Link Wealth continues national expansion up north

In the latest step of its national growth strategy, Link Wealth has unveiled its acquisition of Xponential Advisory, a Queensland-based boutique financial planning firm.

With more than 185 existing client families across the country, the acquisition will bring approximately $500,000 in annual revenue, while also paving the way for Link Wealth to establish a new office in Burleigh Heads, Gold Coast, further expanding its presence in Queensland.

According to the firm, the decision to expand into the Gold Coast was driven by a “a clear need for greater access to financial advice” across the sunshine state with many communities still struggling to access financial services and support.

Speaking on the announcement, Link Wealth managing director Stephen Sloane said the group is pleased to welcome the new firm into its national network.

“What stood out to us wasn’t just the quality of the business, but the calibre of relationships they’ve built over time, and it’s a privilege to now support those relationships through our national network,” Sloane said.

To help ensure a smooth transition and uninterrupted service for clients, Xponential financial adviser Brendan Dilworth will remain on, operating under the Link Wealth structure.

Sloane explained that this will not just be a change of brand for the Queensland firm, it will also be a “transformation in capability”.

“With the support of Link Wealth’s back-office platform Levera Solutions, we’re able to help not only Brendan Dilworth but future advisers that join the team to focus more time on client outcomes and less time on managing operational complexity,” he said.

“It also means we can support more people across Queensland with the advice they need, when they need it.”

This announcement follows Link’s expansion into Tasmania in February, when the group acquired 60 per cent of Sky Advisers, a Hobart-based holistic advice firm.

While this was the group’s first step into Australia’s southern-most state, Sloane said at that time that the firm was “just getting started” on its national growth journey, suggesting that more expansions were to come.

“In the past 12 months, we’ve successfully acquired three firms, and we’re targeting another four in the coming year. Our goal is to empower advisory businesses with the resources, expertise and operational efficiencies needed to thrive,” he said.