The independent advisor channel continues to grow at a rapid pace, reshaping the wealth management landscape. In response, Goldman Sachs and Elevation Point are deepening their collaboration to provide a broader suite of solutions to financial advisors seeking independence and scalability.
The enhanced partnership positions Goldman as a core provider of lending, direct indexing, open-architecture custom models, fixed-income separately managed accounts, custody, and capital markets services for advisors affiliated with Elevation Point. Importantly, advisors are not required to custody assets with Goldman in order to access these offerings, a flexibility designed to meet the diverse operational models of independent practices.
Elevation Point’s Growth Strategy
Elevation Point, founded last year by Jim Dickson—best known for creating Sanctuary Wealth and his tenure as a Merrill Lynch executive—has quickly established itself as a growth accelerator and minority investor for independent RIAs. The firm’s mission is to help advisors leaving wirehouses launch successful independent practices, while also supporting already-independent advisors who want to scale their businesses.
To date, Elevation Point oversees eight advisor teams representing $8.2 billion in assets under supervision. The firm has already facilitated several headline-making transitions. In June, for instance, Elevation Point assisted a 12-person UBS team managing $2.5 billion in client assets in launching their own independent firm. Elevation Point also took a minority stake in the practice, demonstrating its model of aligning with advisors both financially and strategically.
Dickson says the pipeline is strong, with more teams preparing to make similar moves. “There’s an accelerating appetite for independence,” he explains. “Advisors are looking for the freedom of independence, but they also want the backing of powerful institutions that can help them grow.”
Goldman Sachs’ Expanding Role in the RIA Market
For Goldman, the expanded relationship with Elevation Point underscores its commitment to the independent advisor segment—a sector the bank increasingly views as central to the future of wealth management.
Jeremy Eisenstein, head of RIA custody, global banking, and markets at Goldman Sachs, highlights the shared vision between the two firms. “We have a common goal of building a turnkey solution for advisors who want to grow their businesses and deliver enhanced value for clients,” he says.
Goldman’s longstanding presence in asset management, lending, and banking services for RIAs is now being augmented by a sharper focus on the infrastructure independent advisors need to compete. Custody solutions, personalized investment tools, and capital markets access are all part of the platform Goldman is making available to Elevation Point advisors.
Greg Wilson, co-head of U.S. third-party wealth at Goldman Sachs Asset Management, notes that one of the industry’s greatest challenges lies in balancing personalization with scale. “Advisors want to design complex, customized portfolios for their clients, particularly those with sophisticated needs,” Wilson says. “But capacity constraints often make this difficult. We’re focused on helping them deliver personalization at scale.”
Independence with Institutional Backing
The Goldman–Elevation Point collaboration is designed to provide independent advisors with the capabilities of a global institution while preserving the autonomy that independence offers.
As Dickson puts it: “Advisors want the reach and resources of Goldman, but in an independent wrapper. This partnership allows that to happen.”
For advisors, that means access to lending solutions, capital markets capabilities, and model portfolios that would be difficult to replicate on their own. At the same time, they maintain the freedom to brand their firms, design client experiences, and build equity value in their practices.
This hybrid of independence with institutional-grade support addresses one of the most persistent barriers for advisors considering a move away from wirehouses: the concern that going independent means sacrificing the infrastructure and tools of a major firm. Goldman and Elevation Point aim to eliminate that tradeoff.
Meeting Advisors Where They Are
The flexibility of the partnership is a central feature. Advisors affiliating with Elevation Point are not required to custody with Goldman to access its solutions. Instead, they can integrate Goldman’s offerings into whichever custodial platform best fits their needs.
This open-architecture approach reflects the reality of today’s RIA marketplace, where independence is defined by choice. Advisors want the ability to select custodians, investment providers, and technology partners without being forced into a single ecosystem. By serving as a “key custodian” while still enabling optionality, Goldman is signaling its willingness to adapt to the advisor-first model that defines the independent channel.
Implications for RIAs and Wealth Advisors
For wealth advisors evaluating strategic growth options, this partnership illustrates several important trends:
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Institutional-grade resources are flowing to the independent space. Advisors no longer have to choose between independence and access to premier solutions. Large financial institutions like Goldman are extending their capabilities directly to RIAs.
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Personalization remains a top priority. As client needs become more sophisticated, the ability to deliver customized portfolios efficiently will differentiate successful firms. Partnerships that enable personalization at scale will be critical.
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Capital solutions and minority investments are reshaping transitions. Elevation Point’s willingness to take minority stakes demonstrates a growing model where capital partners align with advisors not only operationally but financially, helping them accelerate growth.
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Custody is evolving. The market is shifting away from custodians as gatekeepers and toward custodians as one part of a broader toolkit. Advisors increasingly expect open architecture, optionality, and integrated services.
The Road Ahead
Both Goldman Sachs and Elevation Point view their partnership as an evolving platform rather than a static arrangement. As independent advisors continue to gain market share, the demand for scalable, flexible, and customizable solutions will only increase.
For advisors considering independence—or those already independent but seeking to scale—the Goldman–Elevation Point collaboration underscores that powerful resources are available outside of traditional wirehouse environments. Independence no longer means going it alone; it increasingly means partnering strategically with institutions that can bring scale, technology, and capital to the table.
In an industry where growth depends on meeting clients’ rising expectations, the firms that succeed will be those that combine entrepreneurial flexibility with institutional-grade capabilities. Goldman Sachs and Elevation Point are betting that their partnership can deliver exactly that balance, positioning them at the forefront of one of wealth management’s fastest-growing channels.
