Garde Capita

What Garde Capita does

Garde Capital, Inc. is a privately held Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) founded in 2009 and headquartered at Rainier Tower in downtown Seattle. The firm provides fiduciary wealth management services through three core product lines: Private Wealth Management for high-net-worth individuals and families (typically with $10M+ in assets), Corporate Retirement Plans (including 401(k), profit-sharing, and cash balance plans), and Nonprofit + Foundation Management (endowments, foundations, and charitable institutions). A complimentary Second Opinion Service is offered as a customer acquisition tool. Client segments include business owners, c-suite and technology executives, multi-generational families, corporate plan sponsors, and mission-driven organizations.

Garde Capital's investment philosophy is grounded in index-based investing supported by academic research, executed primarily through ETFs, with portfolio construction guided by Harry Markowitz and William Sharpe frameworks. The firm operates a proprietary "Garde Process" that integrates Investment Management (IM), Advanced Planning (AP), and Relationship Management (RM) — branded as the Wealth Management Formula (WM = IM + AP + RM) — to address five investor concerns: wealth preservation, wealth enhancement, wealth transfer, wealth protection, and charitable giving. The technology stack is predominantly third-party: Charles Schwab and Fidelity serve as custodians, Orion provides performance reporting, and Tamarac powers the client portal. There is no proprietary trading or portfolio management platform; Garde focuses on advisory judgment layered over index-based execution.

The firm operates an employee-owned partnership model with no disclosed external institutional investors. The 18-person team includes co-founders and senior partners Jeff Lippens (CIO), Marshal McReal, Scott Severs (CFA, CFP®), and Tom Owens, all with prior senior roles at bulge-bracket firms such as UBS, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America Private Bank, and Salomon Smith Barney. Revenue is generated exclusively through AUM-based advisory fees, with no publicly disclosed fee schedule. Distribution is conducted via direct advisory relationships, supported by content marketing (monthly Market Monitor newsletter, Wealth Management Updates, Garde Blog, and Charts and Data) and community engagement through the Garde Gives Back program. The firm serves the Pacific Northwest and broader U.S. market from its single Seattle office.

Name

Garde Capita

Legal name

Garde Capital, Inc.

Website

https://gardecapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Garde Capital is a Seattle-based Registered Investment Advisor founded in 2009 providing fiduciary, index-based wealth management to high-net-worth individuals and families, corporate retirement plan sponsors, and nonprofit organizations through a proprietary Garde Process framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Advisory Fees: Garde Capital operates as a Registered Investment Advisor providing comprehensive wealth management solutions. As a fiduciary, the firm earns advisory fees for managing client assets and providing ongoing wealth management services including investment consulting, tax efficiency strategies, estate planning coordination, and charitable giving optimization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Garde Capital is a Seattle-based Registered Investment Advisor providing index-based wealth management to high-net-worth individuals and families, corporate retirement plans, and nonprofit organizations. Services are delivered through the proprietary Garde Process combining Investment Management, Advanced Planning, and Relationship Management, addressing wealth preservation, enhancement, transfer, protection, and charitable giving. The firm also offers a complimentary Second Opinion Service as a client acquisition tool.

Product overview

Garde Capital is a Registered Investment Advisor providing integrated wealth management solutions through four core service lines: Private Wealth Management, Corporate Retirement Plans, Nonprofit + Foundation Management, and Second Opinion Service. The firm operates on the proprietary Garde Process framework, combining Investment Management, Advanced Planning, and Relationship Management to deliver comprehensive financial advisory services to individuals, families, corporate retirement plan sponsors, and nonprofit organizations. The firm is headquartered in Seattle and emphasizes index-based investing, fiduciary responsibility, and long-term client relationships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Corporate retirement plan participation rates increased from below 4% to 87%, and average deferral rate increased from below 60% to 6.5%
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Charles SchwabminorOthersCharles Schwab serves as a custodian for client accounts. Schwab provides institutional brokerage services, custody, and technology platform for client portfolio management and reporting.
• FidelityminorOthersFidelity serves as a custodian for client accounts, providing brokerage services, account custody, and related institutional services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Coldstream Holdings: Bellevue, WA-based independent RIA offering wealth management to HNW individuals, families, and institutions. Comparable to Garde in Pacific Northwest positioning, fee-based advisory model, and team-driven service approach; one of Garde's own team members previously worked at Coldstream.
• Brighton Jones: Seattle-headquartered RIA serving HNW individuals, families, and institutions with comprehensive wealth management. Closest direct competitor to Garde given shared Pacific Northwest footprint, similar holistic planning model, and overlapping client segments including corporate retirement plans.
• Ascent Private Capital Management: Ultra-high-net-worth wealth management firm serving families and individuals. Comparable to Garde given shared focus on HNW advisory and similar fiduciary, fee-based model; a Garde's operations specialist previously worked there in an investment associate role.
• Modera Wealth Management: Fee-only RIA serving HNW individuals, families, and institutions with comprehensive financial planning and investment management. Comparable to Garde in fiduciary, fee-only model and holistic wealth management positioning across multiple client segments.

Broad incumbents

• Russell Investments: Seattle-headquartered global investment firm offering wealth management, investment consulting, and OCIO services to institutions and HNW individuals. Comparable to Garde on Pacific Northwest origin and OCIO/endowment advisory work; Garde's COO previously held senior roles there. Operates at vastly larger scale.
• Fisher Investments: Camas, WA-based global investment advisor primarily serving high-net-worth investors and institutional clients. Comparable to Garde in Pacific Northwest origin and HNW focus, but operates at substantially greater scale with a global footprint and broader investment capabilities.
• Parametric Portfolio Associates: Seattle-based investment manager specializing in customized equity, fixed-income, and alternative exposure strategies with direct indexing capabilities. Comparable to Garde given shared Pacific Northwest base and overlapping team pedigree; broader and more institutional in focus.
• Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Large-scale hybrid robo-advisory service from Vanguard offering ongoing financial advice and portfolio management at low fees. Comparable to Garde on index-based investing philosophy and HNW-adjacent clientele, but operates as a mass-market, low-fee incumbent.

Regional players

• Moss Adams Wealth Advisors: Pacific Northwest-based wealth management affiliate of Moss Adams accounting firm, serving business owners, executives, and families. Comparable to Garde in regional PNW focus and HNW client base; combines CPA firm expertise with investment advisory.
• Laird Norton Wealth Management: Seattle-based multi-family office and wealth management firm with deep PNW roots serving HNW families, foundations, and endowments. Comparable to Garde given shared Seattle base and overlapping nonprofit/endowment and HNW client segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/garde-capital

Compliance1 record

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 Garde Capita