Focal Point

What Focal Point does

Focal Point Financial Planning, LLC is a fee-only, fiduciary financial planning firm founded in 2011 by Marcus Blanchard (CFP®, WMCP®, ChFC®), operating from Pleasant Grove, Utah and serving clients nationwide on a virtual-only basis via Zoom, email, and phone. The firm delivers two core services: Focused Growth Planning, an ongoing advisory engagement requiring a $500,000 AUM minimum and billed via an AUM-based fee starting at 1.5% on the first $500,000, which includes twice-yearly meetings, year-round tax planning, Roth conversion strategy, and withdrawal sequencing; and Hourly Planning, a project-based engagement at $150/hour typically totaling $1,500–$3,000 for one-time analyses. Client accounts are custodied at Charles Schwab, providing clients with direct login access, and there are no commissions, referral fees, or product sales.

The firm intentionally limits its client base to a small number of households in order to provide focused, personalized attention. It serves two primary customer cohorts: pre-retirees and retirees in their 50s and 60s who need tax-smart retirement income planning (Roth conversions, Social Security timing, IRMAA, RMDs), and commercial real estate brokers with variable commission income who require coordination across S corp structures, Solo 401k plans, QBI deductions, and their CPA relationships. Acquisition is handled entirely by Marcus Blanchard through free 20–30 minute Calendly intro calls, with leads sourced from a content marketing engine (SEO-optimized blog), an email newsletter, and referrals from CPAs and existing clients.

Focal Point is a founder-owned LLC operating without external institutional investment, partnerships, or affiliations. The technology stack is intentionally minimal — Squarespace website, Calendly, Zoom, and Charles Schwab custody — with no proprietary software, no AI/ML components, no app, and no integrations. The revenue model is recurring AUM fees from Focused Growth clients supplemented by project-based hourly fees, and growth is structurally capped by the founder-only delivery model.

Name

Focal Point

Legal name

Focal Point Financial Planning, LLC

Website

https://focalpointplanning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Focal Point Financial Planning is a fee-only, fiduciary virtual financial planning firm serving pre-retirees and commercial real estate brokers nationwide with ongoing tax-smart retirement planning and project-based hourly engagements, operating as a solo practitioner practice founded by Marcus Blanchard.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory and Retirement Planning Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tax-Aware Investment Planning (FSAEAAAE), Financial Planning & Goals-Based Advice (Mass Affluent) (FSAAAAAF)

Keywords

• Fee-only financial planning
• Retirement income planning
• Tax-efficient investing
• Fiduciary advisory services
• AUM-based wealth management

Headquarters

HQ city

Pleasant Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. AUM-based Ongoing Planning Fees: Ongoing Focused Growth Planning clients with $500,000+ in managed accounts pay an AUM-based fee. Starting at 1.5% on the first $500,000, with costs tiering down above that amount. Services include twice-yearly meetings, ongoing tax planning, and continuous advisor access.
2. Hourly Planning: Project-based hourly planning at $150/hour, typically ranging $1,500-$3,000 depending on complexity. Includes professional analysis, tax return review, retirement account review, and a one-page action plan. No minimum investment required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Focal Point Financial Planning provides fee-only, fiduciary financial planning services delivered virtually to a deliberately small client base. Its primary offering, Focused Growth Planning, is an ongoing advisory engagement for households with $500,000+ in managed assets that combines safety-first investment management with year-round tax planning, Roth conversion strategy, withdrawal sequencing, and twice-yearly proactive meetings. Its secondary offering, Hourly Planning, is a project-based engagement billed at $150/hour (typically $1,500-$3,000 total) for clients needing targeted analysis such as investment review, tax return review, or a one-page action plan.

Product overview

Focal Point Financial Planning offers two financial planning services: Focused Growth Planning (an ongoing advisory service requiring $500,000+ in managed assets) and Hourly Planning (project-based work at $150/hour). The Focused Growth Planning service is the primary offering, combining safety-first investment management, proactive tax planning, Roth conversion strategy, and retirement income sequencing with twice-yearly client meetings. Both services are fee-only, fiduciary, and delivered virtually through Zoom.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Focused Growth Planning Ongoing fee-only advisory engagement for pre-retirees/retirees (50s–60s) and commercial real estate brokers with $500,000+ in managed accounts. Includes twice-yearly proactive meetings (spring and fall), year-round tax planning, Roth conversion strategy, withdrawal sequencing, Social Security timing analysis, RMD planning, IRMAA monitoring, and continuous advisor access. Priced as an AUM-based fee starting at 1.5% on the first $500,000, tiering down for balances above that, billed annually.
• Hourly Planning Project-based financial planning engagement for clients who need targeted analysis on specific questions rather than an ongoing advisory relationship. Includes professional analysis, tax return review, retirement account review, and a one-page action plan. Plan is structured in four sections: Investments, Tax Planning, Retirement, and Risk Management. Billed at $150/hour with most projects totaling $1,500–$3,000 and completed in 3–8 weeks; includes email support after plan delivery. No minimum investment required.

Quantifiable outcome

• Difference between two different withdrawal sequences can exceed $100,000 in lifetime taxes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Boldin (formerly NewRetirement): DIY retirement and tax planning software platform that addresses Roth conversions, Social Security timing, and withdrawal sequencing. Represents the technology-enabled substitute that competes with Focal Point's hourly-planning and Foundational Growth services for cost-sensitive clients.

Others

• Holistiplan: Tax planning software built specifically for financial advisors to identify planning opportunities for clients. Indirectly comparable as it powers the kind of year-round tax analysis Focal Point performs, and represents the technology stack that could enable (or replace) boutique advisory services.
• FP Alpha: AI-powered financial planning platform for RIAs that generates tax, estate, and Social Security planning insights. Comparable as an enabling technology for the tax-planning workflow Focal Point delivers manually; represents both a productivity tool and a competitive substitute.

Broad incumbents

• Betterment: Major digital wealth manager with both robo-advisor and human-advisor tiers. Competes at the lower-AUM end of Focal Point's target market and has been expanding into holistic financial planning features that overlap with the firm's retirement income strategy work.
• Personal Capital (now Empower): Hybrid robo/human-advisor platform serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth clients with retirement income planning and tax strategy. Competes in the same pre-retirement planning space as Focal Point but with significantly more scale, technology investment, and brand recognition.
• Wealthfront: Large robo-advisor offering automated investment management and tax-loss harvesting at low cost. Targets a younger, lower-AUM segment than Focal Point but competes for the same 'tax-smart planning' wallet share and exerts downward pricing pressure on traditional advisors.
• Creative Planning: Large national RIA with comprehensive financial planning and wealth management for high-net-worth individuals and retirees. Comparable in serving the pre-retiree/retiree segment with tax-smart planning, but at dramatically greater scale with hundreds of advisors.

Direct peers

• XY Planning Network: Network of fee-only financial planners serving Gen X and Gen Y clients, with a similar virtual-delivery and hourly/AUM-based fee structure. Focal Point's service model mirrors XYPN member firms in pricing, fiduciary positioning, and target client profile.
• Facet Wealth: Fee-only, virtual financial planning firm serving mid-affluent clients across the US. Directly comparable business model (flat-fee + AUM-based), virtual delivery via Zoom, and similar target demographic of households with $500K+ in investable assets seeking personalized fiduciary advice.
• Abundo Wealth: Fee-only, virtual financial planning firm serving tech employees and high-earners with equity compensation. Highly comparable in structure (solo/small team, virtual delivery, flat-fee + AUM hybrid) and similarly emphasizes tax planning as a key differentiator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fpplanning
• Facebookfacebook.com/FocalPointFinancialPlanning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/focal-point-planning

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Focal Point