Wright Ford Young & Co.

What Wright Ford Young & Co. does

Wright Ford Young & Co. is a full-service certified public accounting firm headquartered at 16140 Sand Canyon Avenue in Irvine, California, founded in 1973 by Robert Wright. The firm employs approximately 100 professionals, including 13 partners and roughly 75 professional staff, and is one of the larger single-office CPA firms in Southern California, with close to 90% of its clients headquartered in Orange County and additional clients served nationally and internationally through its MGI (Morison Global) affiliation. WFY serves closely-held companies, family-owned businesses, and private foundations with annual revenues up to $500 million, plus larger enterprise relationships in food & restaurant franchising.

The firm operates across eight core service lines: Audit & Assurance (financial statement audits, reviews, compilations, and internal control evaluations); Tax Planning & Compliance (corporate, partnership/LLC, international, and IRS/FTB representation); Employee Benefit Plan / ERISA Audits (150+ plans audited annually, placing it among only 133 U.S. firms exceeding the 100-plan DOL inspection threshold); Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) services; Estate & Trust services (the largest dedicated E&T tax department among local CPA firms); Business Consulting (strategic planning, M&A advisory, succession, exit planning, and profit enhancement); Peer Review Services for other CPA firms under AICPA in California and Arizona; and WFY Wealth Management (personalized financial planning launched in 2024).

Commercially, WFY runs a relationship-driven, partner-led professional services model with year-round client communication under its branded 'No Surprises Execution' approach and a self-reported Net Promoter Score of 92 (vs. a national CPA average of 55). Revenue mechanics are based on fee-for-service engagements with audit work performed on fixed-fee arrangements; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct from the Irvine office, supported by a content and email marketing program, community/charitable engagement (1% of gross revenues donated annually, >$2.3M since 2007), and earned media via regional workplace and analyst rankings. Technology is internally developed for audit data extraction and a proprietary ERISA audit application that reduces client time per engagement; the firm is PCAOB registered with a clean 2024 peer review and holds memberships in AICPA, CalCPA, the EBP Audit Quality Center, and the Governmental Audit Quality Center.

Name

Wright Ford Young & Co.

Legal name

Wright Ford Young & Co.

Website

https://cpa-wfy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wright Ford Young & Co. is an Irvine, California-based full-service CPA firm providing audit, tax, ERISA/ESOP, estate & trust, business consulting, peer review, and wealth management services to closely-held companies, family-owned businesses, and private foundations primarily in Southern California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Accounting and Auditing Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211)

akta.pro primary industry

Outsourced Finance & CFO Services (BPAHABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Development & Strategic Partnerships Advisory (JVs, Alliances, Carve-outs) (BPAHAOAG)

Keywords

• Audit and assurance services
• Tax planning and compliance
• Estate and trust services
• Employee benefit plan audits
• Business consulting advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Audit & Assurance Services: Financial statement audits, reviews, and compilations for closely-held companies and employee benefit plans. One of only 133 CPA firms nationwide auditing more than 100 employee benefit plans annually.
2. Tax Planning & Compliance: Corporate tax, partnership/LLC tax, international tax planning and compliance services. Proactive year-round tax planning to minimize obligations.
3. Estate & Trust Services: Estate planning, trust administration, and tax filing upon death. Largest dedicated estate and trust tax department among local CPA firms.
4. Business Consulting Services: Strategic planning, M&A advisory, family business transitions, exit planning, and profit enhancement consulting.
5. WFY Wealth Management: Personalized financial planning, comprehensive financial solutions, and wealth management services for families and businesses.
6. ESOP Services: Employee stock ownership plan establishment, administration, annual valuation, and compliance services.
7. Peer Review Services: Peer reviews of other CPA firms under AICPA Peer Review Program, primarily serving firms in California and Arizona.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wright Ford Young & Co. is a full-service CPA firm providing audit and assurance, tax planning and compliance, estate and trust, employee benefit plan (ERISA) audit, ESOP, business consulting, peer review, and wealth management services. The firm primarily serves closely-held companies, family-owned businesses, and private foundations with annual revenues up to $500 million, delivering a "No Surprises Execution" approach with year-round proactive client communication.

Product overview

Wright Ford Young & Co. is a full-service CPA firm offering a comprehensive suite of professional accounting services. The firm's core offerings include Audit & Assurance Services, Business Consulting Services, Employee Benefit Plan Audits (ERISA), Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP) services, Estate & Trust Services, Peer Review Services, Tax Planning & Compliance, and WFY Wealth Management. The firm specializes in serving closely-held companies, family-owned businesses, and private foundations with annual revenues up to $500 million.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WFY Wealth Management: Wealth management and financial planning services including flexible financial planning, comprehensive solutions, and premier financial planning technology.

Products and services

• Audit & Assurance Services

Quantifiable outcome

• NPS of 92 vs. national CPA firm average of 55, comparing favorably to Apple (53), Amazon (54), and Trader Joe's (64)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MGI (Morison Kohn International)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember firm of MGI, one of the largest and fastest growing associations of independent auditing, accounting, and consulting firms in the world. Enables WFY to offer clients international services in over 80 countries, supporting global expansion needs of clients.
• AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants)coreOthersMember of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Provides access to resources, standards, and professional development through the AICPA.
• California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA)coreOthersMember of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. Peer Review Committee participation through Partner Cyndi LeBerthon as former Chair.
• Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB)coreOthersPCAOB registered firm, subject to inspection. Clean 2024 peer review opinion with no comments noted.
• AICPA Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality CentercoreOthersMember firm of the AICPA Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center, enabling quality-focused EBP audit practice.
• AICPA Governmental Audit Quality CenterminorOthersMember firm of the Governmental Audit Quality Center for enhanced government audit quality standards.
• Swing for a Cause Golf Tournament SponsorsminorOthersEvent sponsors include FBFK Law (Presenting Sponsor), Smart Circle (Course Sponsor), Alliant and HUB International (Impact Sponsors), plus multiple key sponsors, lunch sponsors, golf ball/cart sponsors, and hole/breakfast/reception sponsors. Event raised funds for Free Wheelchair Mission and Laurie's Scholars.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cherry Bekaert LLP: Large US accounting and advisory firm serving middle-market and closely-held companies with audit, tax, and consulting services. Comparable in target market and service mix, with similar industry specializations.
• Marcum LLP: Top 20 US accounting firm with significant presence in closely-held business, family office, and ESOP services. Direct peer in mid-market focus and similar service line breadth including ESOP advisory and wealth services.
• CohnReznick LLP: Top 20 US advisory, assurance, and tax firm serving middle-market and closely-held businesses. Comparable in target customer segment and full-service audit, tax, and advisory offerings.
• Plante Moran: Major US accounting and business advisory firm serving closely-held and middle-market companies across multiple industries. Comparable in serving family-owned businesses with audit, tax, and consulting needs at similar scale.
• Moss Adams LLP: Large West Coast-based CPA and business advisory firm offering audit, tax, and consulting services to closely-held and mid-market companies. Direct peer in geography, target customer (family-owned and mid-market businesses), and service mix including industry-focused practices.
• WithumSmith+Brown, PC: Top 30 US accounting firm providing audit, tax, and advisory services to closely-held businesses, with strong ESOP practice and wealth management services. Direct peer in mid-market focus and similar service line breadth including ESOP and ERISA services.
• Eide Bailly LLP: Top 20 US accounting firm providing audit, tax, and advisory services to closely-held businesses, with significant ERISA audit practice and presence in the Western US. Direct peer in mid-market focus and employee benefit plan audit specialization.

Broad incumbents

• Crowe LLP: Top 10 US public accounting and consulting firm with broad industry coverage including significant middle-market and closely-held business segments. Broader incumbent with wider portfolio of services beyond WFY's mid-market niche.
• BDO USA: Major US accounting and advisory firm serving middle-market companies globally with audit, tax, and consulting services. Larger incumbent with broader geographic reach and wider service portfolio than WFY.

Emerging players

• HavenTower Wealth Advisors: Wealth management firm providing comprehensive financial planning for families and business owners. Comparable to WFY's WFY Wealth Management subsidiary in target customer (closely-held business owners and families) and holistic financial planning approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wfycpa

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Wright Ford Young & Co.