Summit Investment Advisors

What Summit Investment Advisors does

Summit Investment Advisors is a privately-held, partner-owned financial advisory firm headquartered in Roseville, Minnesota, with additional offices in St Louis Park, MN and Boca Raton, FL. The firm delivers integrated financial planning services to individuals, families, and business owners primarily in Minnesota and Florida, with particular expertise serving pre-retirees, retirees, and medical-technology industry employees navigating the transition from accumulation to retirement. Its service offering spans retirement income planning, investment management, estate planning, tax planning, and beneficiary transition support, delivered by four CFP®-credentialed partners (Sean McDermott, Russell Rogers, Scott Caskey, Brian Carlson) and supporting staff.

The firm's core technology is its integrated planning methodology combining retirement income, investment management, and tax strategy as interconnected components rather than siloed services. Tax planning leverages Tax Clarity software for scenario modeling, Roth conversion analysis, and multi-year tax optimization. Estate planning includes beneficiary transition support, with the firm handling 25-30 client estates annually and coordinating with external counsel through The Private Trust Company N.A. (an LPL affiliate). Securities are offered through LPL Financial (Member FINRA/SIPC) under a custodial and regulatory arrangement; investment advice is delivered through the affiliated Registered Investment Advisor, Summit Investment Advisory Services.

The business model is fee-based recurring advisory revenue derived from registered investment advisory services, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Customer acquisition is driven by educational seminars (notably the Taxes in Retirement Seminar, which has guided nearly 1.8 million attendees nationwide), content marketing (blog, Summit Talks video series, Fragile Decade series, weekly market commentary via LPL Research), and published e-books including the bestselling "Summit to Retirement." Distribution is direct and high-touch through personal advisor relationships across three physical offices and a 31-state LPL registration footprint, with the firm employing approximately 11-50 staff (9 visible on website). The firm has no external institutional investors or private equity backing, consistent with its independent, partner-owned structure.

Name

Summit Investment Advisors

Legal name

Summit Investment Advisors

Website

https://summitinvest.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Summit Investment Advisors is a partner-owned Minnesota-based RIA delivering integrated retirement income, investment, tax, and estate planning to individuals, families, and business owners in Minnesota and Florida, with niche expertise in medical-technology employees and pre-retirees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management and Financial Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Based Advisory (FSAEAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD), Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)

Keywords

• Financial planning services
• Retirement income planning
• Investment management
• Wealth management advisory
• Estate and tax planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 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 Advisory and Planning Services: Fee-based financial planning and investment management services provided through registered investment advisors. Securities offered through LPL Financial. Investment advice offered through Summit Investment Advisory Services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Summit Investment Advisors provides fee-based financial planning, retirement income planning, investment management, estate planning, and tax planning services to individuals, families, and business owners, primarily in Minnesota and Florida. Securities are offered through LPL Financial and investment advisory services through Summit Investment Advisory Services, a separate Registered Investment Advisor. The firm integrates retirement income planning, investment management, and tax strategy into a unified advisory approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Summit Investment Advisory Services: A registered investment advisor subsidiary providing investment advisory services, separate from LPL Financial.
• Summit to Retirement: Finding Success on Your Financial Trek
• New State, New Life: Making the Move with Financial Success

Products and services

• Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning service integrating retirement income planning, investment management, and tax strategy as interconnected components of a unified financial approach for individuals, families, and business owners.
• Retirement Income Planning Specialized planning for individuals navigating the transition from accumulation to retirement, with particular expertise serving medical technology industry employees and pre-retirees.
• Tax Planning Tax management service including detailed projections, Roth conversion opportunities, multi-year optimization strategies, RMD planning, and tax-loss harvesting, using Tax Clarity software for scenario modeling.
• Estate Planning Comprehensive estate planning support including beneficiary transition services, handling 25-30 client estates annually, and coordination with external estate planning attorneys.
• Investment Management Portfolio management service for retirees and near-retirees focused on income generation, capital protection, and systematic withdrawal strategies. Securities are offered through LPL Financial.
• Summit to Retirement: Finding Success on Your Financial Trek A roadmap to retirement providing guidance on financial planning decisions and strategies, written in interview format with contributions from multiple financial experts.
• New State, New Life: Making the Move with Financial Success Guide for individuals relocating to Florida or other sunbelt states, covering financial, legal, and lifestyle considerations for successful interstate moves.

Quantifiable outcome

• Handle 25-30 client estates annually
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LPL FinancialcoreTechnology or IntegrationSecurities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. LPL Financial provides the registered securities platform and brokerage services for Summit Investment Advisors. The firm is an independent advisor affiliated with LPL Financial, offering investment advice through Summit Investment Advisory Services, a separate Registered Investment Advisor.
• The Private Trust Company N.A.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn affiliate of LPL Financial providing Trust Services access. LPL Financial Representatives offer access to Trust Services through The Private Trust Company N.A. for estate planning and trust administration needs.
• LPL Financial ResearchcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides Weekly Market Commentary content and research publications covering market outlook, economic analysis, and investment strategy. Summit uses LPL Research publications to keep clients informed about market conditions and economic trends.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Edward Jones: A large national broker-dealer and RIA serving individual investors with retirement, investment, and financial planning services delivered through local advisor offices — directly comparable to Summit's model, including face-to-face advisor relationships and retirement-income specialization.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: An independent RIA focused on HNW individuals and retirees with integrated financial planning, tax, and estate services. Direct peer to Summit on integrated advisory model, HNW client focus, and fee-based subscription revenue.
• Creative Planning: A large independent RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, retirement, tax, and estate services to HNW individuals and families. Highly comparable to Summit's integrated planning approach and similar use of education/content as a client acquisition channel.
• Cambridge Investment Research: An independent broker-dealer platform supporting thousands of independent advisors offering retirement, investment, and financial planning services. Directly comparable to LPL-supported Summit in business model and advisor structure.
• Fisher Investments: An independent investment management and financial planning firm serving HNW individuals with portfolio management and retirement income strategies. Directly comparable on investment-management-as-core-service for HNW retirees and near-retirees.
• Waddell & Reed Financial: A wealth management and financial planning firm providing investment advisory, retirement, and financial planning services to individuals. Direct peer to Summit on integrated planning and advisor-led retirement-focused wealth management.

Broad incumbents

• Ameriprise Financial: A broad incumbent wealth manager and broker-dealer offering financial planning, investment management, retirement, and tax/estate services through thousands of advisors. Significantly larger than Summit but overlapping heavily on retirement, tax, and holistic planning for HNW individuals.
• Cetera Financial Group: An independent broker-dealer and RIA platform supporting independent financial advisors — analogous to LPL Financial's role for Summit, but as a competing umbrella platform for similarly-positioned advisory firms.
• Northwestern Mutual: A broad incumbent financial services company combining insurance, wealth management, and retirement planning through advisor-led relationships. Overlaps with Summit on retirement income, tax, and integrated planning for HNW individuals.

Regional players

• Robert W. Baird & Co. A Midwest-headquartered wealth management firm with strong private wealth group serving HNW individuals with retirement, tax, and estate planning. Particularly comparable geographically given Summit's Midwestern roots in Minnesota.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/cJATeOxnSSI
• Facebookfacebook.com/summitinvest

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 Summit Investment Advisors