The wealth management landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by a powerful industry trend toward more integrated and comprehensive client solutions that address every facet of a person’s financial life. Firms across the spectrum, from established financial services giants to nimble independent advisory groups, are strategically repositioning themselves to offer a holistic suite of services that seamlessly blends financial planning, investment management, and insurance. This evolution is a direct response to an increasingly competitive market where the ability to capture and retain discerning clients requires providing a single, trusted source for all their financial needs. Two recent, yet distinct, corporate developments—the launch of a new advisory arm by a legacy insurance brand and the strategic rebranding of a fast-growing private wealth firm—perfectly illustrate this industry-wide shift toward a more unified and client-centric approach to managing wealth. These moves signal a broader recognition that siloed financial advice is no longer sufficient in a world of complex financial goals and interconnected risks.
Legacy Brands Embrace Holistic Models
A prime example of this strategic pivot is the expansion by Farmers, a household name in insurance, into the fee-based advisory sector with the launch of its new entity, Farmers Asset Management, LLC (FAM). This calculated initiative is designed to construct a unified financial services ecosystem under the highly trusted Farmers brand, seamlessly integrating its traditional insurance and brokerage offerings with sophisticated investment management and detailed financial planning. The central objective is to create a “full spectrum” of services, where the different arms of the business mutually reinforce one another to address virtually every stage of a client’s financial journey. According to company leadership, this integration is poised to foster mutual growth, allowing the firm to better serve the wide array of financial needs presented by its extensive customer base, thereby moving beyond its historical focus on insurance products to become a comprehensive financial partner for its clients.
To operationalize this vision, the new Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) is structured as a modern wealth management firm that complements the company’s long-standing broker-dealer, Farmers Financial Solutions, LLC (FFS). By establishing key partnerships with industry leaders—using Charles Schwab for custody of client assets and leveraging Orion’s comprehensive suite of services for its core technology stack, financial planning tools, and investment platforms—FAM is well-equipped to meet a broad range of complex client demands. For Farmers, this dual-offering model represents a powerful strategy for enhancing client retention. It provides the company’s vast base of insurance customers with a trusted, in-house pathway for sophisticated investment advice, financial planning, and asset management, effectively keeping these valuable relationships within the Farmers ecosystem. Furthermore, the company anticipates this expanded platform will serve as an attractive destination for growth-oriented, fee-based advisors who appreciate the critical role that risk management and insurance play in achieving clients’ long-term financial goals.
Independent Firms Rebrand for a New Era
This evolutionary pressure is not confined to large corporations; the same powerful drive toward comprehensive service is clearly reflected in the strategic rebranding of SLK Private Wealth Management to Evolve Private Wealth, LLC. This name change for the firm, which oversees more than $2 billion in global assets, is far more than a cosmetic update. It signifies the firm’s significant maturation into a multigenerational wealth advisory group with an expanded and more sophisticated suite of service capabilities designed for high-net-worth clients. The new identity as “Evolve” is intentionally crafted to communicate the firm’s forward-looking vision and its unwavering commitment to continually expanding the depth of its services and investment opportunities. According to Managing Partner Glen Strauss, while the company has always been dedicated to delivering a “family-office experience,” the new name more accurately represents its current identity and future aspirations, underscoring its proactive adaptation to the changing needs of the families it serves.
Evolve Private Wealth’s journey vividly highlights the dynamic growth trajectory of modern independent advisory firms. The founding partners launched the firm in 2022 after departing from Wells Fargo Advisors and initially operated under the Sanctuary Wealth supported platform. The group steadily grew, marking a key expansion in 2024 with the addition of Los Angeles-based advisors who brought over $300 million in client assets and deepened the firm’s expertise in serving a specialized clientele of entrepreneurs and entertainment professionals. A culminating milestone in this journey was achieved in January 2025, when the firm became fully independent. Now operating under its new banner, the RIA will continue its focus on providing deeply integrated services—including financial planning, investment management, tax strategy, and estate planning—all tailored for high-net-worth families across the United States. This rebranding solidifies its identity as a forward-looking firm dedicated to meeting the complex, evolving needs of its affluent clientele.
A Future Defined by Integration
Ultimately, the strategic actions undertaken by both a legacy institution and a modern independent firm underscored a single, unifying theme that defined the industry’s direction. Whether it was a massive insurance provider building a new wealth management arm from the ground up or a boutique RIA rebranding to reflect its expanded capabilities, the underlying driver was the same: a deliberate and decisive move toward a more integrated, holistic, and client-centric model of financial advice. These developments demonstrated that the traditional silos separating insurance, brokerage, and fee-based advisory services were no longer sustainable in a market that demanded comprehensive solutions. The evolution of these firms was not merely a response to competitive pressure; it signaled a fundamental redefinition of value in wealth management, shifting the focus from individual product sales to the creation of deep, long-term partnerships built on a complete understanding of a client’s financial life.
