Creative Planning is already one of the nation's largest registered investment advisors serving individual investors. Now, it has ambitions to serve more institutional clients too.

To reach that goal, Creative Planning said Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire RVK, an institutional investment consulting firm that advises more than 200 institutional clients with approximately $4.3 trillion in assets. RVK's customers include public and private retirement plans, endowments, foundations, insurance companies, health systems, and other sophisticated asset owners, Creative Planning said. The company didn't disclose terms of the transaction, which it expects to close in January. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals.

"RVK has built an exceptional reputation by providing thoughtful, objective advice to some of the country's most complex institutional investors," says Peter Mallouk, president and CEO of Creative Planning. "Its deep consulting expertise, rigorous investment research, and commitment to putting clients first align closely with how we operate at Creative Planning. Together, we'll be able to bring even greater scale, resources and insight to institutions navigating increasingly complex investment and governance decisions."

Creative Planning managed $419 billion in client assets as of the end of June, according to data the firm submitted to Barron's. The Overland Park, Kan-based company has grown rapidly through acquisitions of dozens of smaller wealth management firms in the U.S. and overseas. It is ranked the No. 2 Mega RIA on Barron's Top 100 RIA Firms for 2026.

RVK is an employee-owned company based in Portland, Ore., and has regional offices in Boise, Idaho; Chicago; and New York, according to its website. RVK provides nondiscretionary investment consulting, helping clients with tasks such as asset allocation, asset studies, investment manager research and selection, and governance consulting. Creative Planning says RVK will continue to be led by its current management team.

"Becoming a Creative Planning affiliate will allow us to preserve the client-focused approach and consulting model that have defined RVK while providing our clients and employees with access to broader resources, technology and capabilities," Josh Kevan, CEO of RVK, says. "We're excited about what our firms can accomplish together."

Goldman Sachs is acting as an exclusive financial advisor to Creative Planning with regard to the transaction, Creative Planning said.