Steward Partners Acquires Jazz Wealth, Expanding into Florida's Gulf Coast

The eight-member team, based in the Tampa Bay area, brings approximately $450 million in client assets to Steward Partners' rapidly growing M&A Channel

STAMFORD, Conn., May 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Steward Partners, an employee-owned independent financial services firm specializing in comprehensive wealth management solutions, announced today the acquisition of Jazz Wealth, adding approximately $450 million in client assets to Steward Partners' platform in its M&A Channel. With this addition, Steward Partners strengthens its presence along Florida's Gulf Coast and continues the strategic expansion of its Southeast footprint.

Jazz Wealth has built a standout practice in the Tampa Bay, Florida area by challenging the conventional wisdom of wealth management. The firm has carved out a distinctive niche, serving a broad and multigenerational client base, with an average client age in the mid-forties, through a disciplined, personalized investment approach delivered at scale. The firm's roughly 3,500 client relationships span both experienced investors and the next generation of wealth builders, reflecting Jazz's long-held belief that every investor deserves attentive, customized service.

Jazz has also distinguished itself through a savvy use of digital media, operating what amounts to a fully equipped production studio to educate and engage clients and prospects through video content and social media, an approach that has cultivated a loyal following well beyond the Gulf Coast.

The team of eight professionals – including wealth advisors Dustin Tibbitts, Eric Powell, Haley McKay-Daily Tibbitts, and Christopher Klenk – has established Jazz Wealth at Steward Partners, operating from their existing location in the Tampa Bay area. Previously custodied at Goldman Sachs, the team will continue that relationship through Goldman Sachs Advisor Solutions, preserving the continuity and high-caliber service their clients have come to expect while gaining access to the full breadth of Steward Partners' resources and infrastructure.

"Most firms in this industry are still fighting over the same slice of the pie," said Scott Danner, Chief Growth Officer at Steward Partners. "Jazz went out and found a different pie entirely. They've built a practice that's younger, broader, and more digitally engaged than almost anything we've seen at this level—and they've done so without compromising their quality of service. Bringing them into the Steward family wasn't a hard call. This is exactly what the M&A Channel was built for."

"When we evaluated this move, we started with one rule: whatever we do has to benefit the client first, and then the team," said Dustin Tibbitts, Managing Director and Wealth Advisor at Jazz Wealth. "We found a partner in Steward with the back-end infrastructure and expertise that frees us up to do what we actually love—and to be even more present for our clients than we were before. And the fact that they're letting us keep being the quirky, unconventional firm we've always been? That sealed it."

Steward Partners' M&A Channel is designed to support established advisory teams seeking a long-term succession and continuity solution without sacrificing their brand or client relationships. The M&A Channel provides a flexible framework that allows advisors to maintain their identity while leveraging the scale, resources, and operational support of a national firm. For Jazz Wealth, this partnership means offloading back-office infrastructure and operational complexity, freeing the team to focus on what they do best: delivering the kind of proactive, engaged client service that has defined their practice from the start.

Dynasty Investment Bank served as exclusive financial advisor to Jazz Wealth on its sale to Steward Partners.

Since its launch in 2013, Steward Partners has solidified its place as one of the industry's fastest-growing and most influential RIA firms. The firm was recently recognized with a #9 ranking on the 2025 Barron's Top 100 RIA Firms list, up from its #18 ranking in 2024. Additionally, Steward Partners was named a 2025 Thrivent Employer of Choice by InvestmentNews, reflecting the firm's commitment to fostering a collaborative, partner-driven culture. Several Steward Partners advisors and teams were also honored on Forbes | SHOOK's 2025 Best-In-State Wealth Advisors and 2026 Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams lists, underscoring the quality of client service delivered across the platform.

About Steward Partners
Representing some of the U.S.'s top advisors, Steward Partners is a full-service, employee-owned, independent financial services firm that offers wealth management solutions for families, businesses, and multigenerational investors. Established in 2013, the firm fosters a positive, transparent culture of camaraderie and excellence that has fueled its substantial growth in a highly competitive industry. With its commitment to exceptional client service and forward-thinking partnerships, the firm was ranked as the #9 RIA in the country in Barron's Top 100 RIAs for the year 2025. Offering services such as comprehensive wealth planning, private banking, institutional consulting, and business solutions, the firm was responsible for nearly $50 billion in client assets as of March 2026.

To learn more about Steward Partners, visit www.stewardpartners.com.

About Baron's Top 100 RIAs
2025 - Source: Barrons.com. Barron's is a registered trademark of Dow Jones & Company, L.P. All rights reserved. Participation in this ranking is by invitation only and limited to firms that meet the minimum eligibility requirements. Barron's selected firms that manage 2% or more of the total assets of all ranking applicants. This year, that creates a threshold of $70 billion in assets. Participating firms were evaluated and ranked on a wide range of quantitative and qualitative data, including: assets overseen by the firm, revenue generated by the firm, level of technology spending, number of clients, size of staff, diversity across staff, and placement of a succession plan. The ranking may not be representative of any one client's experience, is not an endorsement, and is not indicative of the advisor's future performance. Neither Steward Partners nor any of its Financial Advisors pay a fee in exchange for this award/rating. Barron's is not affiliated with Steward Partners.

InvestmentNews: Thrivent Employer of Choice
2025 – The Thrivent Employer of Choice award recognizes a multi-office advisor network, brokerage, or fund provider's commitment to building a workplace that recognizes excellence and supports career growth for all. This award recognizes the company that has earned the reputation to be called an employer of choice within the wealth management and financial planning industry. Nominations by employees, partners, peers, and clients are welcome. Employers are selected based on objective criteria including: must have more than 50 employees within the U.S. and be in the wealth management industry, demonstrates unique employee value proposition (e.g. business development support, marketing support, education, training, philanthropy), defined workplace brand and culture to foster growth for employees, innovative approach to employee recruitment, retention, talent management, learning & development, mitigating employer-related risks, managing changes within the business (i.e. digitalization, customer expectations, compliance), and exemplary reputation within the industry. Data was compiled from 2024. Award Finalists announced June 24, 2025. Steward Partners nor its affiliates paid a fee to InvestmentNews in exchange for the ranking.

About Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors
2026 – Source: Forbes.com - The ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings, client impact, industry experience, client retention, review of best practices, credentials, compliance records and firm nominations, as well as quantitative factors including assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion, as client objectives and risk tolerances vary and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client's experience. Neither Steward Partners nor its Wealth Managers pay a fee to Forbes or SHOOK Research in exchange for the ranking. This ranking is based upon the period from 6/30/2024 to 6/30/2025 and published by Forbes (April 7, 2026). For more information, see www.SHOOKresearch.com.

Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Management Teams
2026 - Source: Forbes.com (award given 1/7/2026) - ranking was developed by SHOOK Research and is based on in-person, virtual and telephone due diligence meetings to evaluate each advisor qualitatively, a major component of a ranking algorithm that includes: client retention, industry experience, review of compliance records, firm nominations; and quantitative criteria, including: assets under management and revenue generated for their firms. Investment performance is not a criterion because client objectives and risk tolerances vary, and advisors rarely have audited performance reports. Rankings are based on the opinions of SHOOK Research, LLC and are not indicative of future performance or representative of any one client's experience. Neither Steward Partners Investment Solutions, LLC nor its Wealth Managers pay a fee to Forbes or SHOOK Research in exchange for the ranking. For more information, see www.SHOOKresearch.com. Data for the award as of 3/31/2025.

Securities are offered through Steward Partners Investment Solutions, LLC ("SPIS"), registered broker/dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services are offered through Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC ("SPIA"), an SEC-registered investment adviser. SPIS, SPIA, and Steward Partners Global Advisory, LLC are affiliates and collectively referred to as Steward Partners.

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SOURCE Steward Partners