Applied Capital

What Applied Capital does

Applied Capital LLC is a privately held, fee-only Registered Investment Advisor founded in 2013 by Brad Raines in Little Rock, Arkansas. The firm delivers integrated financial planning and evidence-based investment management services to high-income individuals and families — including physicians, professionals, business owners, and retirees — across two physical offices in Little Rock, AR and Nashville, TN, and through virtual servicing nationwide. The service is structured around a four-step client lifecycle (Connect, Evaluate, Action, Evolve), with each client served by a two-person advisor team led by a Principal Investment Advisor. The firm applies an efficient-markets-grounded investment philosophy aligned with academic research and Dimensional Fund Advisors' framework, emphasizing globally diversified, cost-effective portfolios and disciplined investor behavior over market timing or stock selection.

The firm does not develop proprietary software or platforms; it relies on independent third-party custodians (Charles Schwab, Altruist, and Fidelity as an access portal) for account custody, transparency, and direct client access. Its technology footprint is limited to standard financial planning and portfolio management systems. Applied Capital achieved SEC registration in 2019 (CRD #166175), indicating regulatory AUM of $100M or greater, and employs 8 investment advisors plus support staff and a dedicated Chief Compliance Officer (joined March 2021). The firm completed an undisclosed acquisition in 2021 as part of its growth path.

The revenue model is purely advisory: Applied Capital charges a percentage fee on client AUM, billed quarterly in arrears, with no commissions, product sales, or 12b-1 fees. This aligns advisor compensation with client performance and eliminates sales-incentive conflicts. With approximately $385 million in AUM distributed across hundreds of client households, the firm operates as a relationship-driven, fiduciary RIA with growth distributed across mass-affluent and HNW individual segments rather than concentrated enterprise accounts. Customer acquisition relies on client referrals, Ramsey Solutions' SmartVestor Pro affiliation (Tim Cantrell), educational content marketing, and direct website inquiries.

Name

Applied Capital

Legal name

Applied Capital LLC

Website

https://appliedcapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Applied Capital is a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor founded in 2013, delivering evidence-based investment management and financial planning to high-income individuals, families, physicians, business owners, and retirees from offices in Little Rock, AR and Nashville, TN.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management / Registered Investment Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Advisory / Investment Management Fee: Applied Capital is a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor. Compensation is structured as a percentage fee based on the client's average daily account balance, billed quarterly in arrears. The fee is withdrawn directly from client accounts, providing transparent rate-of-return reporting inclusive of all fees. No commissions, product sales, or 12b-1 fees are accepted, eliminating conflicts of interest common in commission-based models. This aligns advisor financial incentives directly with client portfolio performance and goal achievement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Applied Capital is a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor that delivers two integrated services: comprehensive financial planning (mapping a client's full 'Personal Economy' — assets, liabilities, income, and expenses — into a customized plan) and evidence-based investment management grounded in efficient market theory, building globally diversified, cost-effective portfolios for individual clients and families.

Product overview

Applied Capital operates as a single unified financial advisory service offering two integrated components: Financial Planning and Investment Management. The Financial Planning service helps clients map their complete financial picture (Personal Economy) and develop customized plans, while Investment Management delivers cost-effective, evidence-based portfolio management. Both services are delivered through a team-based approach with dedicated advisors, and the firm manages over $385 million in assets under management across offices in Little Rock, AR and Nashville, TN.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning service that helps clients understand their 'Personal Economy' (assets, liabilities, income, expenses), identify goals, analyze current strategies, and develop customized recommendations. Includes implementation support and ongoing monitoring with regular reviews.
• Investment Management Evidence-based investment management guided by efficient market theory and academic research. Helps clients build and manage well-diversified portfolios in a cost-effective manner, emphasizing transparency, long-term discipline, and global diversification over market timing or stock picking.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grew from $20 million to over $385 million in assets under management since founding in 2013
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Charles SchwabcoreTechnology or IntegrationCharles Schwab serves as an independent third-party custodian for client investment accounts at Applied Capital. The firm uses Schwab's platform for account custody, providing transparency and direct client access to accounts. Schwab login is available via the Applied Capital client portal. This is a core operational partnership enabling the firm's fee-only, transparent investment management model.
• AltruistcoreTechnology or IntegrationAltruist serves as an independent third-party custodian for client investment accounts at Applied Capital. The firm uses Altruist's platform for account custody, providing transparency and direct client access. Altruist login is available via the Applied Capital client portal. This is a core operational partnership supporting the firm's custody and transparency model.
• Dimensional Fund AdvisorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApplied Capital's investment philosophy is guided by Dimensional Fund Advisors' evidence-based research. The firm's investor education page links to Dimensional's content including articles such as 'Still on Track for a Good Year,' 'Why Diversification Beats Stock Picking,' 'The Power of Compounded Returns,' and market review reports. This reflects a shared investment philosophy aligned with Dimensional's academic, evidence-based approach to investing.
• Ramsey Solutions (SmartVestor Pro)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTim Cantrell, Principal Investment Advisor of Applied Capital's Nashville office, is recognized as a SmartVestor Pro by the Ramsey Solutions organization. This designation aligns with Dave Ramsey's financial planning principles and provides access to referrals from the Ramsey Solutions audience of listeners and followers seeking vetted financial advisors. Tim adheres to a defined code of conduct aligned with Dave Ramsey's principles.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Digital-first RIA providing flat-fee financial planning and investment management. Competes with Applied Capital for HNW clients but with a tech-enabled, lower-fee structure — represents the fintech disruption threat to traditional RIAs.

Broad incumbents

• Fisher Investments: Large incumbent investment management firm serving HNW and institutional clients globally. Comparable in fee-based investment management for HNW clients but operates at vastly greater scale with a centralized, portfolio-driven model rather than a relationship-driven advisory model.
• Northwestern Mutual: Large incumbent financial services firm combining insurance and wealth management. Represents the legacy commission-based model that Applied Capital's fee-only structure differentiates against; several Applied Capital advisors (e.g., Lamar Rochell) previously worked at Northwestern Mutual.
• Vanguard Personal Advisor: Hybrid digital-plus-advisor wealth management service from Vanguard offering ongoing advice, financial planning, and portfolio management at low cost. Competes directly with Applied Capital on investment philosophy and cost, but at lower price points with less personalization.

Direct peers

• Edelman Financial Engines: Large fee-only RIA combining personal advisor relationships with technology-driven investment management. Comparable in HNW advisory focus, but much larger and offering hybrid digital-plus-human service model.
• Carson Group: National RIA supporting advisors and serving HNW clients with financial planning and investment management. Similar in services and evidence-based positioning but operates an advisor-support platform model at much greater scale.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Fee-only RIA offering comprehensive wealth planning, investment management, and tax services to HNW individuals and families. Comparable in fee-only fiduciary model and HNW focus, though operating at substantially larger scale with national footprint.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA providing evidence-based investment management and financial planning, with a strong affiliation with Dimensional Fund Advisors — directly mirroring Applied Capital's research-driven, evidence-based investment philosophy.
• Creative Planning: Large fee-only RIA offering comprehensive financial planning and investment management to individuals and families. Directly comparable to Applied Capital in fee-only structure, fiduciary model, and HNW focus, but at significantly greater scale.

Others

• Dimensional Fund Advisors: Academic, evidence-based investment manager whose research philosophy aligns with Applied Capital's investment approach. Functions as an investment partner/enabler rather than direct competitor, providing the fund strategies that Applied Capital likely utilizes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/modernadvisor
• Facebookfacebook.com/appliedcapital

Compliance1 record

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 Applied Capital