Black Walnut Wealth Management

What Black Walnut Wealth Management does

Black Walnut Wealth Management is a fee-only, SEC-registered fiduciary wealth management firm headquartered in Traverse City, Michigan, serving high-net-worth individuals and families — primarily those with at least $1 million in investable assets — across Northern Michigan, the broader state, and additional U.S. states. The firm was founded by Erickson Braund (CFP®, CRPC®) in 2017 and operates as a doing-business-as of Dynamic Wealth Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser, leveraging Fidelity and Schwab as custodial platforms. Its deliberately limited client base is intended to support deep, personalized service rather than high-volume AUM aggregation.

The firm's product is an integrated, coordinated wealth management offering rather than discrete modular products: an overarching Wealth Management Services umbrella that bundles Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Investment Management, Financial Strategy, Insurance Review, and Estate Planning & Trust Services, all delivered by a five-person team (Founder/CFO, two client service associates, business manager, and marketing leader) with backgrounds spanning brokerage, national banking, trust operations, and financial-services marketing. Technology is non-proprietary: the firm does not disclose in-house technology, does not have a mobile app, and relies on third-party custodial infrastructure (Fidelity, Schwab) plus standard tax planning software, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.

The business model is a recurring AUM-based fee: approximately 1% on the first $1M in assets, with tiered declines for larger portfolios, billed quarterly, with no commissions or referral fees. Go-to-market combines a sales-led direct advisory motion (15-minute introductory call, in-person discovery meeting, ongoing quarterly meetings) with top-of-funnel content marketing (a categorized blog, monthly newsletter, LinkedIn, Facebook), earned media in regional and national outlets, and bottom-of-funnel client referrals. Target segments include retirees and pre-retirees, physicians and medical professionals, multigenerational families, widows and divorcees, and business owners.

Name

Black Walnut Wealth Management

Legal name

Dynamic Wealth Advisors (dba Black Walnut Wealth Management)

Website

https://blackwalnutwm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Black Walnut Wealth Management is a fee-only, SEC-registered fiduciary wealth management firm in Traverse City, Michigan, serving high-net-worth individuals and families (typically $1M+ investable assets) across Michigan and other U.S. states with coordinated retirement, tax, investment, and estate planning delivered by a five-person team under founder Erickson Braund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

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

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Owner & Executive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAO), Private Banking & UHNW Wealth Advisory (FSAEABAC), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Traverse City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. AUM-Based Advisory Fees: Fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm where fees are transparent and billed quarterly based on the assets under management. For example, 1% fee on $1 million in assets under management. Rate is reduced as portfolio size increases, providing tiered pricing based on AUM.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Black Walnut Wealth Management is a fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm that delivers a coordinated suite of financial advisory services to affluent individuals and families. The firm integrates retirement planning, tax planning, investment management, financial strategy, insurance review, and estate planning into a single engagement, working alongside clients' existing attorneys and CPAs to manage the full financial picture.

Product overview

Black Walnut Wealth Management is a fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm that offers a coordinated approach to financial planning. Rather than a platform with modular add-ons, the firm provides an integrated suite of services that work together: Wealth Management Services serve as the overarching offering, with Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Investment Management, Financial Strategy, Insurance Review, and Estate Planning and Trust Services functioning as interconnected service components within this coordinated approach. All services are designed to work together to simplify clients' financial lives and are delivered with fiduciary responsibility for clients in Traverse City, throughout Michigan, and across other states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wealth Management Services Coordinated wealth management service that addresses every aspect of a client's financial life, integrating tax, investment, and retirement planning under a single fiduciary engagement for affluent individuals and families.
• Retirement Planning Comprehensive retirement planning services that maximize Social Security benefits, minimize taxes, prevent Medicare premium increases (IRMAA), create tax-efficient retirement savings, and develop optimal withdrawal strategies for sustainable retirement income.
• Tax Planning Proactive tax strategy service using advanced tax planning software to analyze current tax situations, develop strategies to minimize liabilities, optimize contributions and distributions, and provide ongoing monitoring based on changes in tax laws or financial circumstances.
• Investment Management Professional management of globally diversified, tax-efficient investment portfolios aligned with each client's financial picture, including continuous monitoring, adjustment based on changing circumstances, and performance analysis updates.
• Financial Strategy Financial planning service that helps clients organize finances, avoid financial mistakes, develop debt management strategies, identify tax-efficient savings and investment opportunities, and continuously adjust plans in response to life changes.
• Insurance Review Insurance policy evaluation service assessing current coverage adequacy and cost-effectiveness, advising on appropriate coverage amounts, assisting with selection of insurance agents and providers, and reviewing and updating policies based on changing life circumstances.
• Estate Planning and Trust Services Estate and trust advisory service that ensures client wishes are clearly stated, well-organized, and regularly updated; includes asset protection guidance, coordination with legal professionals on estate documents, estate tax minimization, and charitable giving strategy development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Portfolio consolidation from multiple accounts at different firms into a simplified, coordinated approach
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FidelitycoreTechnology or IntegrationIndependent firm working with Fidelity as a custodial platform for client assets. Clients can access Fidelity login through client portal.
• SchwabcoreTechnology or IntegrationIndependent firm working with Schwab as a custodial platform for client assets, providing flexibility for clients.
• Dynamic Wealth AdvisorscoreOthersBlack Walnut Wealth Management is a dba of Dynamic Wealth Advisors. Eric Braund is an Investment Advisor Representative with Dynamic Wealth Advisors dba Black Walnut Wealth Management. All investment advisory services are offered through Dynamic Wealth Advisors.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Creative Planning: Large fee-only RIA serving HNW individuals and families with coordinated financial planning, investment management, tax, and estate services. Highly comparable to Black Walnut's fiduciary, holistic model, but at significantly greater scale.
• Carson Group: National network of fee-only wealth advisory firms providing financial planning, investment, and tax services to HNW households. Operates a partner-firm model similar in spirit to Black Walnut's independent, fee-only approach to HNW clients.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Fee-only national RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, tax, and estate services to HNW families and institutions. Directly comparable in service mix and fiduciary positioning to Black Walnut, with greater scale and national reach.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA providing evidence-based financial planning, investment management, and tax strategies to HNW individuals and families. Closely aligned with Black Walnut's fiduciary, planning-led philosophy and HNW target market.
• Moneta Group: Fee-only wealth advisory firm delivering financial planning, investment management, tax, and family office services to HNW clients. Comparable in fiduciary, coordinated-service model though operating at a materially larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Fisher Investments: Large, well-known investment management firm serving HNW individuals and institutions. Overlaps with Black Walnut in HNW investment management, but operates a portfolio-management-led model with a much broader geographic footprint and larger AUM base.
• Edward Jones: National wealth advisory firm with a large branch network serving mass-affluent and HNW clients with financial planning and investment services. Competes for the same affluent households as Black Walnut, but via a far broader, primarily commission-influenced model.
• Merrill Lynch Wealth Management: Bank-affiliated wealth management franchise offering investment, retirement, and estate planning to HNW clients. Targets the same HNW segment as Black Walnut, but with a much wider product shelf, bank balance sheet, and national footprint.

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Tech-enabled, flat-fee financial planning and investment service targeting HNW households. Overlaps with Black Walnut in the affluent segment and fiduciary positioning, but differentiates via a digital-first delivery model that competes on price and accessibility.

Regional players

• Greenleaf Trust: Michigan-based, employee-owned wealth management, trust, and advisory firm serving HNW families in the Midwest. Closely comparable in fiduciary, fee-based service mix and Midwestern HNW focus, though structured as a multi-office regional player rather than a small independent practice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/blackwalnutwm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackwalnutwm

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Black Walnut Wealth Management