Smith Thornton Advisors

What Smith Thornton Advisors does

Smith Thornton Advisors is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment advisor (RIA) founded in 2011 and headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, with a second office in Auburn. The firm employs nine professionals, including co-founders Rick Smith and Steve Thornton (who have worked together since 1989 at AmSouth Bank and Morgan Keegan), Managing Principal and Chief Investment Officer Will Smith, Chief Compliance Officer Donna Ryberg, Director of Workplace Retirement Solutions Jessica Kanser, and wealth advisors Blayne Barber (Auburn) and Kane Davenport (Huntsville). The firm is principally owned by its three founders/principals, operates as a fiduciary, and has no institutional backing or parent company. Note: the firmographics metadata lists a 2021 founding year, which corresponds to the SEC RIA registration date; the operating history actually begins in 2011.

The firm's offerings are organized into two integrated service lines. Wealth Management for Individuals & Families provides personalized investment management, retirement planning, IRAs, and estate and legacy planning. Workplace Retirement Solutions delivers 401(k) consulting, fiduciary oversight, compliance support, and employee education to employers via the proprietary PlanEXCEL platform, described as a customizable tool tailored to plan sponsor size and culture. PlanEXCEL is the only disclosed proprietary technology; no other software products, APIs, or apps are offered.

Smith Thornton Advisors generates revenue through recurring fees on investment management and advisory services, consistent with a fee-only RIA model; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed but is described as consultation-based and likely AUM-based, billed annually. Distribution is sales-led, via direct advisory consultations, professional referrals, community engagement, and content marketing (the firm's blog). The firm expanded its workplace retirement practice with the 2022 hire of Jessica Kanser, added two new wealth advisors in 2024 (Barber in Auburn, Davenport in Huntsville), and acquired Kevane Grant Thornton on November 25, 2025 for an undisclosed amount.

Name

Smith Thornton Advisors

Legal name

Smith Thornton Advisors, LLC

Website

https://smiththornton.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smith Thornton Advisors is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment advisor in Huntsville, Alabama, providing personalized wealth management for individuals and families and workplace retirement solutions (401(k) consulting) for employers via its proprietary PlanEXCEL platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management & Financial Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE), Business Owner & Executive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAO)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Investment advisory
• Retirement planning
• 401(k) consulting
• Fiduciary financial planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Huntsville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Management & Advisory Fees: Fee-only RIA model charging fees for investment management and consulting services to individuals, families, and businesses. The firm operates as a fiduciary with a legal obligation to act in clients' best interests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Smith Thornton Advisors operates as a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor providing personalized wealth management and investment advisory services to individuals and families, including retirement planning, IRAs, and estate/legacy planning. The firm also delivers workplace retirement solutions to employers through 401(k) consulting, fiduciary services, compliance support, and employee education, powered by its proprietary PlanEXCEL platform.

Product overview

Smith Thornton Advisors operates as a unified financial advisory firm offering two integrated service lines: Wealth Management for Individuals & Families and Workplace Retirement Solutions. The Wealth Management service provides personalized investment management, retirement planning, and IRAs for individual clients. The Workplace Retirement Solutions division leverages the proprietary PlanEXCEL platform to deliver customized 401(k) consulting, fiduciary services, and compliance support to employers. These services are designed to work together, with the firm emphasizing a personalized, fiduciary-first approach for both individual and corporate clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wealth Management for Individuals & Families Personalized investment management and financial advisory services for individuals and families, covering personal investment management, retirement planning, IRAs, and wealth management strategies tailored to each client's values and goals.
• Workplace Retirement Solutions Corporate retirement plan services for employers including 401(k) plan design, fiduciary oversight, compliance support, and employee retirement education, delivered through the proprietary PlanEXCEL platform.
• PlanEXCEL Platform Exclusive proprietary 401(k) consulting platform offering customized retirement plan design, fiduciary services, and compliance support tailored to business size and culture for the firm's employer clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• CFA, AIF, and CPFA professional designations among team members

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• AmSouth BankminorOthersRick Smith and Steve Thornton began their partnership in the Trust department at AmSouth Bank before moving to Morgan Keegan. This is an employment history reference rather than an active partnership.
• Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc.minorOthersRick, Steve, Donna, Dixie, and Stacy worked at Morgan Keegan for over two decades before founding Smith Thornton Advisors in 2011. This represents their prior professional affiliation.
• National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA)minorOthersJessica Kanser and Steve Thornton are members of NAPA, an industry association for retirement plan professionals
• Investment Management Consultants Association (IMCA)minorOthersSteve Thornton is a member of IMCA, which provides investment consulting resources and certifications

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• OneDigital: Workplace benefits and retirement plan advisory firm serving employers with 401(k) consulting, fiduciary services, and employee benefits — directly comparable employer-side service line to PlanEXCEL.
• Capstone Financial Advisors: Fee-only RIA serving individuals and families with retirement planning, investment management, and tax planning — same fee-only fiduciary model, similar HNW client focus, and comparable size tier.
• Carson Wealth: Fee-only RIA platform offering wealth management and 401(k) advisory for individuals and employers — directly comparable dual-channel service model and similar fee-only fiduciary positioning.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: National fee-only RIA providing evidence-based financial planning and investment management to individuals — directly comparable fee-only fiduciary model and HNW-client orientation.
• SageView Advisory Group: Specialized retirement plan advisory firm serving corporate 401(k), 403(b), and defined benefit plans — directly comparable to Smith Thornton's PlanEXCEL workplace retirement practice.
• Ronald Blue Trust: Fee-only RIA providing wealth management and financial planning to HNW individuals and families, with similar personalized/advisor-led model and integrated tax/financial planning emphasis.
• Plancorp LLC: Fee-only RIA providing wealth management to HNW individuals and families with strong retirement planning emphasis — similar dual-channel model serving individuals with fee-only fiduciary structure.

Broad incumbents

• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large multi-disciplinary RIA consolidator offering wealth management, retirement plan advisory, and tax services — same overall service mix as Smith Thornton but operating at national scale through acquisitions.
• Mercer Advisors: National RIA consolidator providing wealth management, investment management, and retirement plan services — directly comparable service offerings to Smith Thornton but at much larger scale across multiple geographies.

Regional players

• Signature Wealth Partners: Fee-only RIA serving HNW individuals and families across the Southeast US — closely comparable regional fee-only wealth management model with similar clientele and advisor-led delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smith-thornton-advisors-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Smith Thornton Advisors