Cassaday & Co Company

What Cassaday & Co Company does

Cassaday & Company, Inc. is an independent, fee-based Registered Investment Advisor founded in 1993 by Stephan Cassaday after 16 years on Wall Street. The firm provides integrated wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals and families, with a $1 million minimum account size and average managed assets exceeding $2 million per household. As of May 2026 the firm manages nearly $8 billion in client assets, placing it among the top 10 largest RIAs in the Washington D.C. metro area. The firm joined Focus Financial Partners in January 2022 while retaining its independent brand and operations.

The firm's product offering spans seven integrated service lines delivered through an in-house team model: Investment Management, Retirement Planning, Tax Management, Advanced Strategies (insurance), Financial Planning, Estate Planning, and Career & Life Transitions coaching. The core differentiator is the proprietary DIESEL® (Dividends, Interest and Equity Select Liquidations) registered trademark withdrawal strategy, designed to create sustainable retirement income while mitigating longevity risk. Operational rails include Osaic Wealth as broker-dealer, Pershing LLC as custodian, and a dedicated estate planning law firm (JM Law, PLLC) founded by Cassaday's own Senior Estate Planning Strategist. The firm employs an Investment Policy Committee and Investment Management & Research team for portfolio construction, rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and active monitoring.

The business model is recurring fee-based revenue: advisory fees of 0.50–1.50% billed quarterly in arrears based on Average Daily Balance, with a $6,000 minimum annual fee. Foundational estate planning services are bundled into the advisory fee for households with $1M+ in assets. Distribution is direct-to-client, relationship-based, with no bank, insurance company, or Wall Street affiliation and no proprietary products, supporting a fiduciary positioning. Marketing emphasizes thought leadership via content, webinars, and earned media through industry awards (Barron's, Forbes, Investment News, Virginia Business). All nine partners hold Forbes 2026 Best-In-State Wealth Advisor designations for Virginia, and Stephan Cassaday has been ranked #1 Financial Advisor in Virginia by Barron's for nine years.

Name

Cassaday & Co Company

Legal name

Cassaday & Company, Inc.

Website

https://cassaday.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cassaday & Company is an independent fee-based Registered Investment Advisor founded in 1993, managing nearly $8 billion for high-net-worth individuals and families (typically $1M+ accounts) through integrated investment management, retirement, tax, estate, and financial planning services from McLean, Virginia.

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

Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers (FSAAACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers) (FSAAACAE), Financial Planning & Goals-Based Advice (Mass Affluent) (FSAAAAAF)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Investment advisory
• Financial planning
• Retirement planning
• Estate planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Mclean

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Fees: Fee-based managed accounts charged quarterly in arrears based on assets under management (AUM). Fees range between 0.50-1.50% calculated on Average Daily Balance (ADB) of the managed portfolio during the prior quarter. Minimum annual fee of $6,000 applies. Clients with $1 million+ in assets receive foundational estate planning services included in advisory fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cassaday & Company is an independent, fee-based registered investment adviser providing comprehensive wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals and families. Its integrated offering combines investment management, retirement planning (including the proprietary DIESEL® withdrawal strategy), tax management, advanced insurance strategies, financial planning, estate planning, and career/life transitions coaching under one roof, with a $1 million minimum account size and average household assets exceeding $2 million.

Product overview

Cassaday & Co Company is a fee-based, independent wealth management firm offering integrated financial planning and investment management services through a unified platform approach. The firm provides seven core service areas: Investment Management, Retirement Planning, Tax Management, Advanced Strategies (insurance), Financial Planning, Estate Planning, and Career and Life Transitions coaching. The firm operates on a consolidation, integration, and simplification model where clients can manage banking, brokerage accounts, retirement plans, and trusts under one roof. Key proprietary offerings include the DIESEL® withdrawal strategy for retirement income planning. The firm employs an in-house team model with subject-matter experts across investment management, financial planning, tax strategies, estate planning, and insurance analysis working collaboratively to provide comprehensive, coordinated advice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Management Comprehensive investment management including portfolio construction, asset allocation, strategic rebalancing, tax-loss harvesting, and active portfolio monitoring for high-net-worth individuals and families.
• Retirement Planning Retirement planning including the proprietary DIESEL® portfolio withdrawal strategy, Social Security optimization, Medicare planning, healthcare cost analysis, and retirement plan reviews for individuals approaching or in retirement.
• Tax Management Tax-efficient investing strategies including strategic tax-loss harvesting, tax-aware portfolio construction, charitable giving strategies, Roth IRA conversions, and coordination with clients' tax professionals.
• Advanced Strategies Insurance and protection services including comprehensive insurance audits, life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care insurance, annuity management, and group 401(k) oversight.
• Financial Planning Integrated financial planning that coordinates investment management, tax planning, estate planning, insurance analysis, Social Security planning, Medicare strategy, education planning, and life transition support.
• Estate Planning Estate planning services including trust strategies, will preparation, power of attorney documents, estate administration guidance, and wealth transfer planning, delivered in coordination with partner law firm JM Law, PLLC.
• Career and Life Transitions Coaching services for major life changes including retirement transitions, career decisions, lifestyle adjustments, and personal priorities, helping clients navigate both financial and non-financial aspects of life transitions.
• DIESEL® (Dividends, Interest and Equity Select Liquidations) Proprietary, registered portfolio withdrawal strategy designed to address outliving-money concerns by creating potentially sustainable income with growth potential for retirees.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• JM Law, PLLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJM Law, PLLC is a dedicated estate planning law firm founded by Jessica Marchegiano, Cassaday & Company's Senior Estate Planning Strategist. The partnership provides Cassaday clients with estate planning document drafting and legal services, integrated with the firm's comprehensive wealth management approach.
• Osaic Wealth, Inc.coreOthersOsaic Wealth (formerly Royal Alliance Associates, Inc.) is an independent broker-dealer that executes securities transactions in client accounts and offers some variable annuities and 529 plans. Securities are offered through Osaic Wealth, member FINRA/SIPC.
• Pershing LLCcoreOthersPershing LLC is the independent custodian for client assets, headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. Founded in 1936, Pershing is the largest independent clearing/custody firm and is a division of The Bank of New York Mellon Financial. Client accounts are protected by SIPC up to $500,000 plus additional coverage through Pershing.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large independent RIA offering comprehensive wealth management, investment advisory, tax, and estate planning to HNW clients nationwide. Directly comparable to Cassaday in integrated service model, fee-based AUM model, and multi-disciplinary team approach.
• Carson Wealth: Independent wealth management firm (formerly Focus Financial Partners partner) serving HNW families with comprehensive financial planning and investment management. Comparable to Cassaday in independent RIA positioning, comprehensive planning offering, and Focus-affiliated ownership structure.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Focus Financial Partners-affiliated independent RIA serving HNW clients with integrated financial planning and investment management. Closely comparable to Cassaday in independent RIA model, Focus ownership, fee-based structure, and comprehensive planning orientation.
• Cerity Partners: Large independent wealth management and tax advisory firm serving HNW individuals, families, and institutions with integrated planning and investment services. Directly comparable to Cassaday in integrated wealth + tax + estate offering and HNW client focus.
• Wealth Enhancement Group: Independent RIA offering comprehensive wealth management with a national footprint; Focus Financial Partners affiliate. Comparable to Cassaday in integrated wealth management, HNW client focus, and consolidator M&A strategy within the Focus partnership.
• CAPTRUST: Independent RIA providing investment advisory and wealth management services to HNW families and institutional clients. Comparable to Cassaday in fee-based RIA model, comprehensive financial planning, and growth-by-acquisition history.
• Creative Planning: One of the largest independent RIAs in the U.S., offering comprehensive fee-based wealth management, tax, and estate planning to HNW clients. Comparable to Cassaday in independent RIA model, comprehensive service offering, and HNW client focus.
• Moneta Group: Independent, partner-owned RIA providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management to HNW families. Comparable to Cassaday in independent, partner-owned structure, comprehensive integrated offering, and HNW client segment.

Emerging players

• Personal Capital (now Empower Personal Dashboard): Hybrid digital wealth manager combining technology-driven portfolio management with human advisors, serving HNW and mass-affluent investors. Comparable to Cassaday as a fee-based wealth manager targeting HNW households, but differentiated by digital-first delivery and broader mass-affluent reach.

Broad incumbents

• Brown Brothers Harriman Wealth Management: Large, established private bank and wealth manager serving multigenerational HNW families with comprehensive investment management and trust services. Comparable to Cassaday in HNW clientele and integrated wealth offering, but operates as a much larger incumbent with a longer history and broader capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cassaday-company
• Instagraminstagram.com/cassadayandco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

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 Cassaday & Co Company