Ascendor Wealth

What Ascendor Wealth does

Ascendor Wealth, LLC is a privately held, fee-based wealth management firm headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, with additional offices in Fuquay-Varina (Raleigh area) and Oak Ridge (Greensboro area). The firm serves primarily individuals, business owners, multi-generation families, charities, and employer retirement plans across North Carolina, positioning itself as a "family CFO" that integrates financial planning with legal and accounting services delivered from a single team.

The service portfolio is organized around the firm's proprietary COIN methodology — Cash Flow, Income Tax, Insurance, Investments, Retirement, and Estate Planning — and is delivered through a team of Certified Financial Planners, tax and estate attorneys (including a founder who is also a practicing attorney and a retired Army Green Beret/JAG), and accounting professionals. Underlying technology is built on third-party platforms rather than proprietary systems: SEI Connect powers custody and access to elite third-party money managers, eMoney provides the client-facing financial planning portal, and HiddenLevers supports risk-tolerance assessment. The affiliated ecosystem includes separately branded legal and accounting entities (Maverick Law, Graves May PLLC, Ascendor Accounting LLC, Summit Estate and Tax Law) that share clients with the wealth advisory business.

Commercially, Ascendor operates a fee-based (not fee-only) model, compensated primarily through a percentage of assets under management or an agreed-upon retainer, with the ability to earn insurance product commissions where the plan warrants it. GTM motion is sales-led and consultative, with a content marketing program (blog, FAQs, certifications content) serving as the top-of-funnel channel. No funding rounds, acquisitions, or revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

Ascendor Wealth

Legal name

Ascendor Wealth, LLC

Website

https://ascendorwealth.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ascendor Wealth is a fee-based, North Carolina-based wealth management firm that integrates financial, legal, and accounting services through its COIN planning framework to serve individuals, business owners, multi-generation families, and employer retirement plans across Wilmington, Raleigh, and Greensboro.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management Services

NAICS

Trust, Fiduciary, and Custody Activities (523991), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Wealth Planning (Tax, Estate & Succession) (FSAAABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Estate Planning, Trust Structuring & Governance (FSAAADAF), Estate Planning & Trust Structuring Advisory (FSAEAKAC), Tax-Aware Retirement & Estate Coordination (FSAEABAJ), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Assets Under Management (AUM) Fee: Primary compensation is based on a percentage of the client's investment portfolio. This aligns advisor interests with client outcomes.
2. Retainer Fee: Alternatively, compensation may be based on an agreed-upon retainer fee for clients who prefer predictable costs.
3. Insurance Product Commissions: Although the firm does not work primarily for commissions, sometimes the best solution in a plan results in a product that pays a commission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ascendor Wealth provides fee-based, team-based wealth management services that integrate financial planning, legal, and accounting services for individuals, families, and business owners. Its core offerings span tax planning, estate planning, investment management, retirement planning, insurance strategy, and cash management, delivered by a team of Certified Financial Planners, attorneys, and accountants from a single location in North Carolina. The firm acts as a client's "family CFO" by coordinating holistic financial, tax, and estate planning through affiliated legal and accounting entities.

Product overview

Ascendor Wealth is a fee-based wealth management firm offering a family office suite of services that integrates financial planning, legal, and accounting services. The company provides six interconnected core service areas organized under the 'COIN' framework: Tax Planning (Income Tax, Estate Tax, Gift Tax, Corporate Tax, Self-Employment Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Foreign Tax), Estate Planning (Wills, Trusts, Power of Attorney, Inherited IRAs, Family Assets, Beneficiary Designation, Guardianship, Living Will/Advance Directive, Asset Protection, Privacy), Investments (Stocks, Bonds, Mutual Funds, ETFs, Asset Allocation, 529 College Savings, Alternative Assets, Private Equity, Promissory Notes, LLCs and Family Owned Entities), Retirement (401k, 403b, Defined Benefit Pension, SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Self-Directed IRA, Social Security Optimization), Insurance (Life, Long-Term Care, Fixed/Indexed Annuities, Individual/Group Health, Disability Income), and Cash Management (Budget, Cash Flow Projections, Credit Cards, Financing, Major Purchases, Savings, Goal Setting, Financial Priorities, Money Market). Services are delivered through a team of Certified Financial Planners, attorneys, and accountants with fiduciary standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Planning Income tax planning service that helps clients identify, quantify, and time deductions and credits to minimize tax liability. Covers income tax, estate tax, gift tax, corporate tax, self-employment tax, capital gains tax, and foreign tax. Intended for individuals, families, and business owners seeking tax-efficient financial planning.
• Estate Planning Estate planning service covering wills, trusts, power of attorney, inherited IRAs, family assets, beneficiary designations, guardianship, living will/advance directive, asset protection, and privacy protection. Designed to help clients prepare for unexpected events and transfer legacy assets across generations.
• Investments Investment management service providing portfolio development aligned to client life situations, priorities, financial goals, and risk tolerance. Coverage spans stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, asset allocation, 529 College Savings, alternative assets, private equity, promissory notes, and LLCs/Family Owned Entities. Leverages SEI partnership for access to elite money managers.
• Retirement Planning Retirement planning service covering both the accumulation and distribution phases of retirement. Spans 401k, 403b, Defined Benefit Pension, SEP IRA, SIMPLE IRA, Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Self-Directed IRA, and Social Security Optimization. Built for individuals and business owners preparing for and transitioning into retirement.
• Insurance Insurance strategy service helping clients determine appropriate coverage needs. Covers life insurance, long-term care insurance, fixed annuities, indexed annuities, individual health insurance, group health insurance, and disability income insurance. Designed to align insurance coverage with overall financial plan objectives.
• Cash Management Cash flow management and budgeting service covering budget analysis, cash flow projections, credit cards, financing, major purchases, savings, goal setting, financial priorities, and money market accounts. Aimed at individuals and families seeking disciplined day-to-day financial control alongside long-term planning.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SEIcoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partnership with SEI providing clients access to some of the nation's elite money managers. SEI Connect platform used for account access.
• Laymon GroupminorOthersStrategic partner featured on the strategic partners page.
• Ascendor Accounting LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated accounting firm within the Ascendor ecosystem, providing integrated accounting services as part of the holistic financial planning approach.
• Trident RetirementminorOthersStrategic partner for retirement planning services.
• FIG MarketingminorOthersStrategic partner featured on the strategic partners page.
• Maverick LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated law firm. Rick Graves, founding partner of Ascendor Wealth, is also a practicing attorney with Maverick Law. Provides integrated legal services for estate planning and tax matters.
• Graves May, PLLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated law firm. Kevin May is a wealth manager at Ascendor Wealth and partner at Graves May, PLLC. Provides integrated tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning legal services.
• Summit Estate and Tax LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated estate and tax law firm, mentioned as an affiliate in the privacy policy.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• LPL Financial: LPL Financial is the largest independent broker-dealer and RIA custodian/platform provider in the U.S., serving as an alternative to Ascendor's SEI partnership for technology and custody infrastructure.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Commonwealth is a large independent broker-dealer and RIA platform providing custody, technology, and practice management to small and mid-sized advisory firms comparable in size to Ascendor.

Direct peers

• Halbert Hargrove: Halbert Hargrove is a long-standing, team-based RIA offering integrated wealth management, tax, and estate planning for multi-generation HNW families, closely comparable to Ascendor's integrated service model.
• Creative Planning: Creative Planning is a large fee-only RIA providing comprehensive wealth management including tax, estate, and investment services for HNW households, serving as a scaled comparable to Ascendor's integrated approach.
• Beacon Pointe Advisors: Beacon Pointe is a multi-office RIA delivering comprehensive wealth advisory with in-house tax and estate capabilities, comparable in service breadth to Ascendor though with broader geographic reach.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Buckingham is a fee-only RIA providing fiduciary comprehensive financial planning across tax, estate, investments, and retirement, serving as a direct peer to Ascendor's integrated planning approach.
• Carson Wealth: Carson Wealth is a national, team-based RIA offering integrated financial planning, tax, and estate services through affiliated entities, closely mirroring Ascendor's family-office-style service model at significantly larger scale.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Mariner Wealth Advisors is a national, multi-office RIA offering integrated financial planning, tax, and estate services with affiliated legal and tax capabilities, directly comparable to Ascendor's team-based model.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman Financial Engines: Edelman Financial Engines is a large national RIA offering comprehensive financial planning across investments, retirement, tax, and estate planning for mass-affluent through HNW clients, representing a scaled incumbent in Ascendor's category.
• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management: Northwestern Mutual is a large incumbent offering wealth management, insurance, and financial planning through a national advisor network, overlapping with Ascendor's insurance and planning offerings at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ascendor-wealth-llc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Ascendor Wealth