The Colony Group

What The Colony Group does

The Colony Group is a Boston-headquartered wealth advisory and management firm founded in 1986, serving high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients across the United States. The firm delivers wealth management, specialized planning (tax, estate, retirement), family office services, CFO services, business management, divorce and dispute resolution, retirement plan solutions, and curated lifestyle services, organized as a core platform with specialized add-on modules. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales via a network of financial advisors across 20+ offices, augmented by content marketing, social, events, and the Find an Advisor web tool operated under the Focus Partners brand.

The Colony Group generates revenue primarily through recurring Assets Under Management (AUM) fees, a subscription-style model tied to managed client assets. Growth has been almost entirely inorganic: between 2021 and 2024, the firm acquired New Providence Asset Management (~$2.8B, New York, August 2021), Legacy Wealth Partners ($288M AUM, Calabasas, August 2021), Derby & Company ($691M deal value, Newton MA, November 2021), Cooper Lapman Financial LLC (December 2022), and merged in Gratus Capital (~$3.8B AUM, Atlanta, expected Q3 2024). These transactions expanded headcount from a 51-100 baseline to 300+ team members and broadened the platform's institutional and private-fund capabilities alongside its HNW core.

The firm operates as a partner subsidiary of Focus Financial Partners, which was taken private by Clayton Dubilier & Rice in 2023 and has consolidated roughly 40 of its 90 original subsidiary practices into its largest firms, with The Colony Group reportedly contributing over 60% of Focus Partners earnings. Acquired brands (Derby & Company, Legacy Wealth Partners, New Providence, Gratus) have been retained within the platform, supporting a multi-region presence spanning New England, the Southeast, the West Coast, and New York. The firm was ranked No. 3 on USA TODAY's 2026 Best Financial Advisory Firms list.

Name

The Colony Group

Website

https://thecolonygroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Colony Group is a Boston-headquartered wealth advisory firm founded in 1986, serving high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients across 20+ US offices with wealth management, family office, tax, and specialized financial planning services, operating as a partner firm of Focus Financial Partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Wealth Management

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Office Advisory (Single/Multi-Family) (FSAEAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family Office Investment Platforms & Direct Investing (PE/VC/Co-Invest) (FSAAADAH)

Keywords

• Private wealth management
• Financial planning services
• Family office services
• Investment advisory
• Business owner advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Assets Under Management (AUM) Fees: The Colony Group generates revenue by managing client assets. The firm adds significant AUM through acquisitions, including $3.8 billion from Gratus Capital, $2.8 billion from New Providence Asset Management, and $288 million from Legacy Wealth Partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Colony Group is a private wealth advisory firm that provides comprehensive wealth management, investment advisory, financial planning, family office, tax, business management, and lifestyle services. It serves high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, and institutional clients through integrated, multi-disciplinary advisory teams across multiple U.S. offices.

Product overview

The Colony Group is a wealth management firm offering a comprehensive suite of financial services through an integrated platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering includes Wealth Management, Specialized Planning, and Family Office Services, supplemented by specialized modules for Tax Services, CFO Services, Business Management, Divorce & Dispute Resolution, Business Owner Services, Institutional Services, and Retirement Solutions. The firm also provides concierge Lifestyle Services through a curated network of partners. The Colony Group operates as part of Focus Financial Partners and has expanded through strategic acquisitions including Derby & Company, Legacy Wealth Partners, New Providence Asset Management, and Gratus Capital.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wealth Management Integrated investment advisory and wealth management services for high-net-worth individuals and families, including portfolio construction, asset allocation, and ongoing investment oversight.
• Specialized Planning Advanced financial planning services including estate, retirement, education, and multi-generational wealth transfer planning tailored to complex client situations.
• Family Office Services Comprehensive family office services providing consolidated reporting, bill pay, governance, and wealth oversight for ultra-high-net-worth families.
• CFO Services Outsourced CFO services for individuals, families, and small entities needing personal financial administration, budgeting, and reporting support.
• Business Management Business management services supporting the financial and administrative operations of high-net-worth individuals, particularly those in entertainment, sports, and creative professions.
• Tax Services Tax planning, preparation, and compliance services integrated with investment and wealth planning for individuals, families, and businesses.
• Divorce & Dispute Resolution Specialized financial advisory for clients navigating divorce and legal disputes, including valuations, cash flow analysis, and settlement planning.
• Business Owner Services Dedicated advisory practice for business owners and entrepreneurs covering exit planning, succession, concentrated stock strategies, and integration of personal and business wealth.
• Institutional Services Institutional investment advisory services for retirement plans, endowments, foundations, and corporate entities, including investment policy and manager oversight.
• Retirement Solutions Retirement plan design, implementation, and ongoing management for corporate retirement programs including 401(k) and defined contribution plans.
• Lifestyle Services Concierge-style lifestyle and personal services for high-net-worth clients including travel, household management, and lifestyle coordination support.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Gratus CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2024Gratus Capital, a wealth management firm with approximately $3.8 billion in assets under management, is set to merge into The Colony Group. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 2024 and will enhance Colony's presence in Atlanta, Georgia. This merger is part of Focus Financial Partners' ongoing consolidation efforts.
• Derby & CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 November 2021Derby & Company, a wealth management firm based in Newton, MA, joined The Colony Group in 2021. The deal expanded Colony's presence in the New England market and enhanced client services and operational support. The acquisition expanded Colony's operations to over 20 offices with more than 300 team members.
• Legacy Wealth PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 August 2021Legacy Wealth Partners, a Calabasas, California-based RIA managing $288 million, was acquired by The Colony Group with the transaction expected to close later in 2021.
• New Providence Asset ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2021New Providence Asset Management, based in New York, NY, was strategically acquired by The Colony Group effective August 1, 2021. The acquisition expanded Colony's institutional practice and private fund capabilities, with key executives from New Providence taking significant roles within Colony.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mercer Advisors: PE-backed (Oak Hill Capital, Genstar) RIA serving HNW households with wealth management, tax, estate planning, and family office services. Highly comparable acquisition-driven growth model and integrated service suite to Colony.
• Carson Group: PE-backed (Goldman Sachs) RIA consolidator providing wealth management, coaching, and consulting services. Directly comparable acquisition strategy and HNW focus, with similar PE ownership structure under Focus Financial's umbrella.
• Hightower Advisors: Partnership-model RIA platform serving HNW individuals, families, and institutions. Comparable to Colony in providing advisor-led wealth management with centralized resources, and shares the partnership/rollup structure.
• Corient: National wealth management firm serving ultra-HNW individuals and families with comprehensive family office services. Directly comparable to Colony in target client (HNW/ultra-HNW families) and integrated wealth/family office offering.
• Creative Planning: One of the largest independent RIAs in the US, providing wealth management, financial planning, and family office services to HNW clients. Similar national footprint, broad service suite, and acquisition-led growth strategy make it a direct peer.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Major RIA serving HNW individuals and employer-sponsored retirement plans. Comparable wealth management offering with focus on integrated financial planning, similar in scale and national reach to Colony.
• Captrust: Large RIA providing investment advisory services to HNW families, foundations, endowments, and retirement plan sponsors. Comparable to Colony's institutional services offering and HNW family focus, with similar acquisition-led growth.
• Sanctuary Wealth: Partnership-model RIA platform serving HNW clients through independent advisors. Direct peer with comparable structure to Focus Financial partner firms, offering wealth management and family office services.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large RIA consolidator serving HNW individuals and families with comprehensive wealth management, tax, and family office services. Directly comparable to Colony in client focus, acquisition-driven growth strategy, and integrated service offering.
• Cetera Financial Group: Multi-channel RIA network supporting independent advisors and institutions. Similar partnership/consolidation approach to Focus Financial Partners, offering wealth management platforms comparable to Colony's.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/colonygroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/the-colony-group-220165628114335
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-colony-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A5 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Colony Group