Shaw & Associates

What Shaw & Associates does

Shaw & Associates is a privately held, principal-led wealth management, tax, accounting, and payroll services firm headquartered in Yuba City, California. Founded in 1954 as Meyer Bookkeeping and rebranded under current ownership in 2010, the firm serves individuals, families, and small businesses primarily in the Yuba-Sutter region. Its core service offerings are organized into three pillars: (1) Wealth Management & Financial Planning, delivered through licensed principals David A. Shaw and Susan P. Growney via affiliation with Avantax Investment Services (a Cetera company), covering investment and retirement accounts, estate planning, insurance, and risk assessment using the Nitrogen (formerly Riskalyze) platform; (2) Tax Planning, Preparation, and Representation, delivered by credentialed Enrolled Agents; and (3) Business Accounting & Payroll, supported by the Run Payroll platform.

The underlying technology is not proprietary. The firm layers on best-of-breed third-party SaaS (Avantax for brokerage/advisory, Nitrogen for risk profiling, Run Payroll for payroll, CountingWorks PRO for document management) and operates its client-facing infrastructure through the FMG Suite marketing platform. Go-to-market is sales-led and community-led, driven by personal relationships, repeated Best of Yuba Sutter awards (7 consecutive years), the 2017 Small Business of the Year recognition, and civic involvement including David Shaw's tenure as Mayor of Yuba City (2021-2022). Pricing is quote-based professional services, with AUM-based fees on the advisory side. Revenue mechanics blend seasonal tax-preparation fees, recurring advisory fees on managed assets, and ongoing accounting/payroll engagements. The firm has 4 core staff, no external funding, and no acquisitions or geographic expansion beyond its single Yuba City office.

Name

Shaw & Associates

Legal name

Shaw & Associates

Website

https://shawassociatesinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shaw & Associates is a privately held Yuba City, California firm providing integrated wealth management, tax preparation, accounting, and payroll services to individuals, families, and small businesses, delivered through two Enrolled Agent principals affiliated with Avantax Investment Services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Planning and Tax Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Tax-Aware Investment Planning (FSAEAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tax-Focused Wealth Management RIAs (FSAAACAD), Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting Advisory (GAAP/IFRS) (BPAHABAF), Fee-Based Advisory (FSAEAAAM)

Keywords

• Financial planning services
• Tax preparation services
• Wealth management advisory
• Accounting and payroll
• Estate planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Yuba City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tax Preparation and Planning Services: Professional tax preparation and planning services as Enrolled Agents. Proactive approach to tax services with planning as key factor in proper tax preparation.
2. Wealth Management and Investment Advisory: Investment and financial planning services offered through Avantax affiliation. Coordinated financial planning with advisory work and full range of aggregated financial services for individuals, families, and businesses.
3. Accounting and Payroll Services: Assistance with all aspects of financial preparation, record keeping, payroll processing, and consulting services for businesses.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shaw & Associates is a Yuba City, California-based advisory firm that delivers coordinated tax-smart financial planning, investment advisory, tax preparation, accounting, payroll, insurance, and estate planning services to individuals, families, and small businesses. Investment services are delivered through an affiliation with Avantax Investment Services, while tax and accounting work is provided directly by Enrolled Agents on staff.

Product overview

Shaw & Associates offers a comprehensive suite of financial services built around three core pillars: Wealth Management & Financial Planning, Tax Services, and Business Accounting & Payroll. The firm provides coordinated financial planning with investment and advisory services through its affiliation with Avantax, professional tax planning and preparation as Enrolled Agents, full-service payroll processing via Run Payroll, insurance and risk management, and estate/legacy planning. The firm also integrates Nitrogen/Riskalyze technology for risk assessment and offers various calculators and educational resources. Services are delivered through licensed advisors David A. Shaw and Susan P. Growney to individuals, families, and businesses in the Yuba City, California area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wealth Management & Financial Planning

Quantifiable outcome

• Tax planning expertise from Enrolled Agents who are recognized as 'America's Tax Experts'
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Avantax (a Cetera company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Shaw & Associates offers investment and financial planning services through David Shaw and Susan Growney's affiliation with Avantax Investment Services, a distinct community within Cetera Wealth Services LLC. Avantax provides tax-focused financial services and supports over 3,000 Financial Professionals with approximately $107 billion in assets under administration across all 50 states.
• FINRAminorOthersSecurities offered through Cetera Wealth Services LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Financial professionals are registered and subject to FINRA regulation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• HD Vest Financial Services: Tax-focused broker-dealer and RIA platform serving CPAs, EAs, and tax practitioners with securities, advisory, and wealth management capabilities — the model that historically anchors firms like Shaw & Associates.
• 1st Global: Wealth management platform purpose-built for CPAs and tax professionals, combining investment management, financial planning, and practice management tools. Closely mirrors Shaw's tax+wealth hybrid model.
• Avantax: Tax-focused wealth management network and Cetera company that Shaw & Associates is affiliated with. Avantax supports 3,000+ tax and financial professionals with ~$107B in AUA and provides the tax-intelligent planning platform, broker-dealer, and product shelf Shaw relies on.
• Cetera Advisor Networks: Independent advisory channel of Cetera serving established practices with wealth management, advisory, and back-office support — comparable in business model and target client profile to Shaw & Associates.

Broad incumbents

• Edward Jones: Large national financial-services firm emphasizing local-branch advisor presence in smaller markets — directly comparable to Shaw's locally-embedded, relationship-led model serving individuals and small businesses.
• Cetera Wealth Services: Parent broker-dealer of Avantax and member FINRA/SIPC through which Shaw offers securities. Operates a broader wealth-services network with multiple brand communities, providing the platform Shaw's affiliation sits within.
• Ameriprise Financial: Diversified financial services company with a national advisor force offering financial planning, investments, insurance, and retirement — covering the same household-financial-planning categories Shaw targets.
• H&R Block: National tax preparation franchise that has expanded into adjacent financial products (Block Advisors, Emerald Card). Overlaps with Shaw's tax preparation, small-business accounting, and payroll offerings at scale.
• Waddell & Reed: Diversified wealth management and investment firm serving individuals and small businesses through a national advisor network — broadly comparable target market and product set.

Others

• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S., supporting thousands of advisor-led practices with similar wealth management, retirement, and tax-related services through affiliated RIAs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ShawAssociatesInc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Shaw & Associates