Julius Buchanan

Most leaders are fortunate to help shape an industry once. Mark Casady has played a central role in shaping two eras of financial advisor success. As Chairman and CEO at LPL Financial, Casady pioneered the infrastructure that made independent wealth management viable at scale, at a time when the broader industry remained dominated by wirehouse channel firms.

At the 2026 Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (IPA) Summit, held from April 29 to May 1 at the Conrad in Washington, D.C., wealth management leaders discussed how advisors should evaluate private markets amid renewed scrutiny and a Department of Labor (DOL) official addressed how retirement plans may gain broader access to private markets investments under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

The first day of the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives (IPA) 2026 IPA Summit, held at the Conrad in Washington, D.C., from April 29 to May 1, presented interviews with top regulators from the SEC and FINRA as well as Sen. Tim Scott, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.