Creative Planning

What Creative Planning does

Creative Planning, LLC is an Overland Park, Kansas-based independent registered investment advisor founded in 1982, operating as one of the largest RIAs in the United States with $710 billion or more in combined assets under management or advisement as of December 31, 2025. The firm serves high-net-worth and ultra-affluent households, with CEO Peter Mallouk disclosing a book of approximately 3,400 clients holding $25 million or more in assets, alongside a SageView-derived base of roughly 80,000 private wealth clients and 11,800 institutional retirement plans. Operations span all 50 U.S. states and 90 countries, including international offices in London, Geneva and Zurich established through the 2026 acquisitions of MASECO LLP and Baseline Wealth Management Ltd.

The company's core platform is an integrated fiduciary wealth-management and family-office stack that coordinates investment management, strategic tax planning, estate planning (delivered through Creative Planning Legal), insurance, retirement planning, financial planning, and—in the ultra-affluent tier—legacy, charitable, liquidity, and family-governance services. Adjacent lines include 401(k) and institutional consulting for nonprofits, plus a full Business Services suite (M&A consulting, valuations, business tax, outsourced accounting and bill pay, payroll, legal, technology, insurance/risk management, and audit/attest via the 2023-acquired BerganKDV CPA firm). The proprietary technology layer is described as an integrated in-house platform with an AI-augmented research and analytics capability that is built around human-in-the-loop oversight, and the firm is publicly developing an in-house AI team; custody is maintained by independent third parties (Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity).

Creative Planning generates revenue primarily through tiered asset-based advisory fees on AUM (reported by WSJ Buy Side at 0.10%–1.20%), supplemented by fixed annual family-office retainers, performance-based fees, and hourly or project-based fees for tax, legal, audit and M&A engagements. Distribution is executed through locally assigned wealth-management teams and dedicated phone lines, supported by a ZIP-code-based online intake form, an active content and podcast marketing engine (Down the Middle, Signal or Noise?, Icons and Ideas), specialty practices (aviation, sports and entertainment, dentists, law enforcement, social impact, Catholic), and an institutional retirement-plan channel. The firm is privately held under an employee-partner ownership model in which Peter Mallouk retains a majority stake, with minority investments from General Atlantic (2020) and TPG Capital (September 2024, at an approximate $2 billion valuation); M&A has been the dominant growth lever, with at least 15 acquisitions completed in the two years preceding December 2025 and continued international and accounting-adjacent roll-ups announced into mid-2026.

Name

Creative Planning

Legal name

Creative Planning, LLC

Website

https://creativeplanning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Creative Planning is an independent U.S. registered investment advisor (Overland Park, KS) managing $710B+ across 50 states and 90 countries, serving ultra-affluent and high-net-worth households, retirement plans, and business owners with integrated wealth management, tax, estate, legal, and insurance services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Leawood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Asset-based advisory fees (AUM): Multi-family office and wealth management fees typically based on total assets under management, with bands that decline as assets grow; reflects recurring revenue tied to invested client assets.
2. Fixed annual fees: Fixed annual retainer for an agreed-upon scope of family office services, with additional services billed separately as needed.
3. Performance-based fees: Fees based on a percentage of investment gains if portfolio performance exceeds a benchmark; less common than asset-based or fixed-fee models.
4. Hourly / service-based fees: Fixed amounts charged for specific planning, consulting or administrative engagements such as tax filings, business valuations, M&A advisory, payroll and legal services.
5. 401(k) / Retirement Plan Services: Retirement plan record-keeping, consulting and institutional investment advisory for employers and foundations, including actuarial, plan design and 3(21)/3(38) fiduciary services (notably expanded via the SageView acquisition).
6. Hybrid fee model: Combination of lower base/fixed fee plus performance or project-based fees, allowing flexibility for family office clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Creative Planning is an independent, employee-partner-owned registered investment advisor delivering integrated wealth management and family office services to high-net-worth and ultra-affluent households across all 50 U.S. states and 90 countries. The firm combines investment management, financial planning, strategic tax planning, estate planning, insurance, retirement planning and business services under one fiduciary umbrella, with in-house CPAs, estate attorneys and insurance specialists coordinating client engagements.

Product overview

Creative Planning operates as a single integrated fiduciary wealth management and family office platform (not a multi-product SaaS suite), with a portfolio-plus-modules architecture: a core Private Wealth Management offering is supported by higher-touch tiers (Ultra-Affluent Wealth Management / Family Office and International Wealth), institutional arms (401k Retirement Plan Services and Institutional Investment Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations), and a full Business Services suite (M&A consulting, valuations, business tax, payroll, legal, technology, insurance/risk management). Specialized capabilities are delivered through affiliates and acquired firms such as BerganKDV (audit and attest), Creative Planning Legal (estate planning law firm), and the SageView-derived Women's Forum, while M&A activity has added international capabilities (Baseline Wealth Management in Switzerland, MASECO LLP in London) and expanded domestic scale via Burt Wealth Advisors, Marshall Financial Group, Financial Abundance, Duncan & Haley, MarkhamNorton, and the Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management unit. Content extensions include branded podcasts (Down the Middle, Signal or Noise?, Icons and Ideas) and educational resources covering topics such as private credit investing and AI in financial planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Creative Planning Family Office: Family office services for ultra-affluent investors, including wealth transfer, legacy planning, charitable planning, valuations, family governance, and philanthropy.
• Creative Planning Legal

Products and services

• Family Office Services A coordinated suite of services for ultra-affluent families (typically over $10 million) covering ultra-affluent wealth management, legacy planning, charitable planning, asset protection, wealth transfer, liquidity and exit planning, valuations, outsourced accounting and bill pay, tax services, family governance, social impact, and philanthropy services.
• Ultra-Affluent Wealth Management Tailored wealth management offering for households with over $10 million in investable assets, combining investment management, tax, estate, philanthropy, and family governance expertise under a dedicated team.
• Private Wealth Management Comprehensive wealth management services for high-net-worth investors (up to $10 million) covering investment management, alternative investments, strategic tax planning, estate planning, financial planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, and international wealth services.
• Investment Management Services Customized portfolio construction and ongoing management without standardized model portfolios, integrating public and private market investments aligned with client goals and risk tolerance.
• Alternative Investments Services Access to alternative assets such as private credit, private equity, real estate, and other non-traditional investments for high-net-worth clients seeking diversification beyond stocks and bonds.
• Strategic Tax Planning Tax-efficient strategies across income, capital gains, Roth conversions, withdrawal sequencing, and trust/entity structures to minimize tax liabilities and coordinate with broader wealth planning.
• Estate Planning Estate planning, trust creation, asset titling, and legacy design coordinated with Creative Planning Legal (one of the largest estate planning law firms in the country) to preserve and transfer wealth across generations.
• Financial Planning Personalized comprehensive financial planning that integrates investment, tax, estate, retirement, insurance, and cash flow planning to support client goals.
• Retirement Planning Services Retirement income planning, Social Security coordination, withdrawal sequencing, and healthcare/long-term care planning tailored to the pre-retirement "gray zone" years and into retirement.
• Insurance Planning Services Insurance and risk management solutions including life, disability, homeowners, auto, umbrella, and high-net-worth property & casualty coverage coordinated with asset protection strategies.
• International Wealth Wealth management services for Americans abroad and cross-border families, supporting tax, investment, and estate planning across jurisdictions; enhanced by acquisitions of Switzerland-based Baseline Wealth Management and London-based MASECO LLP.
• Retirement Plan Services (401(k)) Institutional retirement plan services including plan design, investment menu construction, and ongoing plan consulting for employers.
• Institutional Investment Consulting for Nonprofit Organizations Investment consulting services for nonprofits and foundations, including endowment, foundation, and retirement plan advisory.
• Business Services Full suite of business advisory services for business owners including M&A consulting, valuations, business tax planning, audit & attest (via BerganKDV), outsourced accounting and bill pay, payroll, legal, technology, insurance/risk management, and retirement plan services.
• Audit & Attest Services Independent CPA-led audit and attest services delivered through BerganKDV, a separately governed licensed CPA firm that Creative Planning acquired in 2023, bringing approximately 600 employees and $2.495 billion AUM.
• Creative Planning Legal Estate planning law firm affiliate described as one of the largest estate planning law firms in the country, with attorneys licensed in multiple states, providing custom estate plans for ultra-affluent investors.
• Creative Planning International International wealth management subsidiary holding $11–12 billion in assets, delivering cross-border wealth management through Baseline Wealth Management (Geneva/Zurich) and MASECO LLP (London).

Quantifiable outcome

• $710B+ in combined AUM or advisement by Creative Planning and its affiliates as of December 31, 2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large independent RIA offering wealth management, tax, estate and family office services to HNW and UHNW clients with a national footprint. Closest U.S. peer to Creative Planning by scale, integrated-service model and acquisition-driven growth strategy.
• Focus Financial Partners: Partnership model supporting a network of independent RIAs and wealth management firms, with extensive M&A activity. Directly comparable to Creative Planning in roll-up strategy, scale and PE-backed growth.
• Edelman Financial Engines: One of the largest U.S. independent RIAs combining wealth management with workplace retirement plan services. Comparable to Creative Planning across HNW advisory, retirement-plan business and scale, with similar integrated planning emphasis.
• Fisher Investments: Privately held investment management firm serving high-net-worth and institutional clients with a centralized portfolio approach. Comparable to Creative Planning in private, founder-led ownership and large-AUM discretionary wealth management.
• Captrust: Large independent RIA specializing in investment management for institutions, retirement plans, and private clients. Closely comparable to Creative Planning in retirement plan services and PE-backed consolidation strategy.
• Cetera Financial Group: Wealth management platform supporting a network of independent financial professionals with advisory, brokerage and retirement offerings. Comparable to Creative Planning in scale, advisor-channel distribution and integrated wealth products.
• Mercer Advisors: PE-backed national RIA providing comprehensive wealth management, tax, estate and retirement plan services to HNW clients. Directly comparable to Creative Planning in integrated service model, scale and acquisition-driven growth.

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Wealth Advisory (Charles Schwab): Custodian-led wealth advisory and managed-account programs offered by Charles Schwab, one of Creative Planning's primary custodians. Represents the large-incumbent competitive baseline for advisory fees, scale and platform access.
• LPL Financial: Largest U.S. independent broker-dealer and RIA custodian supporting thousands of independent financial advisors. Comparable to Creative Planning as a broad wealth-management infrastructure competitor and acquisition target universe.

Others

• Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management (legacy PFM): Former Goldman unit acquired by Creative Planning in 2025; now part of Creative Planning, but the residual ultra-high-net-worth business at Goldman Sachs competes for the same affluent segment. Included as a reference point for the M&A history.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cpiwealth
• Facebookfacebook.com/creativeplanninginc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creative-planning

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A46 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Creative Planning