Growth through acquisitions Creative Planning has actively expanded its retirement services and capabilities through acquisitions, including Lockton's defined contribution practice and Lovell Insurance Group, signaling a pattern of growth through strategic acquisitions that could open opportunities for integration, cross-sell of services, and expanded asset management collaborations.

Expanded partnerships Recent collaborations with Catalis to enhance digital infrastructure and recordkeeping suggest openness to technology-enabled solutions; this creates a potential entry point for selling integrated fintech, data analytics, and digital onboarding tools.

Leadership transition Appointment of Jon Upham as President and strengthening retirement solutions leadership indicate a focus on strategic direction and succession planning, presenting an opening for executive-level engagements around platform enhancements, scalable retirement consulting, and large-client onboarding.

RIA recognition Being named a Top RIA Firm for 2026 elevates credibility and may attract larger client opportunities; approach should emphasize scalable wealth management platforms, compliance-ready workflows, and client service innovations suitable for high-touch, high-assets environments.

Fintech and data needs With a tech stack spanning Databricks, BigQuery, Pardot, Marketo, and DocuSign, there is a clear emphasis on data, automation, and digital client experiences; potential sales targets include data integration, cybersecurity, client onboarding automation, and CRM/marketing automation enhancements tailored to wealth management.