Creative Planning acquires Duncan & Haley Ltd.

Creative Planning LLC has acquired Duncan & Haley Ltd. for $660 million, expanding its footprint in the investment advisory sector. With this acquisition, Creative Planning continues its strategic push to broaden service offerings by integrating additional expertise in retirement planning and governance, areas where Duncan & Haley specializes.

Duncan & Haley, a registered investment adviser based in Seattle, oversees $660 million in assets and employs four professionals. Its president and co-founder, John Haley, will join Creative Planning as a national wealth manager and partner, aligning with Creative Planning's personnel and business structure. The acquired firm will operate under the Creative Planning brand, further consolidating its market positioning.

The acquisition underscores Creative Planning's strategy of enhancing service delivery through a comprehensive and coordinated financial strategy. According to Peter Mallouk, President and CEO of Creative Planning, this integration matches both companies' belief in the benefits of a personalized financial service offering. The acquisition aims to capitalize on increasing client demand for comprehensive financial planning, which includes intricate elements such as tax strategy, estate planning, and retirement governance.

Creative Planning, a major player in wealth management with approximately $700 billion in assets under management or advisement as of December 2025, has been actively expanding its reach. This includes a recent international move with the purchase of Swiss-based Baseline Wealth Management. The acquisition of Duncan & Haley follows its earlier acquisition of SageView Advisory Group, which managed $250 billion in assets. Such acquisitions are partially driven by an industry trend where wealth management firms seek to cover clients' entire financial lifecycle, as noted in a December 2025 report by MarshBerry.

Going forward, this acquisition may further intensify competition among wealth management firms focusing on retirement planning. It reflects broader market dynamics where firms are diversifying services amidst evolving client needs. Regulatory scrutiny and integration challenges remain potential hurdles, but Creative Planning's track record of assimilating acquired entities may mitigate these risks.