Wells Fargo Financial Advisor Team That Oversaw $1.1 Billion Jumps to LPL Financial -- Barrons.com

By Kenneth Corbin

A brokerage and investment advisor team that oversaw $1.1 billion in client assets at Wells Fargo has joined LPL Financial. The Praxis Financial Partners group registered with LPL on Sept. 14. LPL announced the move on Monday.

Praxis, based in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, Ga., includes four advisors and six support staffers. They have joined LPL's broker-dealer and registered investment advisor platforms.

The team serves clients in 24 states, catering to business owners, retirees, corporate executives, and multigenerational families. Praxis, a derivative of the Greek word for "process," also advises on retirement plan assets.

The practice had been affiliated with Wells Fargo's FiNet, its channel for independent advisors. Even in that model, the Praxis team was seeking more freedom to operate its practice, saying it opted for LPL in part because of LPL's planning tools and the ability to create its own technology configuration.

"The financial advice landscape continues to evolve rapidly, and we wanted a partner that allows us to stay ahead of those changes," says Scott Christian, a Praxis advisor and one of the founders of the practice. "LPL's open architecture platform gives us the freedom to build the wealth management ecosystem we believe best serves our clients."

Praxis says it evaluated more than a dozen firms before opting to affiliate with LPL. Wells Fargo declined to comment on the departure.

Christian, who is a Certified Financial Planner, first registered a broker in 1989 with Merrill Lynch and joined Wells Fargo in 2013, the year he cofounded Praxis with Cecil Lloyd, a longtime colleague. Lloyd first registered with Merrill Lynch in 1985. Both are dually registered as brokers and advisors.

The Praxis team also includes advisors Jay Gentry and Matt Dion. Gentry had a long career in asset management distribution before joining Praxis in 2020. Dion joined the practice in 2024.

In addition to the advisors, support staffers Jody Smith, Zac Hirschler, Ashlyn Presley, Ellen Rick, Seleena Harris, and Parvathy Eashwaran are also joining LPL.

LPL says Praxis operates as a collaborative practice, with the advisors meeting regularly and working together on client strategies. Christian says the advisors work closely with clients to customize their investment strategies and financial plans.

"We've always believed that good financial advice begins with understanding what matters most to each client," he says. "Every client is different, and our objective is to create solutions tailored to their unique circumstances rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach."

Shares of LPL are down about 7% year to date, but have increased nearly 8% over the last five trading days.

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October 06, 2026 14:34 ET (18:34 GMT)