Advisor Resource Council

What Advisor Resource Council does

Advisor Resource Council (ARC) is a Dallas-headquartered, SEC-registered Registered Investment Advisor that operates an affiliation platform serving 80+ independent financial advisors across seven U.S. states, managing more than $3 billion in Assets Under Advisement. Founded in 2012 (rebranded from 360 Wealth Management around 2019), ARC supplies affiliated advisors with centralized compliance, operations, payroll, registration, and technology infrastructure, along with optional add-on modules for asset management, marketing, succession planning, and benefits administration.

The platform combines an in-house Insourced Chief Investment Officer (AIQ Asset Management) offering separately managed accounts, multi-disciplinary model portfolios, unified management accounts for HNW clients, and tactical/innovative asset allocation strategies, with multi-custodian flexibility across Charles Schwab, LPL Financial, TD Ameritrade, and Interactive Brokers. It integrates with technology partners including Orion (portfolio/reporting), Redtail Technology (CRM), AdvicePay (billing), Betterment, and WHT, and exposes advisor and client logins through ARC View and ARCNET (a Microsoft SharePoint-based intranet). A Social Suite subscription service delivers compliance-approved, custom-branded social media content for advisors on LinkedIn and Facebook.

ARC monetizes through recurring advisory/platform fees paid by affiliated advisors, asset-based revenue from AIQ-managed portfolios, and Social Suite subscriptions priced at $300–$700 per month plus a $750 setup fee. The firm drives growth primarily through a content-led go-to-market — IFA Insights video series, three podcasts, an ARC Insights blog, white papers, and the annual Route conference — combined with direct outreach by an advisor partnerships team. Ownership is private, with co-founders Sarah Pais (CEO), Brandon Day (President), Jean Paul Lagarde (CIO), and Chad Atkins (Chief of Business Acquisitions) maintaining active leadership and no external PE/VC backing identified.

Name

Advisor Resource Council

Legal name

Advisor Resource Council

Website

https://advisorresourcecouncil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Advisor Resource Council is an SEC-registered RIA platform supporting 80+ independent financial advisors across seven U.S. states with $3B+ in Assets Under Advisement, providing compliance, operations, technology, asset management, marketing, and succession planning services through affiliated practice models.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent RIA Platform for Financial Advisors

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers (FSAAACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Portfolio Management–Led RIAs (Discretionary/Model-Based) (FSAAACAC), Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

Keywords

• Registered investment advisor
• Wealth management platform
• Advisor practice management
• Asset management services
• Financial advisor affiliation

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advisory/Platform Fees: ARC generates revenue through advisory fees charged to affiliated advisors for platform access, compliance support, operations, technology, and other services. The firm operates as a Registered Investment Advisor and provides a complete technology and operations platform.
2. Asset Management (AIQ): AIQ Asset Management provides outsourced investment management services to ARC-affiliated advisors, including portfolio construction, trading, and ongoing monitoring. Revenue generated through asset management fees.
3. Social Suite Subscription: Monthly subscription service for social media management with tiered pricing ($300-$700/month) plus setup fee, providing done-for-you content creation and compliance review.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Advisor Resource Council operates as a comprehensive independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) platform that enables independent financial advisors to affiliate, access institutional-quality compliance, operations, marketing, and technology infrastructure, and use an in-house asset management service (AIQ). The firm sells advisor-affiliation membership, platform access, and outsourced investment management to a network of 80+ independent advisors managing over $3 billion in Assets Under Advisement.

Product overview

Advisor Resource Council (ARC) operates as a comprehensive independent RIA platform supporting financial advisors with a multi-module ecosystem. The core platform provides compliance, operations, marketing, and technology support, augmented by specialized offerings including AIQ Asset Management (in-house investment management and trading platform), Social Suite (social media subscription service), and multiple content platforms (IFA Insights, ARC Insights, podcasts). The platform connects advisors to custodians including Charles Schwab and LPL Financial, and integrates with technology partners like Orion, Redtail Technology, AdvicePay, and Betterment. Additional services include succession planning, benefits administration, remote administrative services, and educational resources such as white papers and eBooks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AIQ Asset Management: ARC's in-house asset management and trading platform that acts as an Insourced Chief Investment Officer (ICIO), providing full-service portfolio construction, strategic and tactical asset allocation, manager selection, risk management, performance reporting, and trading execution for affiliated advisors.
• Social Suite
• IFA Insights
• How To Go Independent
• More Than a Budget
• Money & Stuff

Products and services

• ARC Platform (Advisor Affiliation) Comprehensive independent RIA platform enabling financial advisors to affiliate and access institutional-quality compliance, operations, marketing, technology, and asset management support while retaining practice independence.
• AIQ Asset Management In-house Insourced CIO service providing portfolio construction, strategic and tactical asset allocation, manager and security selection, risk management, performance reporting, and trading execution for ARC-affiliated advisors.
• ARC AIQ Tactical Asset Allocation Strategy Investment strategy integrating ETFs and mutual funds to produce differentiated client asset allocations, interchanging asset classes based on client risk awareness.
• ARC AIQ Innovative Asset Allocation Strategy Momentum-investing strategy using multiple actively managed model portfolios with stocks, ETFs, structured notes, and options to minimize internal costs and maximize returns.
• ARC AIQ Unified Management Accounts Unified management accounts for high-net-worth clients and corporations providing broad equity market exposure with downside risk protection through options strategies.
• Compliance Services Comprehensive compliance support including SEC/FINRA regulatory adherence, state registrations, policy drafting, risk management, advisor training, and regulatory examination preparation for affiliated advisors.
• Marketing Services Marketing and communications support including website templates, logo design, SEO, online advertising, marketing assets, email campaigns, and social media strategy for affiliated advisors.
• Operations Support Operational support including clearing and custody access, performance reporting, billing, and expense management through relationships with multiple custodians.
• Remote Administrative Services Centralized, remote administrative services ranging from opening new accounts to ongoing administrative assistance for ARC-affiliated financial advisors.
• Benefits Administration Full suite of benefits available to all affiliates including 1099 contractors, covering health insurance, dental, vision, disability, and term life insurance.
• Succession Planning Consulting In-house succession planning consulting services to help advisors plan business transitions through death, disability, or retirement, and to support practice acquisitions.
• Social Suite Turnkey, compliance-approved, custom-branded social media content creation, scheduling, and automation for LinkedIn and Facebook, with tiered monthly subscriptions ($300-$700) plus a $750 setup fee.

Quantifiable outcome

• $3 billion+ in Assets Under Advisement across 80+ advisors
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Charles SchwabcoreTechnology or IntegrationARC works with Charles Schwab as one of its preferred custodians, allowing advisors to choose Schwab for clearing and custody of client assets. Schwab provides the backend infrastructure for account maintenance, trading, and reporting.
• LPL FinancialcoreTechnology or IntegrationLPL Financial serves as one of ARC's preferred custodians, providing clearing and custody services for affiliated advisors. ARC has been recognized as LPL Financial Executive Council and Chairman's Council members.
• OrioncoreTechnology or IntegrationOrion provides portfolio management, billing, and reporting technology used by ARC to streamline advisor workflows and client reporting.
• Redtail TechnologycoreTechnology or IntegrationRedtail Technology CRM is one of the technology programs recommended by ARC for customer relationship management and practice management.
• AIQ Asset ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIQ Asset Management is ARC's in-house investment management and trading platform, providing outsourced CIO services including portfolio construction, risk management, and trading execution for affiliated advisors.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cambridge Investment Research: One of the largest privately held independent broker-dealer and RIA platforms in the U.S. Directly comparable to ARC in serving independent advisors with hybrid/RIA affiliation models, compliance, operations, and technology support.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Privately held independent RIA and broker-dealer platform offering advisor affiliation, compliance, technology, and practice management — directly comparable to ARC's hybrid affiliation model and mid-market advisor focus.
• Cetera Financial Group: Multi-channel independent advisory platform serving independent financial advisors with hybrid and RIA-only affiliation options, similar in structure to ARC but at significantly larger scale.
• Kestra Financial: PE-backed independent wealth management platform (backed by Stone Point Capital) providing affiliation, compliance, and technology support to independent advisors — comparable to ARC in model though larger and with institutional capital.
• Dynasty Financial Partners: Independent wealth management platform serving high-end breakaway advisors with affiliation, technology, and outsourced investment offerings — comparable to ARC's positioning toward breakaway wirehouse advisors.
• Sanctuary Wealth: Independent wealth management platform built for breakaway advisors, providing compliance, operations, and technology support — closely comparable to ARC's breakaway-advisor focus and hybrid affiliation model.

Broad incumbents

• Advisor Group / Osaic: Large-scale independent wealth management platform (formerly Advisor Group, now Osaic) supporting thousands of independent advisors with compliance, technology, and asset management — overlaps heavily with ARC's offering as a broader incumbent.
• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer and custodian in the U.S., serving as both a core custodian partner to ARC and a direct competitor via its own RIA and hybrid affiliation offerings.
• SEI Investments: Provider of wealth and investment management technology and outsourced investment solutions to RIAs — comparable to ARC's AIQ asset management and platform offerings at a larger institutional scale.

Others

• Orion Advisor Solutions: Wealthtech platform providing portfolio management, billing, and reporting technology used by RIA platforms including ARC — ecosystem partner and adjacent competitor in technology-enabled RIA services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thearcfirm
• Xx.com/CouncilResource

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Advisor Resource Council