Vault Wealth Management

What Vault Wealth Management does

Vault Wealth Management is a privately-held, boutique financial advisory and tax preparation firm headquartered at 1983 PGA Boulevard, Suite 102, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Founded in 2001 by Scott Shrader, who began his career in the tax industry that same year with a Liberty Tax Service office, the firm operates as a three-advisor practice alongside Matt Munsell and Helen Axelson. The practice is affiliated with the Avantax network, which in 2023 became part of Cetera Financial Holdings; brokerage services are offered through Cetera Wealth Services LLC (member FINRA/SIPC) and investment advisory services through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Vault does not operate its own proprietary technology platform and relies entirely on the Cetera/Avantax infrastructure for account access, custodial relationships, and planning tools.

The firm generates revenue through three streams: (i) fee-based investment advisory services tied to assets under management, (ii) transaction-based brokerage commissions on securities transactions routed through Cetera Wealth Services, and (iii) professional services revenue from income tax preparation engagements, priced on a quote basis with a lifetime guarantee and complimentary three-year prior-return review. Its go-to-market is relationship-led, anchored by no-obligation initial consultations and a 'personal CFO' positioning that emphasizes tax-intelligent planning integrated with investment, retirement, Social Security, estate, and insurance planning.

Vault serves affluent individuals and families as its primary segment, with vertical specializations in real estate agents (1099-MISC, Schedule C, Solo 401k planning), medical professionals (physicians), pilots, and Florida homeowners (homestead portability and Value Adjustment Board representation). Distribution is primarily direct advisory relationships delivered in-person, remotely, or hybrid, supplemented by a content-driven marketing engine (blog dating to 2014, resource center, email newsletter, and a library of online calculators) intended to support inbound lead generation and client education. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary software products, patents, or third-party integrations beyond standard custodian and FMG Suite website tooling are disclosed.

Name

Vault Wealth Management

Legal name

Vault Wealth Management

Website

https://vaultpalmbeach.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Wealth Management (FSAEABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Planning & Goals-Based Advice (Mass Affluent) (FSAAAAAF), Retirement & Pension Wealth (401(k)/IRA/SIPP/Superannuation Retail) (FSAAAAAJ)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Tax preparation
• Retirement planning
• Estate planning
• Financial advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Palm Beach Gardens

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 Advisory Services: Fee-based investment advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. Advisors may receive fees based on assets under management.
2. Brokerage Services: Securities offered through Cetera Wealth Services LLC, a broker-dealer member of FINRA/SIPC. Registered Representatives receive transaction-based compensation (commissions) on brokerage transactions.
3. Tax Preparation Services: Tax preparation services with a lifetime guarantee, including representation in front of the IRS and complimentary review of prior three years' tax returns.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Vault Wealth Management is a private wealth management and tax preparation firm based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, founded in 2001. The firm provides integrated wealth management, financial planning, retirement planning, estate planning, investment advisory, insurance planning, and personal income tax preparation services to individual clients. As a small advisor-led practice affiliated with the Avantax/Cetera network, it combines ongoing financial planning with year-round tax preparation and tax strategy support.

Product overview

Vault Wealth Management is a full-service financial advisory firm offering a unified wealth management platform combining tax preparation, financial planning, and investment advisory services. The core offering centers on integrated wealth management and preservation combined with professional income tax preparation, supplemented by specialized modules for Social Security planning, retirement planning, estate planning, investment advisory, insurance planning, and tax strategy. The firm provides educational tools including a resource center with articles and videos, financial calculators, a glossary, and tax resources. Services are delivered through certified financial advisors including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals and Enrolled Agents, with remote and hybrid service delivery options available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wealth Management Services Comprehensive wealth management service for individuals and households, covering investment strategy, risk management, and ongoing financial planning. Designed for personal clients seeking coordinated advisory across their full financial picture.
• Income Tax Preparation Personal income tax preparation service for individual clients, including year-round tax support and filing. Available both in-office at the Palm Beach Gardens, FL location and remotely.
• Social Security Planning Planning service that helps individuals optimize Social Security claiming strategies as part of their broader retirement income plan. Targeted at clients approaching or in retirement.
• Real Estate Agent Tax Planning Specialized tax planning service tailored to the unique income, deduction, and entity structure situations of real estate agents. Designed for individual real estate professionals seeking tax-aware planning.
• Florida Homestead Portability Planning Specialized planning service addressing Florida homestead property tax portability considerations for Florida homeowners and their families. Designed for clients with Florida homestead property concerned with estate and property tax outcomes.
• Retirement Planning Retirement planning service covering accumulation, distribution, and retirement income strategies for individuals and households preparing for or living in retirement.
• Estate Planning Estate planning service supporting wills, beneficiary planning, wealth transfer, and legacy planning for individual clients and families.
• Insurance Planning Insurance planning service covering life, disability, and long-term care risk analysis and recommendations as part of a client's overall financial plan.
• Investment Advisory Discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services delivered through the firm's affiliated Registered Investment Adviser (Avantax/Cetera network), with portfolio construction and ongoing management for individual clients.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AvantaxcoreTechnology or IntegrationAvantax provides the technology platform, tools, processes and proprietary platforms for tax-intelligent planning and wealth management. The firm started in 1983 with one CPA addressing the need for investment advice aligned with tax situations.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Kestra Financial: Independent broker-dealer supporting affiliated advisor businesses with wealth management, financial planning, and tax-aware strategies. Comparable advisor-affiliation platform model with similar target clientele.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National RIA platform that affiliates with advisor teams via partnership model and offers holistic wealth management including tax and estate planning. Vault's advisor-empowered model within a larger platform mirrors Mariner's structure at a smaller scale.
• Hightower Advisors: RIA that builds wealth management practices through advisor partnerships, offering comprehensive financial planning, tax, and investment services. Same advisor-affiliation business model with comparable service menu to Vault.
• LPL Financial: Largest U.S. independent broker-dealer with thousands of affiliated advisor practices, providing custody, compliance, and a wealth-management platform. Same affiliation model as Vault under Cetera, but at industry-leading scale.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer/RIA supporting affiliated advisor practices that offer wealth management, retirement, and tax planning to affluent clients. Direct structural peer with overlapping service model.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer with affiliated advisor practices offering comprehensive planning and investment advisory. Comparable IBD affiliation model with similar advisor-empowered structure.

Broad incumbents

• Cetera Wealth Services: The parent broker-dealer / investment adviser platform that Vault operates under (within the Avantax community). Vault is a direct sub-affiliate of this same network, so other Cetera-affiliated practices are the closest structural peers.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large national RIA focused on financial planning and investment advisory for mass-affluent and affluent clients. Same target customer base as Vault but at vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Emerging players

• Pure Financial Advisors: Tax-centric RIA that integrates tax planning with investment advisory as a core differentiator. One of the few firms with comparable positioning to Vault's tax-intelligent wealth management thesis.

Others

• Avantax: Vault's direct parent-affiliate platform — provides technology, tools, compliance, and back-office for over 3,000 tax and financial professionals. Not a competitor but a direct enabler/platform partner that defines Vault's operating model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VaultWealthMgmt
• Facebookfacebook.com/VaultWealthManagement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Vault Wealth Management