What Syverson Strege does

Syverson Strege and Company is a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, operating since 1997 when co-founders Johnne Syverson and David Strege bought out the Financial Planning division of Bryton Company to pursue an independent fee-only model. The firm serves high-net-worth individuals and families (typically with $500,000+ portfolios), business owners and executives, retirees and empty nesters, and a niche farm/agricultural-family segment across the Midwest, providing coordinated planning across cash flow and tax, retirement, risk management, estate, philanthropic, and investment domains.

The firm's technology stack is operational rather than proprietary: it runs client-facing and back-office workflows on the SEI Wealth Platform under a partnership announced November 18, 2025, and exposes client access through the eMoney Client Portal. Its competitive differentiation rests on a team-based delivery model (every engagement pairs a CFP-credentialed Financial Planner with an Associate Financial Planner and an analyst), an internal Investment Committee overseeing investment strategy, and dedicated specialty services including Farm/Ag Planning and the 'Educate to Give' nonprofit education program.

Syverson Strege is privately held and owner-operated by the founders plus Managing Director Lance Gunkel as a partial shareholder. Revenue is generated via recurring annual fees scaled to portfolio size and planning complexity; the firm explicitly does not accept commissions or product-based compensation. Distribution is consultative (free Opportunity Meeting and Proposal Meeting consults) supplemented by a long-running content engine (Finance Moment podcast, archived newsletters dating to 2018, blog, community service across ~48 nonprofits) and relationships with NAPFA, the CFP Board, and FPA, with the firm reaching approximately $1 billion in assets under management and ~23 team members.

Name

Syverson Strege

Legal name

Syverson Strege and Company

Website

https://onlyworkforyou.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Syverson Strege and Company is a privately held, fee-only financial planning and investment management firm in West Des Moines, Iowa, serving high-net-worth individuals, business owners, retirees, and farm families across the Midwest with comprehensive planning and ~$1B in AUM.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

Keywords

• Fee-only financial planning
• Investment management services
• Wealth management advisory
• Retirement planning services
• Estate planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

West Des Moines

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fee-Only Financial Planning: Syverson Strege charges an annual fee for comprehensive financial planning services. The fee varies depending upon the size of the client's portfolio and their financial planning needs. The firm does not accept commissions or compensation based upon product sales.
2. Investment Management: Investment management services are provided as one component of a comprehensive financial plan, including portfolio construction, monitoring, and management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Syverson Strege provides fee-only financial planning and investment management services to individuals, families, and farm/agricultural operations. Core offerings include comprehensive coordinated financial plans covering cash flow, tax planning, retirement, risk management, estate planning, and philanthropic planning, along with portfolio construction and monitoring. The firm operates on a fiduciary, no-commission model with an Investment Committee overseeing investment strategy.

Product overview

Syverson Strege is a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm offering a comprehensive suite of services. Their core offerings include Financial Planning (covering cash flow and tax planning, retirement planning, risk management, estate planning, and philanthropic planning), Investment Management, and Farm/Agricultural Planning. They also operate the Educate to Give program, a philanthropic education service for nonprofits. The firm utilizes SEI's Wealth Platform for operational efficiency and client experience enhancement. Founded in 1997, they manage approximately $1 billion in assets under management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Educate to Give: A donor education program offered to nonprofits that teaches effective philanthropic, planned giving, and tax-avoidance strategies. It provides educational meetings and confidential consultations for donors without sales pressure.

Products and services

• Financial Planning Fee-only financial planning providing custom, comprehensive, coordinated plans for clients' financial and life goals. Includes cash flow and tax planning, retirement planning, risk management, estate planning, and philanthropic planning. Designed for individuals and families with complex financial situations.
• Investment Management Investment services dedicated to reviewing, understanding, and developing investment strategies tailored to client needs. Uses both active and passive management strategies with broad diversification across asset classes, delivered as one component of a comprehensive financial plan.
• Farm/Ag Planning Specialized financial planning services for farmers and agricultural operations, addressing the unique financial complexities of agricultural businesses including farm transition planning, agricultural estate planning, and farm financial management.
• Educate to Give Philanthropic education program offered to nonprofits that teaches effective charitable giving, planned giving, and tax-avoidance strategies. Provides educational meetings and confidential consultations for donors without sales pressure.

Quantifiable outcome

• $1 billion in assets under management
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SEI (SEI Investments)coreTechnology or Integration · 18 November 2025Syverson Strege has partnered with SEI to enhance its operational efficiency and client experience through SEI's Wealth Platform. The collaboration aims to streamline operations, improve digital experiences, and support strategic growth, with assets to be migrated to SEI's platform. SEI provides technology and investment solutions for the financial services industry across various segments including private banks, investment advisors, and institutional investors.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only fiduciary RIA of similar size and team-based planner model. Comparable in serving HNW individuals and families with comprehensive financial planning and investment management on a subscription-fee basis.
• Halbert Hargrove: Fee-only RIA offering comprehensive financial planning and investment management to HNW clientele. Closely comparable structure, fee model, and client profile to Syverson Strege.
• Plancorp: Fee-only financial planning and investment advisory firm serving HNW individuals and business owners. Comparable team-based planning approach and fiduciary fee-only model.
• Carson Group: RIA focused on holistic financial planning for HNW clients with values-based and legacy emphasis. Comparable service mix and target client segment, though larger scale.
• Moneta Group: Fee-only RIA providing comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and tax services to HNW families. Comparable in fiduciary positioning and full-service planning depth.

Broad incumbents

• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Larger national RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and family office services to HNW clients. Comparable service set at greater scale, often referenced in RIA consolidation discussions.
• Creative Planning: One of the largest independent fee-only RIAs in the U.S., serving HNW individuals with comprehensive financial planning and investment management. Comparable fee-only fiduciary model at much larger scale.
• Wealth Enhancement Group: National RIA formed via roll-up of independent advisory firms. Relevant as a potential acquirer/strategic for Syverson Strege and as a comparable fee-based wealth management platform.
• Sanctuary Wealth: Partner-owned RIA platform supporting independent advisors serving HNW clients. Comparable in providing fee-based comprehensive planning, and an example of an alternative scale/growth path for an independent RIA.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large national RIA combining fee-only financial planning with investment management for HNW households. Comparable comprehensive service offering though at significantly greater scale and with a hybrid digital/human model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SyversonStrege
• Facebookfacebook.com/syversonstrege

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Syverson Strege