A Better Way Financial

What A Better Way Financial does

A Better Way Financial is an independent, fiduciary registered investment advisor headquartered in Allentown, Pennsylvania, focused exclusively on retirement planning for pre-retirees and retirees aged 55+ with $500,000 or more in investable assets. The firm is family-owned, founded by Frank Guida (40+ years in financial services) and now led by his son Frankie Guida, CFP, as President. Its core offering bundles retirement income planning, investment management, IRA/401(k) rollovers, tax planning, charitable giving, estate planning, in-house tax preparation, and insurance analysis into an integrated practice rather than standalone products.

Underlying technology is light and largely third-party: the firm uses 'computer algorithms' to track market indicators for tactical investment management, and runs a client portal powered by Egnyte for secure document transfer, with integrations to custodians and carriers including Charles Schwab, Allianz, Athene, Lincoln Financial, AIG/Corebridge, and 20+ others. There are no proprietary software platforms, no disclosed AI/ML models, and no mobile applications.

The business model combines recurring investment advisory fees on managed assets (operated through A Better Way Financial, LLC, the RIA entity) with insurance and annuity commissions earned through Frank Guida and Frank Guida Jr., PA Insurance (Licenses #301779 and #932281). Distribution is consultative and sales-led: complimentary 15-minute discovery calls, live dinner workshops, an owned media stack (WAEB-AM radio show, podcast, Fox News/69 News TV, YouTube Retirement 101, blog, two Amazon-published books), and a regional-to-national footprint anchored in the Lehigh Valley with virtual appointments nationwide. The firm reports having guided over 500 families and identifying an average of $647,000 in potential lifetime tax savings per Lehigh Valley family.

Name

A Better Way Financial

Legal name

A Better Way Financial, LLC

Website

https://abetterwayfinancial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

A Better Way Financial is an independent, fiduciary registered investment advisor in Allentown, PA that provides integrated retirement income, investment, tax, estate, and insurance planning for pre-retirees and retirees with $500k+ in investable assets across the Lehigh Valley and nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Financial Planning

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retirement & Pension Planning (401(k)/IRA) (FSAEAAAD), Retirement Income Planning & Decumulation Advisory (FSAEABAD), Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers) (FSAAACAE)

Keywords

• Retirement planning
• Investment advisory
• Tax planning
• Fiduciary services
• Retirement income planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Allentown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Services: Investment advisory services offered through A Better Way Financial, LLC, a registered investment advisor. Charges fees for investment advice and portfolio management services. Clients have complimentary initial retirement analysis and discovery calls.
2. Insurance and Annuity Products: Insurance and annuities offered through Frank Guida and Frank Guida Jr., PA Insurance (License #301779 and #932281). Commissions earned on fixed indexed annuities and insurance products sold to clients. Annuity guarantees rely on the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

A Better Way Financial is an independent fiduciary retirement planning firm serving pre-retirees and retirees with $500k+ in investable assets, primarily in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The firm offers an integrated suite of retirement financial services including retirement income planning, investment management, tax planning, IRA/401(k) rollovers, charitable giving strategies, estate planning, and insurance/annuity products. Advisory services are delivered through A Better Way Financial, LLC, a registered investment advisor, while insurance and annuity products are offered through Frank Guida and Frank Guida Jr., PA Insurance.

Product overview

A Better Way Financial offers a unified suite of retirement planning services built around an independent fiduciary model. The core offering centers on six integrated service lines: Retirement Income Planning, Investment Management, Tax Planning, IRA/401(k) Rollovers, Charitable Giving, and Other Financial Services (including estate planning, tax preparation, and insurance analysis). These services are delivered as an integrated practice rather than separate products, with advisors connecting all financial decisions directly to comprehensive retirement plans. The firm also supplements its core services with educational media products including the Amazon #1 Best Seller book 'A Better Way To Retire', the 'Empower Your Retirement' radio show and podcast, TV appearances, and a video education series. A secure client portal enables document transfer and access to client accounts across multiple financial institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Empower Your Retirement: The firm's radio show/podcast brand featuring Frank and Frankie Guida discussing retirement planning strategies. Airs on WAEB-AM and available on podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Products and services

• Retirement Income Planning Comprehensive retirement income planning service that helps pre-retirees and retirees create personalized income plans to maintain steady cash flow throughout retirement, including Social Security optimization and income stream strategies.
• Investment Management Tailored investment portfolio management that assesses risk tolerance, performs asset allocation analysis, applies tactical management strategies using computer algorithms, and includes quarterly and annual investment reviews for pre-retirees and retirees.
• IRA and 401(k) Rollovers Guided rollover services for employer-based retirement plans and Roth IRA conversion strategies that help clients consolidate retirement accounts and optimize tax efficiency.
• Tax Planning
• Charitable Giving
• Estate Planning
• Individual Tax Preparation
• Insurance Analysis
• Fixed Index Annuities
• Secure Client Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• Average $647,000 in potential lifetime tax savings identified for Lehigh Valley families
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration21 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Connected in the Lehigh Valley (LinkedIn Group)minorOthersLinkedIn networking group founded by Frank Guida to connect professionals in the Lehigh Valley community.
• Tim Tebow FoundationminorOthersCharitable partnership supporting orphan care, children with special needs, and anti-human trafficking initiatives. Firm shares similar beliefs and values with the foundation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fisher Investments: Large privately-held RIA focused on high-net-worth and mass-affluent retirees with personalized portfolio management. Comparable target market (retirees with significant investable assets) and fee-based advisory model, though it operates at far greater scale.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Largest independent RIA in the US, providing retirement income planning, investment management, and tax-aware planning to mass-affluent households. Directly comparable in service mix (income planning, tax planning, rollovers) though much larger and nationally scaled, making it the dominant incumbent benchmark in the same fiduciary RIA category.
• Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Hybrid robo-advisor service from Vanguard combining digital planning tools with human advisors for retirement income, tax planning, and portfolio management. Comparable in serving retirees seeking fiduciary investment advice at lower fees, posing a fee-compression threat to traditional RIAs.

Emerging players

• Boldin (formerly NewRetirement): Retirement planning software and advisor platform used by both consumers and financial advisors for cash-flow, tax, and Social Security planning. Overlaps with A Better Way's retirement income planning and tax planning offerings and represents a tech-enabled alternative for self-directed retirees.
• Facet Wealth: Flat-fee, digital-first RIA delivering comprehensive financial planning to mass-affluent clients nationwide. Directly comparable in serving $500k+ households with bundled retirement/tax/estate planning, but differentiates via a tech-led, low-fee model that pressures traditional advisory economics.

Direct peers

• Domain Money: Flat-fee digital RIA offering unlimited financial planning, investment management, and tax strategy to mass-affluent clients nationwide. Closely comparable in offering bundled retirement and tax planning to $500k+ households, but at a flat subscription price point.
• Sensible Financial Planning: Fee-only fiduciary RIA providing comprehensive retirement income, tax, and investment planning on a flat-fee basis. Directly comparable in service mix and target audience (pre-retirees/retirees), with similar independent-fiduciary positioning.
• Define Financial: Flat-fee, fee-only fiduciary financial planning firm focused on mass-affluent households seeking comprehensive retirement, tax, and investment advice without asset-based fees. Closely matches A Better Way's client profile and fiduciary value proposition but operates on a transparent flat-fee model.

Regional players

• Creative Financial Group: Multi-advisor retirement and estate planning firm based in the Mid-Atlantic/Pennsylvania region serving pre-retirees and retirees with investment, tax, and legacy planning services. Comparable in integrated retirement offering and Lehigh Valley-adjacent footprint, with similar advisor-led fiduciary delivery.

Others

• WiserAdvisor: Online matching platform that connects consumers with vetted local fiduciary financial advisors and RIAs. Functions as a competitor and channel for new client acquisition in the same retirement-planning category, particularly for prospects searching online in the Lehigh Valley and PA/NJ region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1JQiuQF_GDkyjw3hNgg_cQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/abetterwayfinancial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/a-better-way-financial

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 A Better Way Financial