Pinnacle

What Pinnacle does

Pinnacle Advisors (legal entity Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services, Inc.) is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser headquartered in Mansfield, Ohio, founded in 1997, serving high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, individual trustees, and companies with retirement plan needs. The firm operates from seven offices across Ohio (Mansfield, Mentor, Medina, Columbus) and Florida (Sarasota, Tierra Verde), with a Manhattan, Kansas location extending its Midwest footprint. Its go-to-market is relationship-led, with client acquisition driven by referrals, direct outreach, and a structured professional network of CPAs and attorneys embedded via the Wealth Collaboration® platform.

The service architecture is a tiered Lifetime program suite — Foundations, Ascent, Compass, Core, Enhanced, and Family Office — with minimum annual fees from $500 to $175,000, covering clients from next-generation entry through multigenerational UHNW households. Adjacent offerings include a four-tier Trust Management suite (Basic, Lifetime, Enhanced, Comprehensive), Pinnacle Private Trust delivered through National Advisors Trust Company for nationwide trust administration, and Company Retirement Plans (401(k), SEP IRA, profit sharing, defined benefit, ESOP, MEPs/PEPs) delivered through a NestEggs partnership with ERISA §3(16) and §3(38) fiduciary support. Proprietary trademarked tools — Wealth Scorecard®, Trustee Scorecard™, and Beneficiary Scorecard™ — provide KPI-based monitoring of financial goals and trustee performance, while Wealth Collaboration® formally integrates clients' CPAs and attorneys into planning meetings.

Revenue mechanics are entirely fee-based with no commissions, custody, or product sales. Streams include AUM-based wealth management fees, trust management fees, and retirement plan administration revenue. Pricing is tiered subscription-style with annual and quarterly billing cadences, plus 10–15 bps performance tracking fees on non-managed assets. A 14-member investment committee, all CFP-certified with two CFAs, provides institutional-grade oversight. Custodial relationships are split between Zoe Financial (Apex) and Schwab depending on program. The firm is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or funding rounds, operating solely on organic client fee revenue.

Name

Pinnacle

Legal name

Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services, Inc.

Website

https://pinnacleadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pinnacle Advisors is a fee-only, SEC-registered wealth management firm headquartered in Mansfield, Ohio, serving high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, and trustees through tiered Lifetime programs, proprietary Scorecard tools, and CPA/attorney-integrated Wealth Collaboration across Ohio, Florida, and nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Wealth Management (FSAEABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD), Corporate Finance & Capital Advisory (BPAHADAB)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Investment advisory services
• Trust administration services
• Retirement plan administration
• Financial planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mansfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wealth Management Fees (AUM-based): Fees based on managed assets under administration, with minimum annual fees ranging from $500 to $175,000 depending on program tier. Additional performance tracking fees apply for non-managed assets.
2. Trust Management Fees: Fees based on managed trust assets plus quarterly planning fees and performance tracking fees for non-managed assets
3. Company Retirement Plan Services: 401(k) and retirement plan administration services through NestEggs partnership, with fiduciary support under ERISA §3(38) and §3(16)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pinnacle Advisors is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment advisory firm that provides holistic wealth management, trust administration, and institutional investment advisory services to high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners. Its core delivery is a tiered Lifetime wealth management program platform supplemented by proprietary scorecard monitoring tools, trustee and beneficiary performance tools, a Wealth Collaboration® model integrating clients' CPAs and attorneys, and corporate trustee services through National Advisors Trust Company.

Product overview

Pinnacle Advisors is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment advisor offering a modular wealth management platform structured around tiered Lifetime programs (Foundations, Ascent, Compass, Core, Enhanced, Family Office) that serve clients from early wealth-building years through ultra-high-net-worth multigenerational families. The platform is anchored by proprietary scorecard tools (Wealth Scorecard, Trustee Scorecard, Beneficiary Scorecard) and supplemented by a Trust Management suite (Basic, Lifetime, Enhanced, Comprehensive Trust Programs), a Wealth Collaboration program integrating CPAs and attorneys, institutional investing services, and company retirement plan administration via a NESTEGGS partnership. Pinnacle Private Trust, a next-generation corporate trustee solution delivered through National Advisors Trust Company, rounds out the trust services. The architecture is a platform-plus-modules model where the Lifetime Core Program is the anchor, with clients graduating into higher tiers (Enhanced, Family Office) or entering at various points based on asset levels and complexity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pinnacle Private Trust: A next-generation corporate trustee solution combining independent national trust company depth with Pinnacle Advisors investment capabilities and integration of legal and tax advisors.
• Wealth Collaboration®
• Wealth Scorecard®
• Beneficiary Scorecard™
• Trustee Scorecard™

Products and services

• Wealth Management Comprehensive financial planning and investment advisory service for high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners, delivered through tiered Lifetime programs with fiduciary pledge, fee-only structure, no custody of assets, and no product or insurance sales. Includes comprehensive financial plans, annual Wealth Scorecard, daily asset tracking, daily net worth monitoring, and institutional-grade advisory services.
• Trust Management Comprehensive trust administration and compliance service for individual trustees of irrevocable trusts, encompassing asset tracking, beneficiary reporting, Investment Policy Statement (IPS) management, income tax planning for trusts and beneficiaries, generation-skipping distribution planning, 1041 tax preparation coordination, trust longevity planning, and trust accounting.
• Pinnacle Private Trust Corporate trustee solution combining the depth of National Advisors Trust Company (a federally chartered trust bank) with Pinnacle Advisors' investment capabilities and integration of legal and tax advisors. Offers living trusts, asset protection trusts, revocable and irrevocable trusts, residence and educational trusts, charitable trusts and family foundations, special needs trusts, and multigenerational trust arrangements, with services available nationwide across all 50 states.
• Wealth Scorecard® Proprietary branded tool used to evaluate and measure the performance of a client's wealth management program. Assesses financial goals achievement, investment performance, risk management, costs and fees, asset allocation, diversification, liquidity management, tax efficiency, communication and service satisfaction, and financial planning adherence in real time.
• Trustee Scorecard™ Comprehensive trust administration and compliance service with asset tracking, beneficiary reporting, Investment Policy Statement (IPS) management, income tax planning for trusts and beneficiaries, generation-skipping distribution planning, coordination of 1041 tax preparation, trust longevity planning, assistance with trust beneficiary distribution requests, and trust accounting, designed for individual trustees of irrevocable trusts.
• Beneficiary Scorecard™ Proprietary branded tool utilizing key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess trustee performance in managing and overseeing trust assets and responsibilities, including fiduciary duty adherence, investment performance, risk management, communication and transparency, legal and ethical standards, compliance and regulatory adherence, cost management, distributions and disbursements, record keeping, and succession planning.
• Wealth Collaboration® Holistic, collaborative service that formally incorporates the client's CPA and attorney into wealth management planning meetings, delivering tax efficiency, estate planning, risk mitigation, and coordinated communication among key professional stakeholders. Includes dedicated versions for clients and for CPA/attorney professionals (PPC Program™, Pinnacle Advisor™ Program, and Pinnacle Promotor).
• Institutional Investing Investment advisory service integrating multiple investment disciplines, governed by a 14-member investment committee in which all members hold the CFP designation and two members hold the CFA charter. Includes investment research, policy shaping, portfolio management, and manager selection.
• Company Retirement Plans Custom-built retirement savings plans for businesses including Simple & SEP IRA, Simple 401(k), Traditional 401(k), Profit Sharing, Defined Benefit Pension, Cash Balance Plans, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), and Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs) & Pooled Employer Plans (PEPs). Delivered through a formal NestEggs partnership providing third-party administration, open architecture record-keeping, and ERISA §3(16) Fiduciary Administration and §3(38) Fiduciary Investment Management, with participant and sponsor digital portals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fee-only structure ensures no third-party product influences or commissions
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Advisors Trust Company (NATC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPinnacle Private Trust is a trust representative office of National Advisors Trust Company and National Advisors Trust of South Dakota. NATC manages trust administrative services while Pinnacle Advisors handles investment management and client collaboration. This partnership provides personalized trust administration from a federally-chartered trust company while maintaining the client relationship with Pinnacle Advisors. NATC operates across all 50 states offering trust services.
• NestEggscoreTechnology or IntegrationPinnacle has a formal relationship with NestEggs for company retirement plan services. NestEggs serves as a fully integrated third-party administrator, open architecture record keeper, and Registered Investment Adviser. They provide custom-built 401(k), pension, Multiple Employer Plans & Pooled Employer Plans, along with ERISA §3(16) Fiduciary Administration and §3(38) Fiduciary Investment Management.
• CPAs (through Wealth Collaboration® Programs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCPAs participate in Pinnacle's Professional Planning Coordination Program™ and Pinnacle Advisor™ Program, enabling them to integrate comprehensive wealth management services into their practice. CPAs can refer clients or co-service clients as part of the collaborative planning team.
• Attorneys (through Wealth Collaboration® Programs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAttorneys participate in the Professional Planning Coordination Program™ for Attorneys, enabling them to collaborate on estate planning, tax planning, risk mitigation, and asset protection as part of comprehensive wealth management teams.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Carson Wealth: RIA serving HNW clients with a strong CPA and attorney referral network model. Comparable in tiered service structure and emphasis on professional partnerships for client acquisition.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Fee-only RIA serving HNW and UHNW clients with comprehensive wealth, tax, estate, and trust services. Operates a similar platform-plus-modules model with regional offices and a 14-person investment committee equivalent.
• Moneta Group: Fee-only RIA delivering comprehensive wealth management, tax, and estate planning to HNW clients with integrated advisor teams. Closely comparable integrated planning model.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA with a long-standing CPA integration strategy and academic evidence-based investing approach. Comparable in fiduciary-only positioning and CPA partnership channel.
• Creative Planning: Large fee-only RIA serving HNW and UHNW clients with tiered wealth management programs and an in-house investment team. Highly comparable business model to Pinnacle, though at materially greater scale.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman Financial Engines: One of the largest independent RIAs in the U.S., serving a broad HNW mass-affluent client base with combined advice and 401(k) services. Overlaps with Pinnacle's HNW and retirement plan offerings at much greater scale.
• Hightower Advisors: National RIA platform supporting independent advisor teams with wealth, trust, and corporate services. Comparable in fee-only RIA services for HNW clients, with a partnership / advisor-affiliation model.
• CI Private Wealth: Wealth management arm of CI Financial serving UHNW and HNW clients with comprehensive planning, trust, and investment services. Comparable in tiered HNW/UHNW service delivery.

Others

• National Advisors Trust Company: Federally-chartered trust company and Pinnacle's strategic partner for trust administration across all 50 states. Adjacent/ecosystem peer — provides the chartered trust infrastructure Pinnacle Private Trust is built on.
• NestEggs: Third-party administrator and open-architecture recordkeeper for retirement plans, and Pinnacle's partner for 401(k) administration. Ecosystem peer providing the retirement-plan infrastructure Pinnacle wraps its fiduciary services around.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/_PinnacleWealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Pinnacle