Highland Capital Brokerage

What Highland Capital Brokerage does

Highland Capital Brokerage is a U.S. national wholesale insurance brokerage that distributes life insurance, annuities, long-term care, and disability income products through financial advisors, independent broker-dealers, registered investment advisors, banks, and independent producers. The firm, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama and operating under Advisor Group (Osaic Wealth), was founded in 1991 and today employs roughly 320 people nationwide, including 100+ advisor consultants and a 300+ risk management team, with reported average employee tenure above 8 years. Its value proposition is organized around six specializations: diversified sales teams segmented across the mass-affluent to ultra-high-net-worth spectrum, advanced planning staffed by in-house attorneys and credentialed experts, dedicated underwriting advocacy, white-glove relationship management, compliance/security (SOC 2 Type 2 and GLBA), and the proprietary Marketplace digital platform. Highland also holds strategic distribution partnerships with Annexus and Market Synergy Group, maintains tiered carrier relationships with most tier-1 life, annuity, longevity, and disability insurers, and offers specialized solutions such as Private Placement Life Insurance, Foreign National market coverage, and business planning.

The business operates a wholesale brokerage revenue model, earning carrier commissions on placed policies plus brokerage service fees for case design, advanced planning consultations, underwriting advocacy, and relationship management. Distribution is relationship-led, supported by a digital overlay: the Marketplace platform enables quoting, e-application with embedded carrier-specific rules, and pipeline tracking, while integrations with DocuSign and SecureDocs handle electronic signatures and compliance documentation. Acquired brands include Hallett Financial Group (Minneapolis-based life/annuity/DI/LTC brokerage), Quotacy (insurtech online life shopping platform), Premier Financial, Inc. (2026), Four Seasons Financial Group assets (2018), and Select Brokerage Services (2015), evidencing a sustained inorganic roll-up cadence since coming under the Ladenburg/Advisor Group umbrella. The firm is privately held and operates exclusively within the United States.

Name

Highland Capital Brokerage

Legal name

Highland Capital Brokerage

Website

https://highlandbrokerage.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Highland Capital Brokerage is a U.S. national wholesale insurance brokerage that distributes life insurance, annuities, long-term care, and disability income products through financial advisors, IBDs, RIAs, banks, and independent producers, supported by advanced planning attorneys, underwriting advocacy, and its proprietary Marketplace digital platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Insurance Distribution/Commissions: Highland Capital Brokerage generates revenue through commissions on the sale of insurance products including life insurance, annuities, long-term care, and disability insurance. The company acts as a wholesale insurance broker distributing products through a network of financial advisors and carriers.
2. Brokerage Services: Revenue generated from providing comprehensive insurance brokerage services to financial advisors, including case management, advanced planning support, underwriting advocacy, and relationship management services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Highland Capital Brokerage is a wholesale insurance brokerage that distributes life insurance, annuities, long-term care, and disability insurance products to financial advisors, independent broker-dealers, RIAs, and banks. The company provides specialized sales teams, advanced planning with in-house attorneys, underwriting advocacy, and a proprietary Marketplace digital platform that enables quoting, e-application, and case tracking across multiple carrier partners.

Product overview

Highland Capital Brokerage is a professional services organization and insurance brokerage platform offering four core product lines: Life Insurance, Annuities, Long-Term Care Insurance, and Disability Insurance. These products are delivered through six specialization areas (Diversified Sales Teams, Advanced Planning, Underwriting Advocacy, Relationship Management, Compliance and Security, and Marketplace) plus specialized offerings like Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI), Foreign National Market Solutions, Business Insurance, and Policy Review services. The company operates Highland Marketplace, a digital platform for quoting, applying, and tracking insurance business. Acquired brands include Hallett Financial Group and Quotacy (insurtech platform). The organization serves the full wealth spectrum from mass-affluent to ultra-high-net-worth clients through advisor consultants, case managers, and carrier partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Marketplace: A platform for financial professionals to transact, submit, and market their business for life insurance, annuities, longevity planning, and disability insurance.
• Trends 360
• Constellation Platform

Products and services

• Life Insurance Life insurance products including protection, accumulation, liquidity, and wealth transfer solutions for individuals, businesses, and trusts, distributed through Highland's network of financial advisors and carrier partners.
• Annuities Fixed and indexed annuity products offering income, accumulation, and protection solutions for retirement planning, distributed through Highland's network of advisors with access to an extensive carrier platform.
• Long-Term Care Insurance

Quantifiable outcome

• Average employee tenure of more than 8 years indicates retention and expertise
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered acquisition, core, platform partner and strategic.

• Premier Financial, Inc.acquisitionStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Highland Capital Brokerage acquired Premier Financial, Inc. in May 2026, as announced by InsuranceNewsNet, further expanding Highland's broker network.
• LIBRA Insurance PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2023LIBRA Insurance Partners announced a partnership with Highland Capital Brokerage in August 2023, expanding distribution of Highland's insurance products through LIBRA's network.
• Hallett Financial GroupacquisitionStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022Highland Capital Brokerage acquired Hallett Financial Group in December 2022. Hallett Financial, based in Minneapolis, focuses on life, annuity, disability, and long-term care products, expanding Highland's presence in these product lines.
• QuotacyacquisitionStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2022Highland Capital Brokerage acquired Quotacy in December 2022. Quotacy is an insurtech platform offering online life insurance shopping and solutions, adding digital distribution capabilities to Highland's offerings.
• Horter Investment ManagementcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2022Horter Investment Management partnered with Highland Capital Brokerage in October 2022 to offer advisors new growth opportunities and expanded product offerings.
• Oak & Stone Capital Advisorsplatform partnerChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 September 2019Oak & Stone Capital Advisors, an independent financial advisory group, joined Highland's Constellation Platform in September 2019, utilizing Highland's infrastructure for insurance distribution.
• AnnexusstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerHighland enjoys a strategic relationship with Annexus and proudly distributes their proprietary life and annuity products. This is a key distribution partnership for exclusive insurance products.
• Market Synergy GroupcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHighland has a strategic relationship with Market Synergy Group for distributing proprietary life and annuity products, supporting advisor outreach and marketing efforts.
• Insurance Carriers (Life - Tier 1/Tier 2)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHighland maintains tiered relationships with top life carriers including Allianz, Corebridge Financial, John Hancock, Lincoln Financial, Mass Mutual, Nationwide, Pacific Life, Principal, Protective, Prudential, Securian Financial, and Symetra for distribution of life insurance products.
• Insurance Carriers (Annuity)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExtensive annuity platform including fixed and indexed products from carriers such as Allianz, American Equity, American National, Americo, Athene, Brighthouse Financial, Delaware Life, Global Atlantic, Lincoln Financial, MassMutual Ascend, Nationwide, New York Life, Pacific Life, Protective, Prudential, and many others.
• Insurance Carriers (Longevity/LTC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with select carriers for linked-benefits solutions and stand-alone long-term care including Lincoln Financial, Mass Mutual, Nationwide, One America, Securian Financial, Mutual of Omaha, NGL, and Thrivent.
• Insurance Carriers (Disability)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with disability insurance carriers to provide income protection solutions including Ameritas, Assurity, Exceptional Risk Advisors, Guardian, Lloyds, Mass Mutual, MetLife, Petersen International, Principal, The Standard, Unum, and others.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cambridge Investment Research: Large IBD/RIA network with insurance distribution capabilities to its advisor base — overlap with Highland's IBD/RIA customer segment at a larger scale.
• Hub International: Large North American insurance brokerage with personal lines, life, and HNW practices — broader incumbent with overlapping insurance distribution capabilities.
• Kestra Financial: Independent wealth platform providing insurance and annuity products to its affiliated advisors — comparable distribution model at a larger wealth-network scale.
• Lincoln Financial Group: Top US life and annuity carrier that Highland distributes through — counterpart with overlapping life/annuity products and competing distribution ambitions.
• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer offering insurance and annuity distribution to its advisors — broader incumbent serving similar financial advisor channel.
• Cetera Financial Group: Large wealth management network that distributes insurance through affiliated firms (e.g., Cetera Advisor Networks) — broader incumbent offering insurance distribution as part of a wider platform.

Direct peers

• M Financial Group: Member-owned life insurance distribution network serving HNW and ultra-HNW clients with proprietary products and advanced planning — overlapping specialization and customer base with Highland.
• Lion Street: Insurance distribution firm focused on life, annuity, and LTC products for HNW clients through independent financial advisors — directly comparable go-to-market and product positioning.
• Centrus Financial (Centrus Life Solutions): Independent financial services firm with a dedicated life and annuity distribution desk serving RIAs and IBDs — overlapping distribution model and advisor segment.
• Crump Life Insurance Services: Wholesale life insurance brokerage distributing life, annuity, disability, and LTC products to financial advisors — directly comparable model and product mix to Highland.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/highlandbrokerage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highland-capital-brokerage
• Instagraminstagram.com/highlandcapitalbrokerage
• Xx.com/hcbrokerage

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A2 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Highland Capital Brokerage