What BTA Advisory Group does

BTA Advisory Group is a privately held, comprehensive financial planning firm founded in 1997 by Guy Baker and headquartered in Irvine, California. The firm delivers integrated advisory services across investment management, tax efficiency planning, estate planning, insurance planning (whole life, term, universal, indexed universal), asset protection, retirement planning, and business succession/executive compensation. Its investment methodology is built on an evidence-based framework using Dimensional Fund Advisors products, anchored in research from five Nobel Prize laureates, and employs Efficient Frontier portfolio optimization with quarterly rebalancing. Investment advisory services are offered through an affiliated Registered Investment Advisor, Wealth Teams Alliance, Inc., founded by Baker in 2016.

BTA's client base consists of 1,000+ individual high-net-worth clients and families and 500+ business-owner companies, with services extending into 401(k) plan administration, buy-sell funding, and employee retention strategies. The firm operates with approximately 25 associates and a national network of 50 advisors, supported by leadership in MDRT (including Baker's tenure as 2010 MDRT President and 2018 John Newton Russell Award recipient) and a Forbes ranking. Distribution is relationship-based: content marketing via seven published books, video, website, and LinkedIn funnels prospects into free Calendly consultations and long-term advisory engagements. Pricing is quote-based and undisclosed, with revenue generated primarily through recurring advisory fees on managed assets plus insurance commissions on life and annuity products.

Operationally, the firm has invested in succession and bench depth through recent hires including a COO (Todd Baker, 2018), CMO/senior partner (Jonathon Soucier, 2020), a CFA-designated analyst (Maxwell Baker, 2025), and several recent university graduates, while maintaining compliance with SEC guidelines for onboarding and client documentation. The firm is founder-controlled, with no external institutional investors, no M&A activity, and no funding rounds disclosed in the available data.

Name

BTA Advisory Group

Legal name

BTA Advisory Group

Website

https://btagroup.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BTA Advisory Group is a privately held, Irvine-based comprehensive financial planning firm founded in 1997 by Guy Baker, serving high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners with integrated investment, tax, estate, insurance, and retirement planning through its affiliated RIA, Wealth Teams Alliance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE), Directed Trust & Trust Advisory Services (FSAAANAK)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Services: Investment advisory services offered through Wealth Teams Alliance, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Revenue generated from advisory fees for investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and related services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

BTA Advisory Group is a comprehensive financial planning and wealth management firm that delivers integrated advisory services encompassing investment management, tax efficiency planning, estate planning, life insurance planning, asset protection, retirement planning, and business owner advisory services. The firm operates through its affiliated Registered Investment Advisor, Wealth Teams Alliance, Inc., and applies an evidence-based investment approach built on Dimensional Fund Advisors methodology and Nobel Prize-winning research, providing personalized plans and ongoing advice to high net worth individuals, families, and business owners.

Product overview

BTA Advisory Group is a comprehensive financial planning firm offering a unified suite of advisory services. The core offering consists of integrated financial planning encompassing investment management using Dimensional Fund Advisors methodology, insurance planning (whole life, term, universal life), estate planning, tax efficiency planning, asset protection, retirement planning, and business planning services. The firm operates through its sub-brand Wealth Teams Alliance, a Registered Investment Advisor. Educational resources include books (Baker's Dozen, The Box, The Great Wealth Erosion) and video content. The services are designed to work together as a cohesive financial planning approach, with advisors utilizing the Dimensional Funds framework based on Nobel Prize-winning research to build and manage client portfolios.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Financial Planning Holistic financial planning service that analyzes a client's current financial situation and develops a personalized plan focused on tax efficiency, investment management, estate planning, and risk management, targeted at high net worth individuals, families, and business owners.
• Investment Management Personalized investment advice and ongoing portfolio management using evidence-based strategies grounded in Nobel Prize-winning research and the Dimensional Fund Advisors framework, with quarterly rebalancing and Efficient Frontier optimization.
• Insurance Planning Life insurance advisory and underwriting services covering whole life, term life, universal life, and indexed universal life policies, integrated with estate and retirement planning for individuals and business owners.
• Estate Planning Estate planning services that help clients transfer assets to the next generation, reduce or eliminate transfer taxes, and ensure proper legacy and wealth preservation planning.
• Tax Efficiency Planning Income tax efficiency planning that focuses on maximizing tax savings and minimizing tax liability through customized strategies, including reducing capital gains and ordinary income tax exposure for individuals and businesses.
• Asset Protection Wealth management strategies to protect assets from taxes, fees, economic downturns, and unexpected legal events, using IRAs, brokerage accounts, and complex trust structures.
• Retirement Planning Retirement planning services including 401(k) management, IRA planning, and retirement income strategies for individuals and business owners.
• Business Planning Business planning services for owners including executive compensation plans, 401(k) optimization, employee education, business succession planning, buy-sell arrangement funding, and key employee retention strategies.

Quantifiable outcome

• S&P 500 has had positive returns 75% of the time with compounded return greater than 10% dating back to 1926 (using evidence-based approach)

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Wealth Teams Alliance, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment advisory services offered through Wealth Teams Alliance, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. BTA Advisory Group is affiliated with and offers services through this RIA firm. Guy Baker formed the Wealth Teams Alliance as a Registered Investment Advisory firm and management consulting company serving business owners and families.
• Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA)coreTechnology or IntegrationBTA Advisory Group uses Dimensional Funds as part of their evidence-based investment approach. The investment framework is based on DFA model research derived from Nobel Prize-winning academics. The approach uses submarket management and Efficient Frontier optimization with quarterly rebalancing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Creative Planning: Large, multi-advisor RIA providing comprehensive financial planning to HNW individuals and business owners—including retirement plans, estate, tax, and investment management. Highly comparable business model, target client, and service breadth to BTA, though at significantly larger scale.
• Fisher Investments: Large investment management firm serving HNW individuals and institutional clients with portfolio management and financial planning. Comparable HNW focus and evidence-based (or actively managed) investment orientation.
• Carson Group: RIA and advisor network serving HNW clients and business owners with holistic financial planning. Comparable advisor-network distribution model and comprehensive planning service stack.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer and RIA platform supporting affiliated advisors serving HNW clients with comprehensive planning, investment, retirement, and insurance services. Comparable relationship-driven, advisor-network model.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large independent RIA providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan services to HNW households and corporate clients. Closely aligned target market and integrated service offering.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National RIA offering comprehensive wealth planning, investment management, estate planning, and tax services to HNW families and business owners. Comparable integrated service model and HNW target market to BTA.

Emerging players

• Empower (formerly Personal Capital): Hybrid digital wealth management and human advisory platform serving HNW clients with investment management, retirement, and financial planning. Overlaps in service breadth and HNW target but competes via a tech-led model that pressures traditional advisory economics.
• Facet Wealth: Digital-first financial planning firm serving HNW households through a hybrid tech-and-advisor model. Comparable HNW target client and comprehensive planning offering, but differentiated by technology-forward delivery versus BTA's traditional human-advisor approach.

Broad incumbents

• Cetera Financial Group: Large broker-dealer and RIA network supporting thousands of advisors with comprehensive wealth management services. Overlaps with BTA's advisor-network approach but operates at vastly larger scale across multiple product and service lines.
• Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management: Wealth management division of a major global bank offering investment advisory, financial planning, and retirement services to HNW households. Overlaps with BTA in HNW comprehensive planning but at massive institutional scale and brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/BTA-Advisory-Group/148970181789085
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bta-advisory-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 BTA Advisory Group