What Ballast does

Ballast is an employee-owned financial planning and investment management firm headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, founded in 2005 by John Boardman. The firm operates as an SEC-registered investment adviser providing comprehensive wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals, medical professionals, business owners, non-profit organizations, and families. Its client footprint spans Kentucky, Tennessee, Washington, North Carolina, and Florida, indicating a deliberate multi-state service model beyond its original geographic base.

The firm's core offerings include financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, estate planning, and tax planning, delivered through a fee-only advisory model. Its client segments are diversified across affluent individuals and specialized cohorts such as medical professionals, business owners, and non-profits, suggesting a niche advisory approach that integrates personalized planning with portfolio management. The firm has earned inclusion in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide for three consecutive years (2023, 2024, 2025), providing third-party validation relevant to its target segment.

Ballast's go-to-market centers on relationship-driven advisory engagement rather than scaled consumer or institutional channels. Recent capacity-building moves include hiring a Financial Advocate (Catherine Richmond) and a Client Services Associate (Brizia Palmer), the addition of interns, and professional development milestones such as Trent Lakes earning the CFP® certification. The firm has also established a partnership with the Blue Grass Community Foundation, signaling extension into non-profit and community-foundation-adjacent work.

Name

Ballast

Legal name

Ballast, Inc.

Website

https://ballastplan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ballast is an employee-owned, SEC-registered financial planning and investment management firm based in Lexington, KY, founded in 2005 by John Boardman. It serves HNW individuals, medical professionals, business owners, non-profits, and families across multiple states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Based Advisory (FSAEAAAM)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Planning and Investment Management Services: Ballast generates revenue through fee-only financial advisory services, likely based on assets under management (AUM) given their focus on high-net-worth clients and investment management. As a registered investment adviser with the SEC, they provide comprehensive financial planning and investment management services tailored to individual client circumstances.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ballast is an employee-owned, SEC-registered investment advisory firm that delivers fee-only financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, estate planning, tax optimization, and wealth management services through personalized, fiduciary advisory engagements. The firm focuses on high-income earners, high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners, medical professionals, and non-profit organizations, executing advisory work via a five-step consultative model (relationship tone-setting, detailed financial review, collaborative planning, implementation, and continuous refinement).

Product overview

Ballast is an employee-owned financial planning and investment management firm offering a comprehensive suite of services. The core offerings include Financial Planning & Advisory Services, Investment Management, and Wealth Management, supported by specialized modules for Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, Tax Planning, and Cash Flow Planning. The firm also provides targeted services for specific client segments including Business Owners, Medical Professionals, and Non-Profits. Ballast differentiates through educational resources including the Ballast Atheneum (a collection of twelve core financial planning topic commentaries) and regular webinars. The firm serves high-income earners and high-net-worth clients with complex financial situations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Planning & Advisory Services Comprehensive, fee-only financial planning service delivered through a five-step consultative engagement (tone-setting, detailed financial review, collaborative planning, implementation, continuous refinement) and tailored to individual client circumstances. Designed for individuals, families, and organizations seeking personalized fiduciary advice spanning retirement, estate, tax, cash flow, and investment decisions.
• Investment Management Portfolio management and investment advisory services that build and maintain diversified portfolios aligned with each client's goals, risk tolerance, and tax considerations. Includes ongoing CIO-led market commentary (e.g., quarterly market and economic updates covering equities, fixed income, alternatives such as Bitcoin and gold, and international stocks).
• Wealth Management Comprehensive wealth management service for high-net-worth individuals and families that integrates investment management with tax optimization and legacy planning. Recognized in the Chambers High Net Worth Guide for 2023, 2024, and 2025.
• Retirement Planning Retirement planning service covering retirement savings strategies, Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), Roth conversions, and income distribution during retirement. Aimed at individuals and families approaching or in retirement, including those supported by Ballast's broader wealth management practice.
• Medical Professional Services Specialized financial planning service for physicians, dentists, and other medical professionals that addresses student loan management, practice sale/transition planning, physician-specific investment strategies, retirement planning, tax optimization, and asset protection. Acquired in part through industry settings such as the Kentucky Dental Association.
• Business Owner Services Specialized service line for entrepreneurs and business owners covering exit planning, business valuation, succession planning, 401(k) plan design and management, and the integration of personal financial planning with the business. The practice is led within Ballast by Partner/COO Andy Reynolds, who holds the CFP® and CEPA® designations.

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Blue Grass Community FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBallast COO Andy Reynolds serves as Board Chair and Investment Committee Chair of the Blue Grass Community Foundation, indicating a collaborative relationship focused on community philanthropy and charitable giving initiatives. The firm also partnered with BGCF for a charitable giving webinar featuring Lisa Adkins of BGCF.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Creative Planning: One of the largest independent, fee-only RIAs in the U.S., offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and wealth advisory to HNW clients. Comparably serves HNW individuals and uses a team-based, advisor-led model — but operates at materially greater scale and a national footprint versus Ballast's regional Kentucky base.
• Carson Group: Large RIA partnership platform supporting independent advisor firms with investment management, business coaching, and back-office infrastructure. Overlaps with Ballast on investment advisory, financial planning, and a focus on business owners, but operates as a partner-owned network with significantly greater scale.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large national RIA providing comprehensive financial planning, investment management, tax, and estate services to HNW individuals and institutions. Overlaps with Ballast across the full suite of HNW advisory services but operates at far greater scale and with institutional capabilities Ballast does not have.

Direct peers

• Ritholtz Wealth Management: A fee-only RIA offering financial planning and investment management primarily to HNW individuals and families, with a strong content/blog presence. Closely comparable to Ballast in service mix (planning + investment management, HNW focus, fiduciary model, content-driven marketing) though somewhat larger and more nationally recognized.
• Moneta Group:
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA specializing in evidence-based financial planning and investment management for HNW clients, with strong content marketing and academic-research orientation. Highly comparable to Ballast in fiduciary model, HNW focus, planning-first approach, and content-driven client acquisition.
• Strategic Wealth Partners: Independent, fee-only RIA offering financial planning, investment management, tax, and estate services to HNW individuals and business owners. Closely comparable in service mix, fiduciary structure, HNW/business-owner focus, and mid-sized advisor-led team model.
• One Capital (now Cerity Partners): Independent, fee-only RIA offering comprehensive wealth management, tax, and estate services to HNW families and business owners. Comparable in fiduciary, advisor-led model, multi-state HNW focus, and depth of services beyond investment management.

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Tech-enabled financial planning and wealth management firm serving HNW clients virtually with a flat-fee model. Comparable in targeting HNW and complex-client planning needs, but differentiated by a technology-first, national virtual delivery model versus Ballast's high-touch regional approach.
• Personal Capital (now Empower): Digital wealth management platform combining robo-advisory tools with human advisors for HNW clients. Competes for the same HNW financial planning and investment management segment as Ballast, but differentiated by a hybrid technology/human model and a national, no-minimum digital funnel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCU2O8ZOIdA1qe7QySFv4TqA
• Facebookfacebook.com/BallastPlan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ballastplan
• Instagraminstagram.com/ballast_inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Ballast