Sage Rutty & Co., Inc

What Sage Rutty & Co., Inc does

Sage Rutty & Co., Inc. is a privately held, family-owned financial services firm founded on June 3, 1915 in Rochester, New York. Operating as both a Registered Investment Adviser (SEC CRD #3254) and a FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer, the firm has been controlled by the Holly family since the late 1970s, with Trevor Holly elected President in May 2022 marking the fourth generation of family leadership. The firm employs 101–250 people across two physical offices — Rochester (headquarters, 100 Corporate Woods, Suite 300) and Canandaigua, NY (branch opened 1987) — and is registered to provide advisory services in 35 U.S. states plus Washington, D.C.

The firm offers a comprehensive suite of financial services through dedicated advisor teams. Core offerings include wealth management, retirement planning, financial planning, and estate planning, supplemented by tax planning, Medicare insurance solutions, and 401(k) management. Its technology architecture is built on multi-custodian account access platforms — Wells Fargo Clearing Services, Charles Schwab, SEI, and Orion — enabling clients to interact through Sage Rutty-branded portals at each custodian. Operational tooling includes the CellTrust Corporation SMS archiving platform for compliant client text messaging and the UserWay website accessibility widget for WCAG 2.1 compliance. Client education is delivered through the Sage Rutty University educational platform and the Sage Advice quarterly newsletter.

Sage Rutty's revenue model combines recurring investment advisory fees (as a Registered Investment Adviser) with commission-based securities trading income (as a broker-dealer). The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven: individual advisors and teams manage client relationships directly, with a particular focus on multi-generational households (the firm counts second- and third-generation clients). Customer segments include high-net-worth individuals and families seeking comprehensive wealth management, as well as business owners needing 401(k) and retirement plan advisory. The firm emphasizes advisor credentials (CFP®, CFA, CPA, JD, AIF®, CRPC®, APMA®) and notes that over half of its advisors are women — an unusual demographic profile for the wealth advisory industry.

Name

Sage Rutty & Co., Inc

Legal name

Sage, Rutty and Company Inc.

Website

https://sagerutty.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sage Rutty & Co., Inc. is a privately held, family-owned financial advisory and broker-dealer firm founded in 1915 in Rochester, NY. It provides wealth management, retirement, financial, estate, and tax planning, plus Medicare insurance and 401(k) services, to individuals, families, and businesses in 35 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Retirement Plan Advisory RIAs (ERISA 401(k)/403(b)) (FSAAACAF), Investment Management Advisory (RIA) (FSAEAAAB)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory Fees: The firm operates as a Registered Investment Adviser providing investment advisory services. They offer comprehensive financial planning, wealth management, and related services with associated fees and costs detailed in their disclosure documents.
2. Commission-based Securities Trading: As a FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer, the firm executes securities transactions and earns commissions on equity and option securities trades. Rule 606 disclosures detail order routing practices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sage Rutty & Co., Inc. is a private, family-owned Registered Investment Adviser and FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer that delivers personalized wealth management, financial planning, retirement planning, and estate planning services to individuals, families, and businesses. The firm provides customized investment strategies, tax-efficient planning, Medicare insurance solutions, and professional 401(k) management through dedicated advisor teams, with client accounts custodied at Wells Fargo Clearing Services, Charles Schwab, SEI, and Orion.

Product overview

Sage Rutty & Co., Inc offers a comprehensive suite of financial services as a single unified offering, with Wealth Management, Retirement Planning, Financial Planning, Estate Planning, Tax Planning, Medicare Insurance Solutions, and 401(k) Management provided directly through their advisor teams. The core offering centers on personalized wealth management and financial planning, supplemented by specialized services in estate planning, tax optimization, Medicare insurance, and retirement account management. The firm also provides client education through Sage Rutty University and keeps clients informed via the Sage Advice quarterly newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sage Rutty University: An educational platform offering courses designed to demystify investing, estate planning, and tax strategies for clients.
• Sage Rutty 401(k)

Products and services

• Wealth Management Customized investment strategies to build and sustain financial health for individuals, families, and businesses. Delivered through dedicated advisor teams with accounts custodied at Wells Fargo Clearing Services, Charles Schwab, SEI, and Orion.
• Retirement Planning Expert retirement solutions to help clients secure their future and achieve financial security. Includes Social Security strategy and income sustainability planning.
• Financial Planning Comprehensive financial plans that align financial goals with actionable strategies for individuals and families. Includes tax-efficient planning to optimize strategies and minimize tax burdens.
• Estate Planning Services to protect and transfer legacy with confidence, including multi-generational wealth transfer strategies for individuals and families.
• Medicare Insurance Solutions Comprehensive Medicare insurance planning to protect health and well-being, including Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plan selection for clients.
• 401(k) Management Professional management of 401(k) plans to maximize retirement savings for employees and employers. Delivered as the Sage Rutty 401(k) sub-brand.
• Broker-Dealer Securities Trading Execution of securities transactions as a FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer, earning commissions on equity and option securities trades. Rule 606 disclosures detail order routing practices.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and support.

• First Clearing (Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC)coreTechnology or IntegrationSage Rutty's alliance with clearing firm First Clearing enables updated security procedures and technology to protect against unauthorized access to client confidential information. First Clearing is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.
• CellTrust CorporationsupportTechnology or IntegrationSage Rutty has entered into an agreement with CellTrust Corporation to engage in external text messaging and archiving capabilities for client communications.
• UserWaysupportTechnology or IntegrationUserWay Website Accessibility Widget powered by a dedicated accessibility server helps ensure the website is accessible for people with disabilities, improving compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1).
• Charles SchwabcoreTechnology or IntegrationClients can access their accounts through Sage Rutty @ Charles Schwab platform for investment management and account administration.
• SEIcoreTechnology or IntegrationSage Rutty @ SEI platform enables clients to access their accounts through the SEI Connect system.
• OrioncoreTechnology or IntegrationOrion advisor platform provides account management and portfolio reporting capabilities for Sage Rutty clients.
• Boston Stock ExchangesupportTechnology or IntegrationThe firm acquired a seat on the Boston Stock Exchange in 1988, supporting their securities trading and market access capabilities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Robert W. Baird & Co. Mid-size, privately-held wealth management and investment firm with a regional branch model and RIA/broker-dealer dual structure, serving individuals, families and businesses—closely comparable to Sage Rutty's full-service, relationship-led model but at materially greater scale.
• Ameriprise Financial: National financial advisory company providing comprehensive wealth management, retirement, and planning services through a large advisor network—comparable product set with much broader geographic reach than Sage Rutty.
• Raymond James Financial: Public financial services firm with an RIA/broker-dealer hybrid offering wealth management, retirement, and financial planning—operates a model structurally similar to Sage Rutty's dual advisory-and-brokerage role, but at national scale.
• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S., supporting thousands of independent RIAs and financial advisors with custodial, compliance, and platform services—an adjacent peer reflecting the same RIA/broker-dealer ecosystem Sage Rutty operates in.
• Cetera Financial Group: Independent broker-dealer and RIA supporting financial advisors and firms with wealth, retirement, and advisory services—operates in the same independent advisor ecosystem and offers a comparable product set.
• Stifel Financial: Mid-size financial services firm offering wealth management, investment banking, and institutional brokerage through a national advisor network—comparable wealth management offering though far larger and publicly traded.
• RBC Wealth Management: U.S. wealth management arm of Royal Bank of Canada, providing comprehensive financial planning and investment services to individuals and families—directly comparable service mix with a much larger balance sheet and national footprint.

Direct peers

• Edward Jones: Large branch-based financial advisory firm offering wealth management, retirement, estate, and 401(k) services through dedicated local advisors—highly comparable to Sage Rutty's advisor-led, regionally rooted full-service offering.
• Janney Montgomery Scott: Regional, employee-owned broker-dealer and RIA providing wealth management, retirement, and financial planning through local advisor teams—closely matches Sage Rutty's mid-size, employee-influenced, relationship-led model.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer and RIA supporting independent financial advisors with wealth management, retirement, and planning solutions—operates in the same independent advisor space as Sage Rutty and offers a directly comparable product mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sagerutty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sagerutty

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Sage Rutty & Co., Inc