Wernick Spear Wealth Managers
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers is an independent, fee-based fiduciary RIA in Beachwood, Ohio, providing holistic financial planning and investment management to high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, and corporate clients across 25 U.S. states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersBeachwood, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Wernick Spear Wealth Managers does
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers is an independent, fee-based registered investment advisor headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, providing holistic financial planning and wealth management services. The firm serves high-net-worth individuals, multi-generational families, business owners, corporate executives, and companies of all sizes on retirement plan management, with client reach extending across 25 U.S. states from a single office. Its founding year is inconsistently reported — firmographic data states 2008, while company history material estimates ~1990 based on team experience; leadership is co-led by Managing Partner Warren S. Wernick and Partner DeAnna M. Spear.
The firm's core offering is fiduciary advisory and investment management delivered through a multi-platform technology stack sourced almost entirely from partners: securities are offered via Cambridge Investment Research (broker-dealer, a 13-time Investment Advisor magazine Broker-Dealer of the Year), with managed-account programs CMAP, CAAP, and UMA providing investment infrastructure. Trade execution and custody are outsourced to Pershing, Fidelity Institutional, TD Ameritrade, and Charles Schwab. Supporting capabilities include securities-based lending through Goldman Sachs and US Bank, plus referral relationships with estate attorneys, tax accountants, and insurance specialists.
The revenue model is fee-based and recurring (asset management fees plus flat-fee financial planning) with no product commissions, aligned with a fiduciary standard. The firm employs 1–10 people and does not disclose AUM or revenue. Marketing is content-led through its website, weekly market commentary, and LinkedIn. No M&A activity, funding rounds, or inorganic growth moves are disclosed; the firm appears to grow organically through referral and advisor relationships.
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wernick Spear Wealth Managers
- Legal name
- Wernick Spear Wealth Managers
- Website
- https://wswealthmanagers.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Wernick Spear Wealth Managers is an independent, fee-based fiduciary RIA in Beachwood, Ohio, providing holistic financial planning and investment management to high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, and corporate clients across 25 U.S. states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wealth Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Financial Planning & Goals-Based Advice (Mass Affluent) (FSAAAAAF), Broker-Dealer Affiliated Wealth Advisory (FSAEABAB)
Keywords
Where Wernick Spear Wealth Managers is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Beachwood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Fee-based Advisory Services: The firm operates on a fee-based model with fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of clients. No commissions or fees based on product sales. Financial planning services offered for a flat fee.
- Investment Management Fees: Asset management fees from managing investment portfolios across various asset classes including U.S. and international equities, fixed income, alternatives, and social finance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Fee-based fiduciary model with flat fee financial planning |
| Subscription | Annual | Cambridge Asset Allocation Platform (CAAP) starting at $5,000 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers is an independent, fee-based fiduciary financial advisory firm that delivers holistic financial planning for individuals, families, business owners, and corporate executives, along with retirement plan management for companies of all sizes. Its services encompass investment management, retirement planning, estate planning, tax strategies, education funding, risk management, insurance solutions, and family office support. The firm executes these services via Cambridge Investment Research's broker-dealer and RIA infrastructure, including CMAP, CAAP, and UMA investment programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Holistic Planning Coordinated financial planning service bundling financial planning, risk management, education planning, tax strategies, wealth accumulation, and related advisory work into a single holistic plan for individuals and families.
- Advisor Services Ongoing advisor services delivering continuous planning, monitoring, and decision support that complements the firm's holistic financial planning offering.
- Investment Choices Investment advisory offering providing access to diversified portfolio options through Cambridge's CMAP, CAAP (minimum $5,000), and UMA programs covering equities, fixed income, alternatives, and social finance.
- Family Office Family Office service for multi-generational families providing coordinated wealth management, estate planning, governance, and legacy support.
- Retirement Plan Management for Companies Retirement plan management and fiduciary services delivered to companies of all sizes, covering plan administration, fiduciary oversight, and participant education.
Quantifiable outcome
- Independent firm with no sales quotas or corporate objectives pressure
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Wernick Spear Wealth Managers
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic, supporting and minor.
- Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.coreCambridge Investment Research, Inc. is the broker-dealer through which Wernick Spear Wealth Managers offers securities. Cambridge is a 13-time winner of Investment Advisor magazine's Broker-Dealer of the Year award and among the top 10 independent broker-dealers by revenue. Cambridge supports over 3,500 independent financial professionals nationwide with flexible platforms including CMAP, CAAP, and UMA.
- Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc.coreCambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. is a Registered Investment Adviser through which Wernick Spear Wealth Managers offers advisory services. Both Cambridge entities are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Cambridge Investment Group, Inc.
- Pershing LLCstrategicPershing LLC provides trade execution, clearing, custody, and other services for securities and related transactions as a custodian platform.
- Fidelity InstitutionalstrategicFidelity Institutional provides trade execution, clearing, custody, and other services for securities and related transactions as a custodian platform.
- TD AmeritradestrategicTD Ameritrade provides trade execution, clearing, custody, and other services for securities and related transactions as a custodian platform.
- Charles SchwabstrategicCharles Schwab provides trade execution, clearing, custody, and other services for securities and related transactions as a custodian platform.
- Estate Planning AttorneyssupportingEstate planning attorneys are experienced and licensed law professionals with a thorough understanding of state and federal laws affecting how estates will be inventoried, valued, dispersed, and taxed after death. They assist with wills, trusts, and business succession planning.
- Tax Accounting FirmssupportingAccounting firms work closely with individual clients on tax preparation, business valuations, consultation, IRA problem resolution, and financial statement preparation.
- Life Insurance Brokerage FirmssupportingLife insurance brokerage firms partner to provide sophisticated and unbiased insurance and wealth management solutions for personal, business, long-term care, estate, and charitable planning.
- Health Insurance AgentssupportingLicensed insurance agents help clients find the best health insurance plans by searching through nationally and locally recognized companies on their behalf.
- Cleveland Zoo SocietyminorCorporate sponsorship partner. The Cleveland Zoo Society supports wildlife conservation and education programs.
- Cleveland Museum of ArtminorCorporate sponsorship partner. The Cleveland Museum of Art is a major cultural institution providing art education and access.
- Greater Cleveland Food BankminorCorporate sponsorship partner. The Greater Cleveland Food Bank addresses food insecurity in the Cleveland area.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large independent, fee-based RIA serving HNW individuals, families, and institutions. Comparable to Wernick Spear in fiduciary, fee-only positioning and holistic planning model, though at materially larger scale.
- Creative Planning: Independent, fee-only RIA providing comprehensive wealth management, tax, and estate planning. Closely matches Wernick Spear's holistic, fiduciary service model and HNW/family focus, at a much larger scale.
- Carson Group: Independent wealth management firm offering financial advice, investment management, and business coaching to advisors. Comparable fiduciary value proposition and HNW focus, with a scaled partner-advisor model.
- Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA providing holistic financial planning, investment management, and tax/estate services. Directly comparable fiduciary model and comprehensive service stack to Wernick Spear.
- Modera Wealth Management: Fee-only, fiduciary wealth management firm offering financial planning, investment management, and tax services to individuals and families. Closely mirrors Wernick Spear's boutique, holistic positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Edelman Financial Engines: One of the largest independent RIAs in the U.S., offering financial planning and investment management to mass-affluent and HNW households. Overlaps Wernick Spear's service model but at much greater scale and broader market reach.
- Fisher Investments: Large independent RIA primarily serving HNW and institutional investors with discretionary portfolio management. Comparable fee-based fiduciary positioning to Wernick Spear but with significantly greater AUM and a more institutional tilt.
- Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Hybrid robo-advisor offering from Vanguard combining digital portfolios with human advisor access at low fees. Represents the scaled, low-fee incumbent threat to boutique RIAs like Wernick Spear in the mass-affluent tier.
- Charles Schwab (Wealth Advisory): Schwab's in-house advisory offering leveraging its custodian and trading infrastructure. Overlaps Wernick Spear's HNW advisory services, with strong brand, technology stack, and pricing power that exert competitive pressure on boutique RIAs.
Emerging players
- Facet Wealth: Digital-first financial planning and wealth management firm targeting mass-affluent and HNW clients with flat-fee subscriptions. Represents the technology-enabled emerging model competing with traditional RIAs on price and convenience.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wernick Spear Wealth Managers
What does Wernick Spear Wealth Managers do?
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers is an independent, fee-based fiduciary financial advisory firm that delivers holistic financial planning for individuals, families, business owners, and corporate executives, along with retirement plan management for companies of all sizes. Its services encompass investment management, retirement planning, estate planning, tax strategies, education funding, risk management, insurance solutions, and family office support. The firm executes these services via Cambridge Investment Research's broker-dealer and RIA infrastructure, including CMAP, CAAP, and UMA investment programs.
Is Wernick Spear Wealth Managers a public or private company?
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Wernick Spear Wealth Managers founded?
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers was founded in 1990. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Wernick Spear Wealth Managers based?
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers is headquartered in Beachwood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wernick Spear Wealth Managers make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Fee-based Advisory Services are the primary driver. The others are investment Management Fees.
Who are Wernick Spear Wealth Managers's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mariner Wealth Advisors, Creative Planning, Carson Group, Buckingham Strategic Wealth and Modera Wealth Management. Broad incumbents are Edelman Financial Engines, Fisher Investments, Vanguard Personal Advisor Services and Charles Schwab (Wealth Advisory). Facet Wealth is listed as an emerging player.
Does Wernick Spear Wealth Managers have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wernick Spear Wealth Managers.
What industry is Wernick Spear Wealth Managers in?
Wernick Spear Wealth Managers's product category is Wealth Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAACAB, Financial Planning–Led RIAs, with a secondary code of FSAAAAAF, Financial Planning & Goals-Based Advice (Mass Affluent). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.