Francis
Francis LLC is an SEC-registered, fee-for-service investment adviser providing ERISA fiduciary retirement plan consulting and workplace financial wellness services to employer plan sponsors, HR administrators, and employees, with operations across the U.S. from Wisconsin and Minnesota offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersBrookfield, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Francis does
Francis LLC is a privately-held, SEC-registered investment adviser founded in 2004 and headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin, with a second office in Oakdale, Minnesota. The firm delivers retirement plan consulting and workplace financial wellness services to employer plan sponsors, HR administrators, and plan participants, operating under a documented "Conflict-Free Guarantee" in which fees are fixed per service rather than asset-based, eliminating revenue-sharing and product-sales conflicts that the firm quantifies as a $17 billion annual cost to U.S. workers. Its core offerings comprise three products: Retirement Plan Consulting (ERISA fiduciary investment advice, investment manager research, vendor searches, plan cost benchmarking, and quarterly reviews), Workplace Financial Wellness (personalized financial planning, group education, on-site and remote workshops in English and Spanish), and a Participant Portal with an AI-enhanced mobile application that delivers personalized financial guidance.
The firm's underlying technology stack includes a proprietary participant portal with customized financial recommendations, an AI-enhanced mobile financial wellness application that has won the BizTimes IQ Award for Innovation, and in-house investment manager research produced by CFA charterholders. Distribution is conducted through a regional director-led direct enterprise sales motion targeting plan sponsors, supplemented by a content-driven thought leadership program (podcast, quarterly white papers, blog, PLANADVISER conference participation, and Marquette University co-produced content). The go-to-market operates on a B2B2C basis: sales close employer plan sponsors, after which participants access services digitally or on-site.
Francis monetizes via fee-for-service professional services contracts with multi-year terms, charging fixed fees analogous to outside legal or accounting engagements. Customer segments include plan fiduciaries and plan sponsors (the primary revenue-bearing segment), HR administrators (buyer-influencers), and employees/plan participants (consumers of wellness services). The firm serves a visible enterprise client roster including Foth, Olmsted Medical Center, Marquette University, Plexus, Fiskars, Boldt, Epic, and Johnsonville, and reports impacting tens of thousands of plan participants. Leadership comprises co-founders Michael J. Francis (President, 30+ years advising since 1988) and Kelli Send (Co-Founder, Financial Wellness), alongside CIO Edward McIlveen, principals, regional directors, and a team of credentialed financial planners.
Francis firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Francis
- Legal name
- Francis LLC.
- Website
- https://francisway.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Francis LLC is an SEC-registered, fee-for-service investment adviser providing ERISA fiduciary retirement plan consulting and workplace financial wellness services to employer plan sponsors, HR administrators, and employees, with operations across the U.S. from Wisconsin and Minnesota offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Francis industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retirement Plan Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Pension Funds (525110), Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts (FSAEABAF), Institutional Consultants & Fiduciary Management (Investment Consulting) (FSAAAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Francis is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brookfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Francis business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Fee-for-Service Retirement Plan Consulting: Francis operates on a fee-for-service model paid like an outside attorney or accountant would be paid. Their fee is fixed based on the services provided, not based on assets under management. This model is designed to eliminate conflicts of interest inherent in asset-based compensation structures.
- Financial Wellness Program Services: Personalized financial planning sessions, group financial education events, new hire and pre-retirement workshops, and ongoing advisory services delivered to employees of client organizations.
- Investment Advisory Services: Provides comprehensive, ERISA fiduciary investment advice including plan oversight, investment manager research, vendor searches, and quarterly investment reviews. All advice is conflict-free and sales-free.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Fee-for-Service Model |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Francis product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Francis is a fee-for-service, SEC-registered investment adviser providing ERISA fiduciary retirement plan consulting and workplace financial wellness services to plan sponsors and their employees. The firm delivers plan oversight, investment manager research and monitoring, vendor searches, plan cost management, fiduciary training, and quarterly investment reviews, alongside personalized financial planning, group education, and digital/mobile financial wellness tools for plan participants.
Product overview
Francis offers a suite of financial advisory and wellness services centered around three core offerings: Retirement Plan Consulting, Workplace Financial Wellness, and a Participant Portal. The firm provides ERISA fiduciary advisory services for retirement plans, including investment manager research, plan cost management, and compliance oversight. Their Workplace Financial Wellness service connects employees with certified financial planners for personalized money advice. Francis also provides a digital Participant Portal and an AI-enhanced mobile application for financial wellness. The firm's approach emphasizes a conflict-free, fee-for-service business model rather than asset-based compensation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retirement Plan Consulting Comprehensive retirement plan advisory services for plan sponsors including plan oversight, ERISA fiduciary training, investment manager research, vendor search, plan cost management, fee benchmarking, and quarterly investment reviews to help organizations manage their retirement plans and ensure fiduciary compliance.
- Workplace Financial Wellness Personal financial planning and coaching services connecting employees to certified financial planners who provide customized advice on budgeting, debt management, investing, tax planning, and retirement to help employees achieve Work-Life-Money Balance. Delivered on-site or remotely (English and Spanish) as part of employer-sponsored benefits.
- Participant Portal Digital portal providing employees access to educational resources, customized financial recommendations, and connections to financial planners to support their financial wellness journey.
- Financial Wellness Mobile Application AI-enhanced, mobile-optimized, award-winning financial wellness application that provides personalized financial guidance and tools for employees to manage their money and achieve Work-Life-Money Balance.
Quantifiable outcome
- Conflicted investment advice costs investors approximately $17 billion annually - Francis's conflict-free model addresses this systemic issue
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Francis
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Francis technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Francis partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered notable.
- Marquette UniversitynotableFrancis collaborates with Marquette University on an ERISA Fiduciary Podcast - a 3-part series. The firm has multiple team members who are Marquette alumni including Michael Francis (J.D.), Edward McIlveen (MBA), Kevin Roloff (BS), and others. Francis participates in the Marquette University Applied Investment Management (AIM) Program.
- Olmsted Medical CenternotableFrancis partnered with Olmsted Medical Center on a podcast discussing proactive plan cost management that helped lower retirement plan costs and improve fee transparency for plan participants.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Francis competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Francis social profiles
Digital presenceFrancis financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Francis leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Francis funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Francis 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 Francis
What does Francis do?
Francis is a fee-for-service, SEC-registered investment adviser providing ERISA fiduciary retirement plan consulting and workplace financial wellness services to plan sponsors and their employees. The firm delivers plan oversight, investment manager research and monitoring, vendor searches, plan cost management, fiduciary training, and quarterly investment reviews, alongside personalized financial planning, group education, and digital/mobile financial wellness tools for plan participants.
Is Francis a public or private company?
Francis is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Francis founded?
Francis was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Francis based?
Francis is headquartered in Brookfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Francis make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Fee-for-Service Retirement Plan Consulting is the primary driver. The others are financial Wellness Program Services and investment Advisory Services.
Does Francis have an API?
No public API is recorded for Francis.
What industry is Francis in?
Francis's product category is Retirement Plan Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEABAE, Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension), with a secondary code of FSAEABAF, Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.