Exhibit 23




CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS



The Board of Directors and Shareholders
  of The Advest Group, Inc.:


We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration
Statements of The Advest Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries on Form S-8 (File No. 2-
92868) concerning its 1983 Incentive Stock Option Plan, Form S-8 (File No. 33-
17674) concerning its 1986 Incentive Stock Option Plan; Form S-8 (File No. 33-
72042) concerning its Advest Thrift Plan; Form S-8 (File No. 33-56275)
concerning its 1995 Equity Plan, Form S-8 (File No. 333-00797) concerning its
Executive Officer 1996 Restricted Stock and Stock Option Agreement; Form S-8
(File No. 33-60425) concerning its 1990, 1991 and 1992 Top Account Executive
Stock Option Plans, its 1993 Stock Option Plan and its 1994 Non-Employee
Director Stock Option Plan; Form S-8 (File No. 333-17711) concerning Key
Professionals Equity Plan, 1996 Executive Equity Plan, 1997 Executive Equity
Plan and 1997 Equity Plan; Form S-3 (File No. 333-43053) and Form S-8 (File No.
333-82235) concerning its 1994 Non-Employee Director Stock Option Plan, Equity
Plan, Key Professionals Equity Plan, Non-Employee Director Equity Plan and
Thrift Plan, of our reports dated October 27, 1999, relating to the consolidated
financial statements and financial statement schedule, which appear in this Form
10-K.




						/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP



Hartford, Connecticut
December 15, 1999

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