Harbour Investments

What Harbour Investments does

Harbour Investments is an independent broker-dealer and registered investment advisor (RIA) founded in 1987 by Nick Sondel and headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. The firm serves approximately 240 independent investment advisors operating across 16 states, providing them with brokerage, RIA, and back-office infrastructure. Its core platform encompasses FINRA-registered broker-dealer services, investment advisory registration, and integrated custody relationships — primarily with Charles Schwab through its Premier Wealth Group (anchoring over $8 billion in client assets) and Pershing as a secondary custodian. The firm is privately held with no parent company and operates with 11-50 employees, reflecting a focused, high-touch operating model.

The business model is built on advisor relationships rather than direct retail customer acquisition. Harbour generates revenue from transaction-based brokerage commissions, advisory fees on RIA accounts, and platform/service charges — with the explicit differentiator of charging no platform fees on RIA accounts. Strategic partnerships extend the offering set: Zacks Professional Services (2021) added advisor research and analytical tools, and Idea Decanter (2025) introduced video marketing services for advisor client engagement. The firm has earned third-party validation through two Investment Advisor Magazine Broker Dealer of the Year awards, supporting its brand positioning around independence, service quality, and cost efficiency.

Governance reflects mature succession planning. Aaron Hager serves as President and Rhonda Meyer as SVP and COO following a 2020 leadership transition under founder Nick Sondel, and an advisory board was established in 2019. The firm is two-time winner of the Broker Dealer of the Year award and is committed to remaining privately held — a positioning choice that distinguishes it from consolidator-owned broker-dealer competitors and aligns its incentives with long-term advisor client outcomes.

Name

Harbour Investments

Legal name

Harbour Investments, Inc.

Website

https://harbourinv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harbour Investments is an independent broker-dealer and registered investment advisor founded in 1987, serving approximately 240 independent investment advisors across 16 states with brokerage, RIA, and custody services anchored by Charles Schwab.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Broker-Dealer and Registered Investment Advisor Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Broker-Dealer Affiliated Wealth Advisory (FSAEABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Investment Management Advisory (RIA) (FSAEAAAB)

Keywords

• Independent broker-dealer
• Registered investment advisor
• Advisor platform services
• Wealth management support
• Financial advisor transition

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Securities Commissions: Commissions from buying and selling securities including mutual funds, stocks, bonds, variable annuities, and ETFs. Ticket charges vary from about $50 to 2% of transaction amount. Mutual fund sales charges typically range from 1%-5.75%.
2. Advisory Fees: Fee-based advisory services where advisors conduct business under Harbour's corporate RIA or their own. Harbour provides advisory platform services with no platform fees.
3. 12b-1 Fees: Trail commissions received from certain mutual fund companies as described in fund prospectuses, calculated as annual percentage of invested assets.
4. Additional Compensation from Product Sponsors: Fixed amount, flat fee, formula-based on assets under management, or expense reimbursements from participating sponsors including Advisors Excel, AEI, Allianz Life, American Funds, and others for training, education, and marketing services.
5. Gross Dealer Concession (GDC): Payout structure based on advisors' gross dealer concessions with competitive payout schedules that increase with production and asset levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Harbour Investments is a Registered Investment Advisor and Independent Broker-Dealer that provides back-office technology, compliance support, custody relationships, and business services to independent financial advisors operating across the United States. The firm enables advisors to run fee-based advisory practices under Harbour's corporate RIA or their own, with no platform fees on RIA accounts and access to custodians including Charles Schwab (with iRebal) and BNY Pershing. It serves approximately 240 advisors in 16 states with over $8 billion in assets under management, supplemented by a white-glove transition service, a custom Atlas (Salesforce-based) back-office system, and a suite of integrated technology modules.

Product overview

Harbour Investments is a Registered Investment Advisor and Independent Broker-Dealer that operates as a unified platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of fee-based advisory services, direct business, insurance services, and brokerage services, all supported by the proprietary Atlas back-office system built on Salesforce. Key modules include Black Diamond for portfolio management and reporting, Redtail CRM for customer relationship management, FMG Suites for marketing and communications, and Zacks Advisor Tools for research. The platform integrates with major custodians including Charles Schwab (with iRebal) and Pershing Advisor Solutions, offering advisors multiple custody and rebalancing options. Additional tools include DocuSign for e-signatures, Quik for document generation, and compliance tools integrated via Smarsh and ComplySci.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fee-Based Advisory Services Platform allowing financial advisors to conduct fee-based advisory business under Harbour's corporate RIA or under their own RIA, featuring no platform fee Advisor Directed platform and access to institutional managers through the Model Market Center and Harbour Traded Models.
• Charles Schwab Custody & Advisory Services Preferred custodian offering for Harbour's RIA with over $8 billion under management, including membership in Schwab's elite Premier Wealth Group service team, the iRebal rebalancing platform with tax-efficient features, and no-fee domestic Stock and ETF trades.
• Pershing Advisor Solutions Comprehensive advisory solution equipped with cutting-edge modeling and trading tools for advisors familiar with Pershing Retail Brokerage, offering $8.50 Stock and ETF trades, a large list of No Transaction Fee mutual funds and ETFs, and low-cost alternative investments.
• Harbour Traded Models Service enabling advisors to use their own or centrally curated models while Harbour handles trading execution, streamlining administrative tasks so advisors can focus on client relationships.
• Financial Planning and Consulting Program Program allowing Investment Adviser Representatives to be compensated for consulting services including portfolio reviews, asset allocation, budgeting, estate planning, and business planning.
• Outside RIA Services Services for advisors who already have their own RIA or want to establish one, offering value-added services and competitive supervision fee structures.
• White Glove Transition Service Customized transition support for advisors and groups moving to Harbour, including tailored transition plans, dedicated back-office staff in advisor offices, and account tracking throughout the migration process.
• Atlas Back-Office Platform Custom back-office technology built on the Salesforce platform offering interactive dashboards, customizable reporting tools, paperwork submission portal, compliance and advertising document approval, commission tracking, and electronic filing cabinet for Harbour's financial advisors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $8 billion in assets under management with Charles Schwab
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Idea DecanterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 July 2025Strategic partnership bringing Idea Decanter's remote video creation service (Idea Kit) to Harbour's network of advisors. Helps advisors overcome barriers to video marketing with done-with-you content creation solution including gear, scripting, remote directing, coaching, and compliance-ready editing.
• Zacks Professional ServicescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 September 2021Strategic vendor relationship bringing Zacks Advisor Tools to more than 200 Harbour advisors in 14 states. Provides complete analytics tools, Zacks' independent research including Zacks Rank for stocks, mutual funds and ETFs, and proprietary model portfolios including Earnings Certain Portfolio (ECP) family.
• BNY PershingcoreTechnology or IntegrationFor retail clearing services, Harbour partners with BNY Pershing. With 85 years of experience, BNY Pershing is dedicated to the safekeeping, servicing, segregation, and reporting of client assets.
• Charles SchwabcoreTechnology or IntegrationHarbour's preferred custodian with over $8 billion under management. Harbour is a member of Schwab's elite Premier Wealth Group service team with dedicated specialists ensuring expert support with no hold times. Includes access to iRebal rebalancing platform and no-fee domestic Stock & ETF trades.
• Pershing Advisor SolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationComprehensive advisory solution equipped with cutting-edge modeling and trading tools. Offers $8.50 Stock and ETF trades, large list of No Transaction Fee mutual funds, ETFs, and low-cost alternative investments.
• Product Sponsors (Multiple)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHarbour maintains selling agreements with third-party money managers, mutual fund companies, and variable annuity providers encompassing nearly every major carrier. 2023 participating sponsors include Advisors Excel, AEI, Allianz Life, American Funds, Bluerock Capital, Capital Square, CIM Group, CION, Equitable, First Trust, Hines, Inland, Inspired Healthcare, Jackson National, Lincoln Financial, Nationwide, Pacer ETF, Pacific Life, Prudential, Q3 Asset Management, Sammons, US Energy, and Voya Financial. Additional compensation ranged from $500 to $56,010.32.
• SalesforcecoreTechnology or IntegrationSalesforce platform powers Harbour's custom Atlas back-office system, providing interactive dashboards, customizable tools, and paperwork submission portal.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Schwab Advisor Services: Schwab Advisor Services is Harbour's preferred custodian and a critical infrastructure provider, with over $8B of Harbour's AUM held there. While not a direct competitor, Schwab's custody, technology, and rebalancing tools shape the competitive landscape in which Harbour operates.

Direct peers

• LPL Financial: LPL Financial is the largest independent broker-dealer and RIA custodian in the U.S., offering an integrated platform for financial advisors and RIAs. It competes directly with Harbour for breakaway advisors and provides many of the same core services (custody, technology, compliance, advisory platform).
• Cetera Financial Group: Cetera is a privately held network of independent broker-dealers and RIAs serving financial advisors with a multi-firm model. Its advisor-centric platform, custody relationships, and focus on independence overlap materially with Harbour's offering.
• Kestra Financial: Kestra Financial operates a wealth management platform serving independent financial advisors and RIAs through its broker-dealer and RIA subsidiaries. Its advisor-recruitment strategy and East Coast focus make it a comparable alternative for breakaway advisors.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Cambridge is a large privately held independent broker-dealer and RIA with a similar advisor-centric, relationship-driven model. It directly competes with Harbour for independent advisors, particularly in the Midwest, and offers comparable custody, technology, and practice-management support.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Commonwealth is a privately held independent broker-dealer and RIA that serves financial advisors nationwide with a culture- and partnership-driven model. Its advisor-focused value proposition and emphasis on independence are closely aligned with Harbour's positioning.
• Advisor Group: Advisor Group is a large independent broker-dealer and RIA platform supporting thousands of financial advisors across multiple subsidiary brands. It directly competes with Harbour for independent and breakaway advisors using a similar platform-plus-services model.
• Raymond James Financial Services: Raymond James Financial Services is the independent broker-dealer subsidiary of Raymond James Financial, providing advisors with custody, technology, and a wealth management platform. It competes directly with Harbour for independent advisors, particularly via its Advisor Directed and Independence Plus models.

Broad incumbents

• Ameriprise Financial: Ameriprise is a diversified wealth and asset management firm with a captive and independent advisor channel. While it owns its own distribution, it overlaps with Harbour's advisor platform and competes for the same retail wealth management clients.
• Lincoln Financial Advisors: Lincoln Financial Advisors is the independent broker-dealer arm of Lincoln Financial Group, providing insurance, advisory, and brokerage services to financial advisors. It overlaps with Harbour's broker-dealer and insurance-integrated wealth management offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/harbourinv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harbour-investments

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Harbour Investments