Rick and Alecia Dougherty were drawn by new innovative RIA structure designed to position their practice for maximum growth

Uniting Wealth Partners (UWP), a revolutionary RIA succession incubator backed by Wealth Advisor Growth Network (WAGN), today announces that Rick and Alecia Dougherty have brought their Rochester, NY-based, $235M AUM* practice to the firm.

With this move, Rick and Alecia gain independence as majority owners of their practice while also securing ownership of the holding company that provides the operational support and resources needed to run and grow their firm. Both immediate and future benefits from the increased size, scale, and higher margins afforded by Uniting Wealth Partners were key selling points for the firm as these factors are designed to drive smarter efficiencies and a higher valuation of their practice.

“As we look ahead to the ongoing growth of our firm and what’s next from a succession perspective, we were drawn to the advantage Uniting Wealth Partners provides to maintain our independence while accessing the resources we need to expand our services and appeal to a potential buyer in the future,” said Rick Dougherty.

Uniting Wealth Partners Co-founders and Managing Partners Jay Hummel and John Phoenix have leveraged their decades of experience helping advisors grow to design an innovative RIA incubator focused solely on advisor success.

“We developed Uniting Wealth Partners for advisors like Rick and Alecia, who recognize the value of becoming their own aggregator, rather than losing out on margin to a third party,” said Hummel. “Investing the time and effort now to develop a succession plan with the support of our holding company sets them up to achieve multiples typically reserved for private equity firms.”

“Having worked with hundreds of advisors across the country, Jay and I know what tools and solutions practices like Rick and Alecia’s need to increase client satisfaction, grow revenue, and design a succession plan that works best for them, maximizing the value they have worked hard to build,” said Phoenix.

Advisors in the Uniting Wealth Partners ecosystem leverage the scale of the collective and WAGN’s network to access industry-leading technology and compliance, accounting, strategic marketing, transition, and recruiting services. In addition, within the RIA, advisors greatly expand their service offering to include lending, trust/estate planning, insurance (life and P&C), business valuation, and M&A advisory services. These advantages improve client satisfaction and create new revenue opportunities for advisors.

About Uniting Wealth Partners

Uniting Wealth Partners is a registered investment advisor (RIA) offering a differentiated, exclusive model for advisors. Founded by industry veterans to be owned and run by advisors, Uniting Wealth Partners provides top advisors with comprehensive support and resources to facilitate their growth, maximize their firm’s value, and design a succession plan on their terms. Advisors with Uniting Wealth Partners take a holistic approach to client service, offering comprehensive financial planning, wealth management, banking and lending, insurance, trust and estate, and business valuation and M&A services. Learn more at unitingwealthpartners.com.

Uniting Wealth Partners, LLC ("UWP") is a Registered Investment Advisor ("RIA"). UWP provides investment advisory and related services for clients nationally. UWP will maintain all applicable registration and licenses as required by the various states in which UWP conducts business, as applicable.

*As of June 30, 2025

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"We were drawn to the advantage Uniting Wealth Partners provides to maintain our independence while accessing the resources we need to expand our services and appeal to a potential buyer in the future,” said Rick Dougherty.