Commonwealth's 2025 National Conference Empowers Community to Unlock Unlimited Possibilities
Annual gathering explored expanded capabilities and served as a launchpad for what's to come.
Commonwealth Financial Network®, a national firm dedicated to providing financial advisors with holistic, integrated business solutions, held its annual National Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, October 19–22, 2025. The firm's premiere event drew more than 2,000 attendees, including affiliated advisors, home office staff, and industry partners, all uniting under the theme of "One Community. Unlimited Possibilities." This year, National held special significance as the first of Commonwealth's flagship conferences since LPL Financial acquired Commonwealth on August 1, 2025.
"The heart of Commonwealth has and always will be our Advisor community. It's why there is something uniquely powerful about our National Conference and bringing this community together in one place," said Wayne Bloom, Commonwealth's CEO. "National is a chance to reconnect, reimagine what's possible, and renew our commitment to providing best-in-class service and doing right by our Advisors and their clients."
Bloom continued, "Exceptional service and deep connection are what make Commonwealth, Commonwealth. And with our LPL Financial partners at this year's event, the collective commitment to our bright, bold future was on full display. Standing with our Advisors in partnership and giving them access to resources that put their growth first is our promise, and I am proud of what we're building together."
Sharing the stage during a fireside chat with Bloom, Rich Steinmeier, CEO of LPL, said, "This collective firm is going to be a force to be reckoned with and it is our job to create the conditions for advisors to succeed—to make sure they have the tools, the support, and the scale advantages to run their businesses the way they want. Commonwealth is rooted in values and focused on success – it is exactly what we're working to preserve and build on."
This year's conference featured educational sessions led by Commonwealth and LPL experts, as well as by external partners. Advisors explored the many ways they will be poised to thrive in a competitive and ever-evolving industry with the expanded capabilities of Commonwealth and LPL.
Advisors connected and collaborated with peers, home office staff, and LPL experts at the networking Hub, a centralized and informative experience designed for advisors to easily navigate deep expertise, intuitive tools, and personalized solutions across all key areas of Commonwealth.
Notable keynotes
Keynote speakers included Lin-Manuel Miranda, award-winning songwriter, actor, and director; Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author; Michael Kitces, chief financial planning nerd at Kitces.com; and Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski, former head coach of men's basketball at Duke University. These leaders inspired attendees, sharing stories of personal perseverance and triumph over adversity.
Nurturing the next generation
In a Next–Gen Preconference Program, advisors gained valuable tools to grow their business, build leadership and client development skills, and navigate the future alongside like-minded peers. Over the course of two days, participants joined dynamic sessions and workshops, ranging from succession as a growth strategy to leveling up their personal brands.
Students from George Mason University, the University of Akron, the University of North Texas, and San Diego State University joined on-site to network with the advisor community through Talent Exchange, a program highlighting Commonwealth's commitment to cultivating relationships between next-gen talent and its affiliated firms. The program aims to address succession planning concerns and connect advisors with budding talent.
Doing well by doing good
Commonwealth's most prestigious honor, the Special Service Award, recognizes individuals for their compassion and the contributions they make toward providing better lives for their clients, colleagues, and communities. This year, the award was presented to two long-time affiliated advisors, brothers James Ball, ChFC®, AIF®, President and CEO of EverRise, and Daniel Ball, ChFC®, CLTC®, of Ball Financial Services Company, for their ongoing and generous support of local organizations and events including the Pan-Mass Challenge, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Walk to End Alzheimer's, and the Jimmy Fund.
Continuing its tradition of supporting worthy causes, Commonwealth hosted multiple give-back opportunities for attendees, including Friendship Place, a nonprofit working to end homelessness in the D.C. region; Comfort Cases, whose mission is to bring dignity and hope to children going into foster care; and a Miles That Matter Fun Run/Walk to raise funds in support of Edesia Nutrition, which treats malnutrition across the globe with its fortified peanut-based paste, and Make-a-Wish.
LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LPLA) acquired Commonwealth Financial Network in August 2025. Commonwealth will operate as a wholly-owned portfolio company through the onboarding of Commonwealth advisors to LPL's platform, which is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026.
About Commonwealth Financial Network®
Commonwealth Financial Network, Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Adviser, provides financial advisors with holistic, integrated solutions that support business evolution, growth acceleration, and operational efficiency. J.D. Power ranks Commonwealth "#1 in Independent Advisor Satisfaction Among Financial Investment Firms, 12 Times in a Row."1 Founded in 1979, the firm has headquarters in Waltham, Massachusetts, and San Diego, California, and an operations hub in Blue Ash, Ohio. Learn more about how Commonwealth partners with approximately 3,000 independent financial advisors overseeing $305 billion2 in assets nationwide by visiting commonwealth.com.
1Commonwealth received the highest score among independent advisors in the J.D. Power 2010, 2012–2014, and 2018‒2025 U.S. Financial Advisor Satisfaction Studies. Presented on July 16, 2025, for December 2024 to April 2025, it is based on responses from 3,698 advisors employed by or affiliated with the firms included in the study. Not indicative of the firm's future performance. Your experience may vary. Study is independently conducted, and the participating firms do not pay to participate. Use of study results in promotional materials is subject to a license fee. Visit jdpower.com/awards for more details.
2As of 06/30/2025
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Commonwealth Financial Network
Sarah Baun
Public Relations Manager
781.464.7138
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commonwealth.com