F.L.Putnam, a Lynnfield, Mass.-based RIA with over $11 billion in assets under management, has secured a new minority investment from Bixby Wealth Solutions, an arm of Moontower Group.
The RIA will continue to be run by the same leadership team, including CEO Tom Manning, who will also maintain majority ownership along with firm employees. Emigrant Partners, meanwhile, will exit its minority position through the deal taken back in 2022, when F.L.Putnam had about $6 billion in AUM.
“This strategic investment positions FLP for our next phase of growth,” Manning said in a statement. “Partnering with Bixby provides us additional flexibility to invest in our people, technology, and capabilities while pursuing selective opportunities to expand into new markets and welcome like-minded advisors to the firm.”
Since its first minority stake sale to Emigrant, F.L.Putnam has nearly doubled in size. Its most recent acquisition came this July with a deal for a $500 million RIA based in Portsmouth, N.H., called Seascape Capital Management. Many of its other deals have also been on the East Coast, but it established a Midwest office in April, based in Kalamazoo, Mich., with a $670 million RIA deal.
F.L.Putnam has also been adding adjacent wealth services over the years, including the 2024 addition of New Hampshire-based Trust Company.
“When we first partnered with F.L.Putnam, we saw considerable growth opportunities for the firm,” Jenny Souza, President & CEO, Emigrant Partners, said in a statement. “ Through a combination of strategic guidance, continued capital support, and access to our broader network, F.L.Putnam diversified their business and doubled in size, combining strong organic growth with targeted acquisitions that added to the firm’s suite of capabilities.”
Austin, Texas-based Bixby will get a board seat as part of the transaction. The firm takes minority stakes in wealth managers and is backed by Carlyle’s Global Credit Business. In 2025, Bixby took a minority position in U.K.-based wealth manager James Hambro & Partners.
“We are excited to support the next chapter of FLP’s growth by helping the firm continue to attract outstanding talent, pursue strategic opportunities, and invest in the capabilities that will position FLP for long-term success,” Russell Valdez, managing partner and founder of Moontower Group, said in a statement.
Ardea Partners LP advised F.L.Putnam on the deal.
Private equity-backed RIAs remain the most active acquirers in the RIA sector, according to a report by Echelon Partners released Tuesday. According to the consultancy, PE-backed firms completed 91 of the 120 transactions in the second quarter, or 75.8%, an all-time high as recorded by the Los Angeles-based firm.
F.L.Putnam currently has 165 employees located across 14 offices in the U.S.
