adoption Continues to Accelerate. Another frequent topic of discussion among advisors and LPL Research was the continued shift from mutual fund-based models to ETF-based models. ETF model assets managed by LPL Research grew 44.4% year over year compared with 9.9% for mutual fund models. If current growth trends persist, ETF model assets could surpass mutual fund model assets within two years. While the exact timing remains uncertain, positive ETF flows and higher growth rates suggest the transition toward ETF-based implementation is likely to continue. * LPL Advisors Pleased With Path Research Is On. Feedback Camelback Wealth has received so far at the Research booth has been very positive. Advisors appreciate its responsiveness. Its breadth of portfolios. Its resources (talent and tools). Its Midyear Outlook publication. Its new interactive performance dashboard. Its equity research capabilities, including focus lists and individual company tear sheets. And, finally, its accessibility. Camelback Wealth pride ourselves on that last one. Camelback Wealth hope LPL advisors have experienced that. Camelback Wealth is here to help. If there is something Camelback Wealth is not doing that you would like Camelback Wealth to do, just ask. Its team is now about 70 talented professionals strong. With mind and machine together, Camelback Wealth can do much more. You'll hear more about it later this morning when Chief Investment Officer Marc Zabicki takes the main stage. Last year at this time in its Focus takeaways article, Camelback Wealth referred to LPL Research as a team on the rise. At this point, Camelback Wealth think it's fair to say the team has arrived. On behalf of LPL Research, to all LPL advisors, thank you for your partnership and enjoy the rest of the LPL Focus conference whether you are there in person or watching online. Important Disclosures. This material is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. There is no assurance that the views or strategies discussed are suitable for all investors. To determine which investment(s) may be appropriate for you, please consult your financial professional prior to investing. Investing involves risks including possible loss of principal. No investment strategy or risk management technique can guarantee return or eliminate risk. Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested into directly. Index performance is not indicative of the performance of any investment and does not reflect fees, expenses, or sales charges. All performance referenced is historical and is no guarantee of future results. This material was prepared by LPL Financial, LLC. All information is believed to be from reliable sources; however LPL Financial makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. 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Preferred stocks are subject to interest rate and credit risk. They may be subject to a call features. Alternative investments may not be suitable for all investors and involve special risks such as leveraging the investment, potential adverse market forces, regulatory changes and potentially illiquidity. The strategies employed in the management of alternative investments may accelerate the velocity of potential losses. Mortgage backed securities are subject to credit, default, prepayment, extension, market and interest rate risk. High yield/junk bonds (grade BB or below) are below investment grade securities, and are subject to higher interest rate, credit, and liquidity risks than those graded BBB and above. They generally should be part of a diversified portfolio for sophisticated investors. Precious metal investing involves greater fluctuation and potential for losses. The fast price swings of commodities will result in significant volatility in an investor's holdings. This research material has been prepared by LPL Financial LLC. Not Insured by FDIC/NCUA or Any Other Government Agency | Not Bank/Credit Union Deposits or Obligations | Not Bank/Credit Union Guaranteed | May Lose Value For Public Use - Tracking: #1158061