Cetera Welcomes John Sloop, John Black and Palmetto Investment Consultants, Overseeing Approximately $305 Million in AUA

Investment team moves from LPL to Cetera's Summit Financial Networks community, drawn by its boutique service model and Cetera's growth resources and marketing support

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cetera welcomes financial advisors John Sloop, CFP ®, John Black, III, ChFC ®, AIF ® and their Palmetto Investment Consultants team, which oversees approximately $305 million in AUA 1. Based in Rock Hill, South Carolina, the team moved from LPL to Cetera, joining its Summit Financial Networks 2 community.

Sloop, who spent 13 years affiliated with Cetera earlier in his career, returned in search of a more responsive, hands-on financial services partner.

"This is a return for me more than a first step with Cetera," said Sloop. "Summit gives us the advocate-driven feel we wanted, and Summit is a smaller group we know can turn things around quickly. Being back with Cetera means having someone in our corner who can take our feedback straight to the people who can act on it."

Approximately 95 percent of Palmetto Investment Consultants' business is advisory relationships, with an emphasis on retirement income planning for long-tenured clients who are in the later stages of their careers.

About 25 miles from the Charlotte, North Carolina, metropolitan area, Sloop and Black have built the practice on deep ties to the local community, including relationships with employees of one of the nation's largest energy companies, a regional telecommunications company, and a local paper mill.

Sloop emphasizes education over product. He begins client meetings by asking what is on the client's mind, then develops a plan – often anchored in a dividend income strategy – designed to clarify what the client's money needs to accomplish, not simply how it is performing.

"I want clients to have conviction about what I'm recommending, and that only happens if they understand the what and the why," Sloop said. "A lot of retirement planning focuses on growing the number. I spend a lot of my time helping people plan for the other side of that, turning it into an income they can count on."

The decision by Sloop and Black to rejoin Cetera was also shaped by access to Growth360, Cetera's business-planning approach, with firm- and advisor-level diagnostics; GrowthLine, Cetera's proprietary advisor growth engine; and Cetera's Regional Growth Team approach, which offers advisors one dedicated team that knows the advisor's practice intimately, while serving as their conduit into Cetera's full centralized resources.

Moving to Summit and Cetera also offered a more streamlined operating experience, particularly for Morgan Hinchen and Allison Grier, who manage much of the practice's day-to-day operations and client engagement.

"We say that Summit has a 'boutiquey' feel because the customization and concierge approach mirrors the service we like to provide our clients," said Grier, the firm's branch operations manager.

Hinchen, who leads marketing for the practice, added: "We're proudly independent, we love our small office, and our team works really well together. We wanted a way to serve more clients without hiring people or losing our small-office feel, and that's exactly what this Summit partnership gives us."

Welcoming the Palmetto Investment Consultants team, Cetera Advisor Channel Leader Tom Halloran said: "The Palmetto Investment Consultants team brings decades of experience and a genuine, education-first approach to retirement planning that clients clearly value. We are pleased to welcome the team and have them back with Cetera. I know the personalized service they're seeking from Summit will support their next stage of growth."

Learn more about Palmetto Investment Consultants at www.palmettoinvestmentconsultants.com.

About Cetera

Cetera is the premier financial advisor Wealth Hub, empowering independent advisors and institutions with personalized support, flexible affiliation models, and end-to-end growth solutions. Home to approximately 12,000 financial professionals and institutions, Cetera's multi-channel ecosystem enables financial professionals to grow, scale or transition their businesses on their own terms.

Unlike traditional IBDs, Cetera offers true choice – blending modern technology, integrated wealth solutions, and a community-driven culture. Cetera's five-channel model and commitment to long-term advisor value provide a scalable blueprint for consistent, repeatable growth.

As of June 30, 2026, Cetera firms manage approximately $688 billion in assets under administration and $330 billion in assets under management. Its Voice of the Customer program has captured more than 50,000 advisor reviews, and over 45,000 five-star ratings, giving Cetera a 4.7 out of 5 satisfaction score.

Learn more at www.cetera.com and follow Cetera on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and X.

Cetera is a network of independent retail firms, including those that are members of FINRA/SIPC: Cetera Advisors LLC; Cetera Wealth Services, LLC (formerly known as Cetera Advisor Networks); Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors); and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. Entities registered as investment advisers with the Securities and Exchange Commission include Cetera Investment Management LLC and Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Cetera's principal office is located at 655 W. Broadway, 11th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101.

Avantax Planning Partners, Inc. (APP) and The Retirement Planning Group, LLC (TRPG), doing business as Cetera Planning Partners (CPP), are SEC registered investment advisers within the Aretec Group, Inc. (dba Cetera Holdings, an affiliate of Cetera). All referenced entities are under common ownership.

Cetera exclusively provides investment products and services through its representatives. Although Cetera does not provide tax or legal advice, or supervise tax, accounting or legal services, Cetera representatives may offer these services through their independent outside businesses. This information is not intended as tax or legal advice.

1 Value approximated based on information provided to Cetera for asset holdings as of April 27, 2026.

2Summit Financial Networks is a region of Cetera Wealth Services, LLC. Securities offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity.

SOURCE Cetera Financial Group