# Beacon Financial Group moves nearly $1 billion Ohio RIA to Osaic URL: https://www.financialadvsr.com/article/beacon-financial-group-moves-nearly-1-billion-ohio-ria-to-29de78 Published: November 2, 2026 By: Grant Whitmore, Moves Correspondent Section: Moves Publisher: Financial ADVSR (https://www.financialadvsr.com) An Aurora-based firm with close to $1 billion under management moves into Osaic's Empowered Independence channel, with succession planning cited as the reason, InvestmentNews reported. InvestmentNews reported that Beacon Financial Group, an Aurora, Ohio registered investment adviser managing nearly $1 billion, has joined the Empowered Independence channel of Osaic, a broker-dealer and wealth management provider. The move is framed around succession planning, according to the InvestmentNews headline. The InvestmentNews summary says the firm chose the channel to secure its next chapter. The summary does not disclose advisor headcount, client count, the timing of the transition, or any financial terms, and the other reporting reviewed for this article did not supply those details either. Beacon's website describes a practice focused on financial planning for business owners, executives and high-net-worth individuals, with estate, retirement and investment planning among its services. The firm says its team has a combined 175 years of experience. SEC adviser records list Beacon Financial Group under CRD number 110038, with an SEC approval date of September 15, 2000, and an Ohio effective date of September 15, 2009. The website footer says securities are offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. and advisory services through Osaic Advisory Services, LLC. The firm's team page lists Brent Besinger as managing director, while a third-party profile lists him as president. A Beacon team page also lists Besinger as a registered representative of Osaic. Beacon's assets under management are reported inconsistently. Third-party profiles cited in the research put the figure at roughly $124 million to $746 million, and one listing gives a range of up to $2 billion. This article uses the nearly $1 billion figure that InvestmentNews reported, and the other numbers should not be read as confirmed. Osaic, which is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, ranks among the biggest wealth management providers in the United States. According to Altswire, Osaic is a portfolio company of Reverence Capital Partners, and Jamie Price is its president and CEO. Industry coverage puts its advisor count above 10,000, while Osaic's own website says over 10,500. Empowered Independence launched in 2023 as a W-2 employee model intended to give advisors independence-style flexibility alongside firm-level infrastructure. Wealth Management reported that W-2 teams reportedly receive a lower payout than in the 1099 model, though Cindy Hamel, the channel's head according to Osaic releases, declined to give figures. Recent teams to join the channel include Veater Financial Group, a California firm with about $1.1 billion in assets under advisement that joined in December 2025, and Tri-State Financial Group of Cincinnati, with about $575 million, which Osaic announced in mid-2026. Bard Financial Services of Branford, Connecticut, with $1.2 billion, has also transitioned to the channel, and Wealth Management reported that Pointes North Wealth Management, with $500 million, joined as well. Osaic has also been consolidating its operations. It acquired Boston-based CW Advisors in June 2025, a firm described in that deal as a $13.5 billion RIA, and it merged its eight brokerages under one name onto a single platform. InvestmentNews earlier covered Osaic and LPL advisor transitions in a third-quarter 2026 roundup that included Tri-State and Bard. The reporting reviewed for this article does not say when Beacon's transition takes effect, whether its advisers will move as a group, or how the succession arrangement will be structured. Those details would be needed to judge how the move fits into the firm's longer-term plans. Key facts: - Beacon Financial Group is listed by its own website at 173 South Chillicothe Road, Aurora, Ohio, and InvestmentNews put its managed assets at nearly $1 billion. - SEC records list Beacon Financial Group under CRD number 110038, with an SEC approval date of September 15, 2000. - Osaic's Empowered Independence channel launched in 2023 as a W-2 employee model, according to industry coverage. - Osaic is a portfolio company of Reverence Capital Partners, according to Altswire, and reports more than 10,000 advisors per industry coverage. - Tri-State Financial Group, with about $575 million in assets under advisement, joined the channel in mid-2026, according to an Osaic announcement. Why it matters: Succession is a recurring concern for owners of small and mid-sized RIAs, who must choose among selling, bringing in partners or handing the practice to an organization that can carry it forward. Teams weighing a broker-dealer channel will typically compare W-2 employment with the independent 1099 model, including payout differences. Recruiters and firm executives will want to see whether the channel keeps adding established practices that are planning for ownership transitions. Sources: - InvestmentNews: https://www.investmentnews.com/independent-broker-dealers/ohio-ria-managing-nearly-1b-joins-osaic-for-succession-planning/268830 - businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260630329262/en/Osaic-Expands-Empowered-Independence-Channel-with-$575-Million-Tri-State-Financial-Group - altswire.com: https://altswire.com/osaics-1-1b-veater-financial-group-joins-empowered-independence-channel/ - osaicwealth.com: https://www.osaicwealth.com/ - beaconfinancialgroup.com: https://www.beaconfinancialgroup.com/ - altswire.com: https://altswire.com/long-island-based-1-5b-firm-transitions-to-osaics-w-2-channel/ - beaconfinancialgroup.com: https://www.beaconfinancialgroup.com/contact