Beacon Financial Advisors

What Beacon Financial Advisors does

Beacon Financial Advisors is a privately held, fee-only financial planning firm founded in 2002 by Kristine McKinley and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, with a secondary location in Lee's Summit. The firm operates as a registered investment adviser in Missouri and Kansas, serving individuals, families, and small businesses on an hourly, as-needed basis. Its target client is the competent, self-directed "do-it-yourselfer" who wants fiduciary, commission-free validation or a second opinion on their financial plan and investments rather than ongoing asset management.

The firm's product set covers comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, Social Security claiming analysis, tax planning and preparation, Roth IRA conversion and IRMAA optimization, financial checkups, and investment second opinions. All services are delivered through direct advisor-client engagement; there is no proprietary technology platform, software product, mobile app, or API, and the firm does not custody assets or earn product commissions. The practice is operated from office space within Regus Office Suites in Kansas City, consistent with a lean professional services footprint.

Beacon Financial Advisors generates revenue solely through professional services fees billed at a publicly disclosed rate of $250 per hour, with clients engaging on a one-time project or ongoing advisory basis following a complimentary introduction meeting. Its go-to-market is consultative and sales-led, driven by content marketing via a long-running blog (posts spanning 2006-2020), earned media placements in AARP, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger, and other outlets, and active membership in NAPFA and the Financial Planning Association. The firm has no funding, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed M&A activity, and remains a sole-practitioner or very small team operation 20+ years after founding.

Name

Beacon Financial Advisors

Legal name

Beacon Financial Advisors, LLC

Website

https://beacon-advisor.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Beacon Financial Advisors is a fee-only financial planning firm in Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 2002 by Kristine McKinley, CFP and CPA, serving individuals, families, and small businesses on an hourly, as-needed basis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB), Tax-Focused Wealth Management RIAs (FSAAACAD)

Keywords

• Fee-only financial planning
• Retirement planning services
• Tax planning advisory
• Financial advisory services
• Fiduciary wealth management

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hourly Fee-Only Financial Planning: Fee-only financial planning services billed by the hour. All potential conflicts of interest regarding compensation are removed since the firm does not earn commissions on products. Clients can hire for one-time projects or on-going advice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Beacon Financial Advisors is a fee-only, hourly financial planning and tax preparation firm based in Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 2002. The firm delivers comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, tax planning, tax preparation, Social Security analysis, financial checkups, and investment second opinions to individual consumers (DIY investors and families) and small businesses under a fiduciary standard at $250 per hour.

Product overview

Beacon Financial Advisors is a fee-only financial advisory firm offering a unified suite of financial planning services. The firm provides comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, tax planning and preparation, Social Security analysis, and investment second opinions on an hourly, as-needed basis. All services are delivered personally by Kristine McKinley, CFP and CPA, using a fiduciary approach where the advisor is paid only for advice, not commissions on products. The firm does not offer a technology platform or software product; all services are provided through direct client-advisor engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Financial Planning Holistic financial planning engagement that covers budgeting, investments, insurance, estate, and goal-based planning for individuals, families, and DIY investors who want structured professional guidance.
• Retirement Planning Strategic retirement income, withdrawal, and lifestyle planning service for individuals approaching or in retirement, including coordination with Social Security and tax considerations.
• Tax Planning Proactive year-round tax planning advisory to minimize tax liability and align tax outcomes with broader financial goals for individuals and small business clients.
• Tax Preparation Annual federal and state tax return preparation service for individuals and small businesses, performed by a credentialed CPA.
• Social Security Analysis Specialized analysis of Social Security claiming strategies to maximize lifetime benefits for individuals and couples.
• Financial Checkups Periodic review service that assesses a client's financial position, identifies gaps, and recommends adjustments to an existing plan on an as-needed basis.
• Investment Second Opinions Independent review and evaluation of an investor's existing portfolio, asset allocation, and strategy, targeted at DIY investors who already work with another advisor or self-manage.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2013Active member of NAPFA. Participated in annual Jump-Start Your Retirement Plan Days events co-hosted by NAPFA and Kiplinger magazine, providing free one-on-one personal finance advice to consumers.
• Kiplinger MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 January 2013Co-host of annual Jump-Start Your Retirement Plan Days event. NAPFA members including Kristine McKinley answer reader questions during these events.
• Financial Planning Association (FPA)coreOthersKristine McKinley is a local member of the Financial Planning Association. Contributed columns to FPA for publication. FPA is the membership organization for the financial planning community.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Garrett Planning Network: A national network of fee-only, hourly-based financial planners serving DIY and middle-income clients on an as-needed basis. Directly comparable to Beacon's hourly, fee-only model and self-directed client persona.
• XY Planning Network: Network of fee-only financial advisors serving Gen X and Gen Y clients, often via flat-fee and subscription engagements. Comparable to Beacon in fiduciary, no-commission positioning and in serving clients who do not meet traditional AUM minimums.

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Tech-enabled, fee-only financial planning firm offering flat-fee access to CFP® professionals across all 50 states. Comparable to Beacon in fiduciary, fee-only model and in serving clients seeking dedicated planner access without AUM minimums.
• Harness Wealth: Digital platform that matches clients with vetted financial advisors and tax professionals for flat-fee engagements. Comparable to Beacon's hourly/project-based advisory model and integrated financial planning + tax positioning.
• Zoe Financial: Online directory and matching platform for vetted, fee-only financial advisors. Comparable to Beacon in fee-only fiduciary positioning and in serving consumers seeking independent, conflict-free advice.
• Betterment: Leading robo-advisor offering automated goal-based planning, tax-loss harvesting, and optional access to human CFPs. Comparable to Beacon in targeting self-directed, cost-conscious clients but competes on price and digital convenience.
• Wealthfront: Automated investment and financial planning platform with tax-loss harvesting, retirement planning, and Path planning tool. Comparable to Beacon in serving tech-forward, DIY investors seeking low-cost, evidence-based advice.
• Ellevest: Digital wealth management and financial planning platform originally focused on women, now offering goal-based planning and managed portfolios. Comparable to Beacon in retail financial planning mission and flat/managed-fee model.

Broad incumbents

• Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Vanguard's hybrid robo-plus-CFP advisory service with a 0.30% AUM fee and $50,000 minimum. Comparable to Beacon in fiduciary, low-cost philosophy and in serving retirement-focused, self-directed investors, though at much larger scale.
• Charles Schwab Intelligent Portfolios: Schwab's automated and premium (Schwab Wealth Advisory) advisory offerings with CFP access. Comparable to Beacon in serving DIY-leaning clients seeking low-cost, evidence-based investment strategies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FeeOnlyFinancialPlanner
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/beacon-financial-advisors-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Beacon Financial Advisors