KARP Financial Advisors
KARP Financial Advisors is a privately held, sole-proprietorship financial advisory firm in St. Paul, Minnesota, founded in 1987 and run by owner Thomas S. Karp. It provides financial planning, investment management, and tax preparation services to individuals and families across 20 U.S. states.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What KARP Financial Advisors does
KARP Financial Advisors, Inc. is a privately held, sole-proprietorship financial advisory practice headquartered at 400 West Selby Ave, Suite P, St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1987 and run full-time by owner Thomas S. Karp since 1999, the firm provides integrated financial planning services to individuals and families, with a service mix that spans retirement planning, estate planning, education funding, tax planning and preparation, investment management, and insurance and annuity products. Securities and investment advisory services are offered through a registered broker-dealer relationship (currently Osaic Wealth, Inc., with a legacy affiliation to SagePoint Financial, Inc.), while tax preparation services are delivered directly through the corporate entity.
The go-to-market model is sales-led and relationship-driven: clients are acquired through direct personal outreach, referrals, and the firm's community presence in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area, supported by a content marketing layer (a learning center with articles, financial calculators, interactive flipbooks, monthly newsletters, a tax library, a financial glossary, and short educational videos). The firm operates a single-tenant technology stack with no proprietary platforms, no API surface, no mobile app, and no disclosed AI capabilities, relying on industry-standard financial planning software and the broker-dealer's custodial infrastructure.
The business model is professional-services fee-based advisory revenue, with no publicly disclosed pricing or AUM minimums. The practice is registered to serve clients in 20 U.S. states, giving it a multi-state footprint that exceeds its local market. No headcount beyond the owner is disclosed, and there are no funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors indicated, consistent with a lifestyle practice rather than a scaling enterprise.
KARP Financial Advisors firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KARP Financial Advisors
- Legal name
- Karp Financial Advisors, Inc.
- Website
- https://karpfinancialadvisors.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- KARP Financial Advisors is a privately held, sole-proprietorship financial advisory firm in St. Paul, Minnesota, founded in 1987 and run by owner Thomas S. Karp. It provides financial planning, investment management, and tax preparation services to individuals and families across 20 U.S. states.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KARP Financial Advisors industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Personal Financial Advisory & Tax Services
- 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
- Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers) (FSAAACAE), Tax-Focused Wealth Management RIAs (FSAAACAD), Investment Management Advisory (RIA) (FSAEAAAB)
Keywords
Where KARP Financial Advisors is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
KARP Financial Advisors business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Investment Advisory Services: The firm provides financial planning strategies and investment management services to individuals and families. Securities and investment advisory services are offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., a registered Broker/Dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. The firm also offers tax preparation services as a separate revenue stream.
- Tax Preparation Services: Tax preparation services offered through Karp Financial Advisors, Inc. as a separate service offering from their investment advisory business.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
KARP Financial Advisors product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KARP Financial Advisors, Inc. is a sole-proprietor financial advisory practice that delivers personalized financial planning, tax planning and preparation, investment management, retirement, estate conservation, and insurance/annuity solutions to individual clients. Securities transactions are executed through Osaic Wealth, Inc., while tax preparation is performed in-house by the firm. The practice is operated by Thomas S. Karp, CFP, who has been sole owner since 2003.
Product overview
KARP Financial Advisors offers a single integrated financial advisory practice focused on providing comprehensive financial planning strategies and investment management to individuals and families. The core offering consists of financial planning services covering retirement planning, estate planning, education funding, tax planning and preparation, investment management, and insurance planning. The firm enhances its advisory services with a suite of educational tools including financial calculators (life expectancy, mortgage refinancing, tax-deferred savings, and IRA calculators), interactive flipbooks on financial topics, research articles, monthly newsletters, a tax library with forms and publications, a financial glossary, and video content covering investment and planning concepts. All these products and services are provided under the unified KARP Financial Advisors brand through the firm's website, with securities offered through affiliated broker-dealer relationships with SagePoint Financial, Inc. and Osaic Wealth, Inc.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Financial Planning Comprehensive personal financial planning service covering overall financial situation assessment, goal setting, and coordination of the firm's other services. Targeted at individual clients and households seeking an integrated plan.
- Tax Planning and Preparation Federal and state tax planning and preparation services performed in-house by Karp Financial Advisors, Inc. for individual clients, coordinated with investment and retirement planning.
- Investment Management Ongoing investment management and brokerage services for individual clients, with securities execution and custody handled through Osaic Wealth, Inc. (formerly SagePoint Financial, Inc.).
- Retirement Strategies Retirement planning services for individuals, including accumulation strategies, distribution planning, and coordination with Social Security, pensions, and other income sources.
- Estate Conservation Estate planning and asset conservation services for individuals and families, designed to help transfer and protect wealth for heirs.
- Insurance and Annuity Products Distribution of insurance and annuity products to individual clients, supporting risk management, income planning, and estate conservation objectives.
Companies that use KARP Financial Advisors
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
KARP Financial Advisors technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
KARP Financial Advisors partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Osaic Wealth, Inc.coreOsaic Wealth, Inc. is a registered Broker/Dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. Securities and investment advisory services offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc. The firm is separately owned and other entities referenced on the website are independent of Osaic Wealth, Inc.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights2 records
KARP Financial Advisors competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Edward Jones: Large US financial advisory firm serving individuals and families with personalized financial planning, retirement, and investment management services through a branch advisor model. Highly comparable to KARP in target customer (retail HNW individuals), service scope (comprehensive financial planning), and relationship-based delivery.
- Ameriprise Financial: Diversified financial services company with a large independent advisor channel providing financial planning, investment management, insurance, and retirement services to individuals and families. Comparable to KARP in its advisor-led, comprehensive planning model serving retail clients.
- Robert W. Baird: Midwest-headquartered private financial services firm with a strong wealth management practice serving individuals and families with financial planning, investment management, and retirement services. Geographic and customer overlap with KARP makes it a strong comparable peer.
Broad incumbents
- LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the US, providing custody, compliance, and technology infrastructure to thousands of independent RIAs and financial advisors including many sole-practitioner firms like KARP. Functions as a strategic platform peer rather than a direct head-to-head competitor.
- Cetera Financial Group: Independent advisor network housing multiple RIA and broker-dealer firms serving individuals with financial planning, investment, and tax-adjacent services. Comparable to KARP in catering to advisor-supported independent practices delivering holistic financial planning to retail clients.
- Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer and RIA platform supporting thousands of independent financial advisors offering financial planning, retirement, and investment services. Comparable to KARP as an independent advisor firm operating under a third-party broker-dealer affiliation.
- Charles Schwab (Wealth Advisory / Schwab Advisor Services): Major incumbent providing wealth management, brokerage, and custodial services to RIAs and retail investors. While far larger, Schwab is a comparable reference point for KARP's investment management and retirement planning services and is also a custodian-of-record candidate for practices like KARP.
- Northwestern Mutual: Large US financial services firm providing financial planning, investment management, life insurance, and retirement services through a captive advisor network. Comparable to KARP in bundling insurance, retirement, and investment planning for individuals and families.
- Waddell & Reed Financial (now part of Macquarie Asset Management): Legacy US financial advisory firm (now part of Macquarie) delivering financial planning, investment management, and retirement services to individuals and families through a national advisor force. Comparable to KARP in its retail-focused financial planning model.
Emerging players
- Betterment: Leading robo-advisor offering automated investment management, retirement planning, and tax-loss harvesting to retail clients. Not a direct competitor today, but represents the digital wealth management disruption pressuring small, traditional RIAs like KARP.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KARP Financial Advisors social profiles
Digital presenceKARP Financial Advisors financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KARP Financial Advisors leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
KARP Financial Advisors funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KARP Financial Advisors M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KARP Financial Advisors
What does KARP Financial Advisors do?
KARP Financial Advisors, Inc. is a sole-proprietor financial advisory practice that delivers personalized financial planning, tax planning and preparation, investment management, retirement, estate conservation, and insurance/annuity solutions to individual clients. Securities transactions are executed through Osaic Wealth, Inc., while tax preparation is performed in-house by the firm. The practice is operated by Thomas S. Karp, CFP, who has been sole owner since 2003.
Is KARP Financial Advisors a public or private company?
KARP Financial Advisors is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was KARP Financial Advisors founded?
KARP Financial Advisors was founded in 1987.
Where is KARP Financial Advisors based?
KARP Financial Advisors is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does KARP Financial Advisors make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Investment Advisory Services are the primary driver. The others are tax Preparation Services.
Who are KARP Financial Advisors's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Edward Jones, Ameriprise Financial and Robert W. Baird. Broad incumbents are LPL Financial, Cetera Financial Group, Cambridge Investment Research, Charles Schwab (Wealth Advisory / Schwab Advisor Services), Northwestern Mutual and Waddell & Reed Financial (now part of Macquarie Asset Management). Betterment is listed as an emerging player.
Does KARP Financial Advisors have an API?
No public API is recorded for KARP Financial Advisors.
What industry is KARP Financial Advisors in?
KARP Financial Advisors's product category is Personal Financial Advisory & Tax Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAACAA, Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers, with a secondary code of FSAAACAE, Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.