Simplicity Group and NFP have both moved to deepen their US distribution footprints with acquisitions targeting specialist life and P&C capabilities in key regional markets.
Simplicity, a holistic financial planning firm that partners with advisors on accumulation and protection strategies, has bought Milwaukee-based CPS Horizon Financial Group, while NFP, an Aon company, has acquired New Jersey broker The Hamilton Group.
Simplicity Group has agreed to acquire CPS Horizon Financial Group, a brokerage general agency (BGA) specializing in life insurance, annuities, disability insurance and long-term care solutions.
Horizon, based in the Milwaukee area, will join Simplicity’s growing national BGA partnership network, and principal Mike Smith will become the firm’s newest partner.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mike and the entire Horizon team to Simplicity,” said Bruce Donaldson, partner and CEO of Simplicity. “Mike has built an exceptional business focused on providing ‘white-glove’ service and deep technical expertise to the advisor community. Their commitment to advisor education and holistic planning aligns perfectly with our core values, and we look forward to supporting their continued growth through our expanded scale and resources.”
The deal is another example of Simplicity’s accelerated roll‑up of independent BGAs.
In recent months the firm has also acquired Source Brokerage, an Indianapolis‑based disability insurance specialist, and Brokers Edge, a Lenexa, Kansas BGA focused on fixed and indexed annuities and life products, bringing their principals into the partnership structure.
That consolidation trend is reshaping the life and annuity wholesale landscape, with platforms like Simplicity using scale to invest in technology, case management and marketing support while offering independent BGAs succession and liquidity options. The growing influence of a smaller number of national BGA platforms has implications for product distribution and negotiating leverage, particularly in high‑end life, DI and long‑term care segments.
NFP has acquired The Hamilton Group, LLC, a multi‑disciplinary broker based in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, adding a long‑established family‑owned agency to its Northeast regional platform.
As part of the transaction, principals Greg Frankel and David Page will join NFP as senior vice presidents, reporting to Lauren Kim, regional managing director of P&C in NFP’s Northeast region.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Greg, Dave and the Hamilton Group to NFP,” said Kate Henry, president, Northeast region. “Hamilton Group has a well‑established reputation in the market through its strong management team, longstanding carrier relationships and disciplined P&C execution. Their approach to risk management aligns with our service model and complements our regional platform, strengthening our ability to deliver more complex, integrated solutions to their clients.”
For NFP, which was acquired by Aon in a $13 billion deal announced in 2023 and completed in 2024, the acquisition builds on a broader strategy of folding specialist and regional brokers into a larger platform that combines P&C, benefits, life and wealth capabilities.
The Hamilton Group deal follows other recent NFP acquisitions in the US mid‑Atlantic and Northeast and reflects continuing demand among large brokerages for established regional agencies with sticky SME books and strong local relationships.
