SFA Partners

What SFA Partners does

SFA Partners is a privately held financial services holding company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, that provides shared services to a family of companies focused exclusively on serving independent financial advisors. Operating since 2003 and employing 51-100 people, SFA Partners supports a distributed base of independent advisors across the United States through three core operating subsidiaries: The Strategic Financial Alliance (SFA), a FINRA/SIPC-member broker-dealer and investment adviser supporting transaction-based advisors; Strategic Blueprint, a registered investment adviser offering fee-based advisory services custodied at Fidelity Clearing and Custody Solutions and Schwab Advisor Services; and SFA Insurance Services, distributing insurance products through affiliated advisors.

The company's technology architecture is built on industry-standard third-party platforms rather than proprietary systems. Core operational infrastructure is anchored by Pershing Netx360 (a BNY Mellon affiliate) for brokerage trade execution, settlement, and account management, supporting the Strategic Choice wrap fee program. Performance reporting is provided through Albridge and Black Diamond, advisor relationship management runs on RedTail CRM, and fee-based accounts are custodied at Fidelity and Schwab. The platform also offers Third Party Asset Manager (TPAM) and Turnkey Asset Management Program (TAMP) integrations, allowing affiliated advisors to scale portfolio management for mass-affluent and high-net-worth clients.

SFA Partners generates revenue through four primary streams: transaction-based commissions via the broker-dealer, recurring advisory and platform fees through Strategic Blueprint, insurance commissions via SFA Insurance Services, and revenue-sharing arrangements with TPAMs and TAMPs. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, leveraging an annual National Conference, a Diamond Conference for top advisors at international locales, a Fall Workshop, a Women Advisors Network, and a peer-led Strategic Advisory Council. The parent company, SFA Holdings, Inc., is owned by advisors, employees, and individual investors — a stakeholder-aligned ownership structure that distinguishes SFA from venture-backed or conglomerate-owned peers. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

SFA Partners

Legal name

SFA Partners

Website

https://sfapartners.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

SFA Partners is a privately held Atlanta-based financial services holding company that provides broker-dealer, RIA, and insurance shared services to independent financial advisors through its subsidiaries Strategic Financial Alliance, Strategic Blueprint, and SFA Insurance Services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broker-Dealer Services (Transaction-Based): The Strategic Financial Alliance (SFA), a broker-dealer member FINRA/SIPC, supports transaction-based independent financial advisors who earn commissions on securities transactions. Revenue generated through transaction fees and commission sharing arrangements with affiliated advisors.
2. Registered Investment Advisor (Fee-Based): Strategic Blueprint, a registered investment adviser, serves fee-based advisors with custodial services through Fidelity and Schwab. Revenue likely derived from advisory fees, platform fees, or AUM-based charges assessed to advisors.
3. Insurance Services: SFA Insurance Services provides insurance products through affiliated advisors, generating revenue through insurance commissions and product distribution fees.
4. Third Party Asset Management / TAMP Revenue Sharing: Revenue sharing arrangements with Third Party Asset Managers (TPAMs) and Turnkey Asset Management Programs (TAMPs) who offer investment strategies for mass-affluent and high net worth clients through the SFA Partners platform.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SFA Partners is a financial services organization providing shared services to a family of companies that empowers independent financial advisors. Through wholly-owned subsidiaries, it offers broker-dealer services via The Strategic Financial Alliance (a FINRA/SIPC member), fee-based registered investment adviser services via Strategic Blueprint with Fidelity/Schwab custody, insurance distribution via SFA Insurance Services, and a wrap-fee program (Strategic Choice) custodied at Pershing. The platform supports transaction-based, fee-based, and hybrid advisor business models across the United States.

Product overview

SFA Partners is a financial services organization providing a unified platform for independent financial advisors through its family of companies. The core offerings include The Strategic Financial Alliance (SFA), a FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer for transaction-based advisors, and Strategic Blueprint, an RIA platform with custodial services through Fidelity and Schwab for fee-based advisors. These core products enable hybrid affiliation models where advisors can leverage both broker-dealer and RIA services. Additional offerings include Strategic Choice (a wrap fee program custodied at Pershing), Third Party Asset Management programs, Advisor-Managed Solutions, and Brokerage Services. SFA Insurance Services provides insurance products. The company is owned by SFA Holdings, Inc., which is in turn owned by advisors, employees, and individual investors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Strategic Financial Alliance (SFA) A broker-dealer and investment adviser member of FINRA/SIPC that supports transaction-based independent financial advisors with brokerage services, commission-based advisory options, and securities transactions.
• Strategic Blueprint A Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) platform offering custodial services through Fidelity Clearing and Custody Solutions and Schwab Advisor Services. Supports fee-based advisors with options for standalone RIA affiliation or hybrid models alongside SFA broker-dealer.
• Strategic Choice Wrap fee program sponsored by SFA with accounts custodied at Pershing LLC (a BNY Mellon affiliate). Enables experienced and properly registered advisory representatives to manage clients' portfolios using Pershing's reports and features for fee-based account management.
• SFA Insurance Services Insurance services component within the SFA Partners family of companies, providing insurance products through affiliated advisors to support comprehensive financial planning covering protection, preservation, accumulation, and wealth transfer.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pershing LLC (BNY Mellon affiliate)coreTechnology or IntegrationPershing LLC, an affiliate of BNY Mellon and world leader in brokerage services, serves as the primary custodian for Strategic Choice wrap fee program accounts and brokerage relationships. Provides advanced investment capabilities including trade execution, settlement, and account reporting through Pershing Netx360 platform.
• Fidelity Clearing and Custody SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationFidelity serves as a custodial option for Strategic Blueprint RIA platform. Provides custody services for fee-based advisory accounts managed by affiliated advisors.
• Schwab Advisor ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationSchwab serves as an alternative custodial option for Strategic Blueprint RIA platform, offering advisors flexibility to custody fee-based advisory client assets.
• Third Party Asset Managers (TPAMs) and TAMPsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird Party Asset Managers and Turnkey Asset Management Programs offer a variety of investment strategies (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs) with allocations matched to client risk tolerance. Enhance scalability and capacity for advisors serving mass-affluent and high net worth clients.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Triad Advisors: Independent broker-dealer and RIA platform serving entrepreneurial financial advisors with hybrid transaction- and fee-based affiliation models. Highly comparable to SFA given that Michael Bryan (SFA's Chief Growth Officer) previously built out Triad's advisory platform and co-founded Triad Hybrid Solutions.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Large privately held independent broker-dealer and RIA supporting independent financial advisors with hybrid affiliation, comprehensive compliance, and advisor ownership culture. Closely mirrors SFA's model of empowering entrepreneurial advisors through a privately held, advisor-friendly platform.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer and RIA platform supporting thousands of independent advisors with transaction and fee-based models. Direct competitor to SFA in the independent advisor channel with comparable affiliation flexibility and custodian relationships.
• Kestra Financial: Independent wealth management platform combining broker-dealer and RIA services for independent financial advisors. Comparable to SFA in offering hybrid affiliation models with institutional-grade compliance and technology support.
• Lincoln Investment Advisors: Independent broker-dealer and RIA serving financial advisors with hybrid fee/commission models and a focus on long-term advisor relationships. Directly comparable to SFA in target market and service offering.
• Avantax (formerly HD Vest): Independent broker-dealer and RIA focused primarily on tax-focused financial advisors with hybrid affiliation models. Comparable to SFA in serving entrepreneurial advisors seeking both transaction and fee-based capabilities, though with a stronger tax/CPAs niche.

Broad incumbents

• Cetera Financial Group: Large multi-channel independent broker-dealer and RIA platform serving independent financial advisors through multiple BD brands (Cambridge, Cetera, etc.). Broader and better-resourced than SFA, but competing in the same independent advisor channel with overlapping services.
• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S., serving hundreds of thousands of advisors with proprietary technology, custody, and clearing services. The dominant scale player in SFA's market; offers overlapping capabilities but at vastly larger scale and broader product menu.
• Osaic (formerly Advisor Group): Large independent wealth management platform combining multiple broker-dealer and RIA subsidiaries (FSC Securities, Royal Alliance, SagePoint, Woodbury). Direct competitor to SFA in the independent advisor channel with significantly greater scale.
• Raymond James Financial Services: Independent contractor channel of a major diversified financial services firm, serving independent financial advisors with broker-dealer and RIA services. Comparable to SFA in offering independent affiliation but backed by a much larger parent firm with proprietary technology.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9nEUH2AcXyXoXtyMYsflOg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-strategic-financial-alliance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 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 SFA Partners