West Financial Services, Inc.

What West Financial Services, Inc. does

West Financial Services, Inc. is an independent, fee-only fiduciary Registered Investment Advisor founded in 1985 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia, with a secondary office in Rockville, Maryland. The firm delivers comprehensive wealth planning to affluent individuals and families, corporate executives, and business owners in the DC-Metro region, with service lines spanning Investment Management, Financial Planning, Executive and Business Consulting, and Retirement Plan Consulting for 401(k) and institutional plans. Implementation is coordinated with external specialists—insurance providers, attorneys, and accountants—under a unified advisory relationship.

The firm's underlying technology is fully third-party: Tamarac powers the client portal (westfinancial.portal.tamaracinc.com), while Charles Schwab and Fidelity serve as custodial platforms for client accounts. There are no proprietary trading systems, portfolio-construction engines, or AI-driven tools disclosed; investment decisions are produced by an in-house investment committee staffed by CFA-, CFP®-, and CIMA®-credentialed professionals. SEC registration imposes a fiduciary standard, and the firm earns revenue exclusively through recurring advisory fees billed annually on a quote-based structure tied to portfolio complexity—no commissions or product sales. Co-founder Glen J. Buco remains active as Director of Consulting Services after 40+ years, and the management team includes Director of Retirement Plan Services Kristan L. Anderson (since 1995), Director of Portfolio Management Abigail E. Just (promoted May 2024), and senior portfolio managers across equity and fixed income.

Name

West Financial Services, Inc.

Legal name

West Financial Services, Inc.

Website

https://westfinancial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

West Financial Services is a fee-only fiduciary RIA in McLean, Virginia, serving affluent individuals, executives, and business owners in the DC-Metro region with investment management, financial planning, and 401(k) retirement plan consulting since 1985.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers (FSAAACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL), Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Wealth Management (FSAEABAA)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Investment advisory
• Financial planning
• Retirement plan consulting
• Fee-only fiduciary advice

Headquarters

HQ city

Mclean

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. Investment Advisory Fees: Fee-only fiduciary advisory services where the firm is compensated directly by clients for investment advice and management. The firm is registered with the SEC and operates as an independent RIA providing comprehensive wealth management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

West Financial Services is an independent fee-only fiduciary registered investment advisor (RIA) that provides wealth management to clients in the DC-Metro region. Its core offerings are Investment Management, Financial Planning, Executive and Business Consulting, and Retirement Plan Consulting, delivered through direct advisory relationships and supported by third-party custodial platforms (Charles Schwab, Fidelity) and the Tamarac client portal.

Product overview

West Financial Services, Inc. is a fee-only fiduciary registered investment advisor (RIA) offering a unified suite of wealth management services. The firm provides Investment Management (independent RIA services), Financial Planning (with specialist collaboration), Executive and Business Consulting, and Retirement Plan Consulting. Services are integrated under one advisory relationship with fee-only compensation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Management
• Financial Planning
• Executive and Business Consulting
• Retirement Plan Consulting

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brown Advisory: Independent, fee-only RIA founded in Baltimore/Maryland with a strong Mid-Atlantic footprint including the DC-Metro market. Comparable for offering discretionary investment management and wealth planning on a fiduciary, fee-only basis to affluent families and institutions.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA providing wealth management and financial planning to affluent individuals and families. Comparable fee-only fiduciary model, focus on evidence-based investing, and integrated financial planning under one advisory relationship.
• Sage Financial Group: Fee-only RIA providing wealth management, financial planning, and tax services to high-net-worth individuals and business owners. Comparable fee-only fiduciary positioning and integrated planning approach for affluent clients.
• Plancorp: Fee-only RIA offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan consulting. Closely comparable in offering fee-only fiduciary services across individual wealth management and institutional retirement plan consulting.
• Brighton Jones: Fee-only RIA delivering comprehensive wealth planning, investment management, and tax services to high-net-worth individuals and families. Comparable full-service wealth model targeted at affluent clients with complex planning needs.
• Wealthspire Advisors: Fee-only RIA serving high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutions with investment management, financial planning, and tax services. Comparable fiduciary, fee-only model and integrated wealth platform.

Broad incumbents

• Creative Planning: Large national fee-only RIA offering comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. Comparable service mix and fee-only fiduciary model, but at much greater scale and geographic breadth than West Financial.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National RIA providing investment advisory, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and tax services to high-net-worth individuals and institutions. Comparable multi-line fee-only wealth platform with institutional retirement plan capability.
• Carson Group: Large RIA and coaching community serving advisors and their clients with wealth management, retirement plan, and business consulting services. Comparable fee-only advisory philosophy combined with retirement plan consulting and advisor support services.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large national RIA with strong retirement plan consulting and participant advisory business. Comparable in combining individual advisory, retirement plan consulting, and institutional plan sponsor services on a fee-only basis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/west-financial

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 West Financial Services, Inc.