The Main Street Group

What The Main Street Group does

The Main Street Group is an independent, fee-only fiduciary registered investment adviser (RIA) headquartered in Glen Allen, Virginia, with a second office in Fairfax, Virginia. Founded in 1995 by Steven G. Crawford, the firm serves affluent individuals and families in Virginia with $100k to $1M+ in investable assets, with average client assets exceeding $1M. Its core offering combines financial planning, investment management, tax optimization, tax preparation, and estate planning delivered through a team of approximately eight financial advisors plus four operations and client services staff.

The firm's technical foundation rests on a third-party software stack rather than proprietary technology. eMoney powers financial planning, account aggregation, and Monte Carlo retirement simulations; Charles Schwab serves as the qualified custodian for client assets and provides the Schwab Alliance trading platform; Wealth.com delivers complimentary estate planning artifacts; and Holistiplan supports tax scenario and IRMAA breakpoint analysis. Advanced tax strategies — Backdoor and Mega-Backdoor Roth IRAs, Roth conversion ladders, 529 pass-throughs, QCDs, and Donor Advised Funds — are integral to the value proposition, alongside small business planning services for S corp owners and pastors.

The business model is subscription-based advisory fees averaging less than 1% of assets annually, with no commissions. Client acquisition runs through a referral-driven go-to-market combining the Dave Ramsey SmartVestor Pro program (active since 2015), allied professional referrals (CPAs, attorneys), community involvement through local churches and charities, and educational seminars. The firm operates exclusively in the Virginia market and holds SEC registration as an investment adviser, with client assets custodied independently at Schwab.

Name

The Main Street Group

Legal name

The Main Street Group

Website

https://themainstreetgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Main Street Group is a fee-only fiduciary registered investment adviser serving affluent individuals and families in Virginia with financial planning, investment management, tax optimization, estate planning, and retirement planning services, leveraging eMoney, Schwab, Wealth.com, and Holistiplan technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Retail Brokerage & Wealth Platforms (FSAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retirement & Pension Wealth (401(k)/IRA/SIPP/Superannuation Retail) (FSAAAAAJ), Tax-Aware Retirement & Estate Coordination (FSAEABAJ), Financial Planning & Goals-Based Advice (Mass Affluent) (FSAAAAAF), Tax-Aware Investment Planning (FSAEAAAE)

Keywords

• Fee-only financial planning
• Wealth management services
• Retirement planning
• Tax optimization strategies
• Estate planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Glen Allen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advisory Fees: Fee-only fiduciary model with average fee less than 1% per year. Advisory fees include ongoing planning. Minimum investment typically $100k to $1M+ with average client over $1M invested.
2. Referral Bonuses: Clients new to Schwab may be eligible for referral bonuses upon opening and funding accounts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Main Street Group is a fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm delivering integrated financial planning, investment management, tax optimization, tax preparation, and estate planning services to affluent individuals and families. Client assets are custodied at Charles Schwab while the firm uses eMoney, Wealth.com, and Holistiplan to build, simulate, and execute comprehensive financial plans including retirement scenarios, Monte Carlo analysis, Roth conversions, and giving strategies.

Product overview

The Main Street Group is an independent wealth management firm offering a comprehensive suite of financial services built around five core pillars: Financial Planning, Investment Management, Tax Optimization, Tax Preparation, and Estate Planning. The firm operates as a unified advisory offering where financial planning is provided free in initial meetings, investment management is conducted through Charles Schwab custody, and advanced tax strategies are integrated throughout. Additional services include retirement planning powered by eMoney software with Monte Carlo analysis, small business planning (S corp, Augusta rule, 401k/403b), and estate planning through Wealth.com. The firm emphasizes fee-only fiduciary advice with average fees under 1% annually, and typically requires $100k to $1M+ minimums to invest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Planning Fee-only fiduciary comprehensive financial planning including retirement scenarios, Monte Carlo analysis, and integrated financial roadmaps. Includes a free preliminary financial plan during the initial meeting and ongoing planning as part of the advisory fee. Targeted at affluent individuals and families with $100k to $1M+ in investable assets.
• Investment Management Investment strategy combining higher-risk index-based funds with actively managed bond funds. Client assets are custodied at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., accessed through the Schwab Alliance platform for account management, money movement, and trading.
• Tax Optimization Advanced tax-minimization strategies for individuals and small businesses, including Roth vs. Brokerage analysis, Backdoor and Mega-Backdoor Roth IRAs, Roth conversions, 529 pass-throughs, QCDs, Donor Advised Funds, and multi-generational tax planning. Powered by Holistiplan tax scenario and breakpoint analysis.
• Tax Preparation Tax preparation services delivered through a partnership with a local CPA firm to streamline investments and taxes. Clients with more than $500,000 invested receive a $350 credit toward their tax returns.
• Estate Planning Complimentary basic estate planning including wills and trust services delivered through Wealth.com as part of the advisory relationship. Designed to integrate estate considerations alongside the client's investment and tax plan.
• Retirement Planning Retirement planning using eMoney software to model when clients can retire, run scenarios on demand, perform Monte Carlo analysis, and optimize the integrated impact of tax, investment, and estate strategies.
• Small Business Planning Integrated financial and tax planning for small business owners covering S corp formation, healthcare optimization, Augusta rule strategies, and retirement plan design (401k/403b(9)) for pastors and other small business owners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Many clients projected to save over $1 million in taxes throughout their lifetime through strategic Roth conversions and tax planning
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.coreTechnology or IntegrationSchwab serves as qualified custodian for client assets. The Main Street Group uses Schwab Alliance platform for account management, money movement, and trading. Client assets are custodied at Schwab, which provides account services while TMSG provides advisory services.
• eMoneycoreTechnology or IntegrationeMoney is the primary financial planning software used for client holistic planning, account aggregation including employer retirement accounts, Monte Carlo analysis, retirement scenarios, and tax/investment/estate strategy optimization.
• Wealth.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationWealth.com provides complimentary basic estate planning services including wills and trusts to TMSG clients as part of the advisory relationship.
• HolistiplansupportingTechnology or IntegrationHolistiplan is used for tax scenario analysis including IRMAA breakpoints, capital gains tax-free sales implications, and other tax planning considerations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Creative Planning: Large, independent fee-only RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and tax/estate planning. Much larger scale than TMSG but operates the same fee-only fiduciary model with similar affluent/mass-affluent target clients.
• Mercer Advisors: Large national RIA offering comprehensive wealth management including financial planning, investment management, tax, and estate services to affluent clients. Broader scale and geographic reach than TMSG with similar service mix.
• Carson Group: Large RIA supporting a national network of advisor firms with financial planning, investment, and tax services for affluent clients. Similar fee-only fiduciary model but operates via affiliated advisor network vs. TMSG's independent practice.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, tax planning, and estate advisory to high-net-worth individuals. Significantly larger scale but offers the same integrated fiduciary service bundle.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Largest independent RIA in the US, providing financial planning, investment management, and 401(k) advisory to mass-affluent and workplace participants. Overlaps with TMSG's planning and investment services at substantially greater scale.

Direct peers

• Pure Financial Advisors: Fee-only RIA providing retirement planning, investment management, and tax strategies for mass-affluent and affluent individuals. Closely comparable in business model, service pillars (financial planning, tax, estate), and client minimums.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA/financial planning firm focused on evidence-based investment management and tax-optimized strategies (Roth conversions, asset location). Direct competitor with similar fiduciary value proposition and Dave-Ramsey-aligned advisor culture.
• Plancorp: Fee-only RIA providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management focused on serving entrepreneurs, small business owners, and affluent families. Comparable in services offered and similar client sweet spot.
• Keystone Financial Partners: Mid-sized fee-only RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and tax services to affluent individuals and small business owners. Comparable size, services, and fiduciary value proposition.

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Digital-first fee-only financial planning firm offering flat-fee financial planning advice to mass-affluent clients. Competes for the same fee-only, fiduciary-conscious segment but with a tech-enabled delivery model versus TMSG's relationship-led approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/themainstreetgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/themainstreetgroup

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 The Main Street Group