SMG

What SMG does

SMG (SafeHarbor Management Group) is a fiduciary financial advisory and insurance agency headquartered in Portage, Michigan, with a general office in Kalamazoo, MI and a regional headquarters in Bonita Springs, FL. Founded by Joe Garcia, the firm is licensed to operate across 17 U.S. states and serves individual retirees and pre-retirees seeking comprehensive retirement income planning, tax-efficient wealth management, 401k/IRA rollover guidance, and Social Security optimization. The four-person named leadership team is centered on Garcia, who holds an MBA from Michigan State University and a CLTC designation with 25+ years in the financial services industry.

The firm's product surface spans core financial planning services — Retirement Planning, Retirement Income, 401k & IRA Rollovers, Tax Management, and Social Security Benefits Optimization — alongside a broad insurance product stack covering Medicare planning, ACA Marketplace coverage, Long Term Care, Final Expense, Dental, Medicare Part D, and Fixed Indexed Annuities. Two proprietary analytical tools differentiate the offering: the Color of Money Risk Analysis, an interactive risk-scoring tool, and Social Security Optimization Software for filing-timing analysis. Investment advisory services are delivered through Sequent Planning, LLC, an SEC-registered RIA under which SMG advisors serve as Investment Adviser Representatives.

Revenue is generated through two streams: fee-based financial planning and investment advisory services (recurring) and commissions on insurance product placements (transactional). Pricing is quote-based and individualized, set during client consultations. Client acquisition relies on content marketing, PR syndication via HelloNation/Yahoo Finance/Morningstar, a YouTube channel (@Retirement_Joe) and Facebook presence, a tiered client referral program (Bronze through Platinum), and community engagement including Joe Garcia's appearances on the Lori Moore show and board service with The Salvation Army and West Bay Charitable Foundation. The firm is privately held, founder-controlled, with no external investors, no parent company, and no publicly disclosed revenue or AUM.

Name

SMG

Legal name

SafeHarbor Management Group

Website

https://oursmg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SMG (SafeHarbor Management Group) is a fiduciary financial advisory and insurance agency serving individual retirees and pre-retirees across 17 U.S. states from offices in Kalamazoo, MI and Bonita Springs, FL, offering retirement planning, Social Security optimization, and a full insurance product stack delivered through Sequent Planning LLC RIA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Portage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Planning and Investment Advisory: Fee-based financial planning and investment advisory services delivered through Investment Adviser Representatives. Services include retirement planning, portfolio analysis, and wealth management. Advisors are registered with Sequent Planning, LLC, an SEC-registered RIA.
2. Insurance Products and Solutions: Commissions earned from sale of insurance products including Medicare supplements, long-term care insurance, final expense whole life insurance, dental insurance, and fixed indexed annuities. Products are offered through multiple carrier relationships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SMG is a fiduciary financial advisory and insurance agency that provides personalized retirement planning, retirement income strategies, 401k/IRA rollovers, tax management, and Social Security optimization services to individuals and families approaching or in retirement. The firm also sells insurance products including Medicare supplements, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, ACA Marketplace coverage, long-term care, final expense, dental, and fixed indexed annuities through multiple carrier relationships.

Product overview

SMG (SafeHarbor Management Group) is a financial planning and wealth management firm offering a comprehensive suite of retirement planning and insurance solutions. The firm provides core financial products including retirement planning, retirement income strategies, 401k/IRA rollovers, tax management, and Social Security benefits optimization. On the insurance side, SMG offers Medicare planning, ACA marketplace coverage, long-term care insurance, final expense insurance, dental coverage, Medicare Part D enrollment, and fixed indexed annuities. The firm also provides proprietary analytical tools including a Color of Money Risk Analysis and portfolio analysis services. SMG operates as a fiduciary advisor, serving clients across multiple U.S. states with offices in Michigan and Florida.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retirement Planning Comprehensive retirement planning services addressing market risk, healthcare costs, inflation, tax management, and income planning for individuals approaching or in retirement.
• Retirement Income Strategies for creating reliable income streams in retirement through coordinated investments, Social Security optimization, and tax-efficient income distribution for retirees.
• 401k & IRA Rollovers Services for transitioning 401(k) and IRA funds into strategies offering greater flexibility, improved investment options, and long-term growth potential for retiring individuals.
• Tax Management Tax-efficient investment strategies focused on managing, deferring, and reducing taxes through strategic timing of investments and asset selection for retirement portfolios.
• Social Security Benefits Optimization Advisory services using proprietary software to optimize Social Security filing timing and maximize lifetime retirement income benefits for individuals and couples.
• Medicare Planning Medicare enrollment guidance covering Part A, Part B, Part D, Medicare Supplements (Medigap), and Medicare Advantage plan comparisons for individuals approaching age 65.
• ACA Marketplace Insurance Health coverage enrollment guidance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace, including plan category selection and qualification assistance for individuals and families.
• Long Term Care Insurance Insurance solutions designed to protect retirement assets against the financial burden of extended care needs including nursing homes, assisted living, and home healthcare.
• Final Expense Insurance Whole life insurance coverage to help pay for end-of-life expenses including out-of-pocket medical costs, legal and accounting fees, and burial costs.
• Dental Insurance Dental coverage plans helping reduce costs for routine checkups, preventive care, and unexpected dental treatments for individuals and families.
• Medicare Part D Enrollment Prescription drug coverage enrollment assistance through Medicare Part D plans to ensure medication costs are covered for Medicare-eligible clients.
• Fixed Indexed Annuities Annuity products offering market-linked returns with protection from downside risk, designed for retirees in the preservation phase seeking reliable income streams.

Quantifiable outcome

• According to the federal government, roughly 60-70% of seniors will experience the need for long term care at some point in their lives.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Sequent Planning, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSequent Planning, LLC is an SEC-registered Investment Adviser (RIA) through which SMG advisors serve as Investment Adviser Representatives (IARs). Financial planning and investment advisory services are offered through Sequent Planning, operating as the regulatory platform for SMG's advisory practice.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Edward Jones: Large national financial advisory franchise with a retirement-focused, branch-based model serving individual investors across the U.S. Highly comparable to SMG in target customer (retirees/pre-retirees) and product mix (investment advisory + insurance), but vastly larger scale and brand.
• Ameriprise Financial: Major financial services company with a large independent advisor channel providing retirement planning, investment advisory, and insurance products to individuals. Directly comparable product suite and customer segment to SMG, but with national scale and institutional resources.
• Northwestern Mutual: Iconic mutual insurer with a vast advisor force selling life insurance, disability income, and investment products to individuals and business owners. Overlaps with SMG on the insurance-and-wealth-management bundle, especially whole life and disability, though it operates at much larger scale.
• New York Life: Mutual life insurer with a large agent force providing life insurance, long-term care, annuities, and retirement income planning. Comparable to SMG on final expense, long-term care, and fixed indexed annuities, with substantially deeper product breadth and capital base.
• Fidelity Personal Investing: One of the largest U.S. retail investment platforms offering retirement planning, IRAs, 401(k) rollovers, and advisory services. Competes with SMG for the same rollover and retirement income planning client, but with scale, brand, and self-service digital capabilities SMG cannot match.
• Charles Schwab Wealth Advisory: Schwab's advisory and retail wealth business serves retirees and pre-retirees with portfolio management, IRA rollovers, and retirement income strategies. A direct substitute for SMG's core advisory offering, with dramatically lower fees and stronger brand trust.
• MassMutual Financial Group: Mutual insurer with a large career agent force offering whole life, long-term care, disability, and retirement income products to individuals. Comparable to SMG's bundled insurance + retirement focus, with significantly broader product and balance-sheet capabilities.

Direct peers

• Raymond James Financial Services: Independent contractor advisor model under an RIA/broker-dealer platform — structurally analogous to SMG's arrangement with Sequent Planning, LLC. Comparable in advisor-led retirement planning for individuals, but with a much larger platform, technology stack, and product shelf.
• Cetera Financial Group: Independent advisor platform supporting financial professionals with retirement income, insurance, and wealth management solutions. Closely aligned with SMG's hybrid IAR-through-RIA model serving retiree households.
• Waddell & Reed Financial (Macquarie Asset Management): Independent financial advisory firm historically focused on retail retirement and wealth planning through a large advisor channel. Comparable business model to SMG in advisor-led retirement income and insurance distribution, though now operating as part of Macquarie.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Retirement_Joe
• Facebookfacebook.com/mySMG
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oursmg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 SMG