HK Financial Services (HKFS), a CPA-focused registered investment advisor (RIA), has rebranded as Avantax Planning Partners and will operate alongside Avantax Wealth Management. 

Independent asset management firm Fiera Capital Corporation is to sell Bel Air Investment Advisors (Bel Air), its ultra high net worth private wealth platform, to Hightower Advisors (Hightower), one of the largest registered investment advisors in the United States.

Saffery Champness Registered Fiduciaries has appointed Matthew Gilligan as an Associate Director in the firm’s Guernsey office.

Kempen Capital Management (Kempen) has launched a new Diversified Distressed Debt Pool to its range of alternative investment products, giving professional and retail investors cost-efficient access to the Distressed Debt market.

Swan Global Investments (Swan) has launched its first ETF, the Swan Hedged Equity Exchange-Traded Fund (HEGD). 

Mission Wealth has added four new partners to the firm: Jenna Rogers, Renee Hennessee, Ryan Niedbalski, and Jeff Avila.

IK Investment Partners' (IK) IK Small Cap II Fund has reached an agreement to invest in Valoria Capital (Valoria), an acquisition platform of independent financial advisers. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

By Paul Fairbairn, partner at Cripps Pemberton Greenish – Many commentators and market participants are, in large part due to the Covid-19 pandemic, eagerly trying to predict the government’s next move to hike taxes that would recoup the money lost through necessary initiatives like the furlough support scheme.

Tia Counts has been named Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion for JP Morgan Asset & Wealth Management (AWM). In her new role, Counts will continue to drive forward AWM’s Diversity and Inclusion strategy. Counts succeeds Lucida Plummer, who was recently appointed Head of Employee Diversity and Inclusion for JP Morgan, a newly created role at the firm.

A bumper week for new ETF launches includes a couple of unusual funds, including a new 'social justice' ETF from Adasina Capital, and Tuttle Tactical Management's latest offering which aims to provide access to Special Purpose Acquisition Companies or SPACs, normally the preserve of institutional investors. The week's other newcomers include a new corporate bonds from from Tabula, a new ETF from HSBC GAM focused on the largest technology companies from the Greater China region, and a suite of eight active funds from Vanguard allowing investors to invest in an actively managed portfolio of equity and fixed income ETFs.