Compass Planning Associates Inc

What Compass Planning Associates Inc does

Compass Planning Associates Inc is a privately held, SEC-registered investment advisory firm founded in 1996 by Jennifer Lane and headquartered in Westwood, Massachusetts. The firm delivers fully online, fee-only financial planning services to individuals and families across the United States, covering debt and budget management, investment portfolio planning, strategic tax management, retirement planning, estate planning, college planning, and intergenerational wealth management. Compass distinguishes itself from traditional broker or commission-based advisors by charging only hourly fees ($310–$420 per hour depending on advisor) or annual retainers ($8,000–$20,000 per year) — never a percentage of assets under management, commissions, or performance fees — and operating under a fiduciary standard.

The underlying service platform is intentionally lean: client engagements are conducted via video conferencing with screen sharing, supported by an integrated online system for working on accounts, with no proprietary financial planning software, mobile app, API, or AI component disclosed. The team is small — three CFP-credentialed financial advisors (Jennifer Lane, Sarah Stamp, Joshua Weiss), a Registered Paraplanner, and an Operations Manager — making advisor capacity the primary operational constraint. Go-to-market is sales-led but low-cost: a free 30-minute initial consultation converts into either an initial three-meeting planning course, an hourly engagement, or an ongoing annual retainer billed quarterly.

The firm's revenue mechanics are split between usage-based hourly billing and subscription-style retainer relationships, both serving the same consumer persona of individuals navigating life transitions. Top-of-funnel demand is generated through a content library, a monthly newsletter ('On Course'), founder-authored books, recurring media appearances (WBUR, NBC10, Boston Globe, NYT, CNBC), and referral-driven word of mouth — with no paid acquisition, institutional investment, or external ownership structure disclosed.

Name

Compass Planning Associates Inc

Legal name

Compass Planning, LLC

Website

https://compassplanning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Compass Planning Associates is an SEC-registered, fee-only financial advisory firm founded in 1996 that delivers fully online financial planning and investment advice to U.S. individuals and families via hourly billing or annual retainers, without AUM fees or commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL), Financial Coaching & Budgeting Advisory (FSAEAAAH), Estate & Legacy Planning Advisory (FSAEAAAG)

Keywords

• Fee-only financial planning
• Personal financial advisory
• Investment advisory services
• Retirement planning
• Wealth management

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hourly Financial Planning Consultation: One-on-one advice billed by the hour, ranging from $310-$420 per hour depending on advisor. Includes background work and preparation by the team.
2. Annual Retainer Relationship: Annual retainer from $8,000 to $20,000 per annum including ongoing financial planning, investment advice, and quarterly meetings. Billed quarterly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Compass Planning Associates provides fully online, fee-only comprehensive financial planning for individuals and families across the United States. Services cover debt and budget management, investment portfolio planning, tax management, retirement planning, estate planning, college planning, financial parenting, and intergenerational wealth management. Engagements are offered through a free 30-minute initial consultation, an initial three-meeting planning course, hourly advisory sessions, and ongoing annual retainer relationships.

Product overview

Compass Planning Associates Inc offers a unified, fee-only financial planning service platform. The core offering is comprehensive financial planning for individuals and families, delivered fully online with human advisors. The company provides engagement options including a free initial consultation, an initial three-meeting planning course, hourly/project-based planning ($310-$420/hr), and an annual retainer relationship ($8,000-$20,000/year). Supporting offerings include the monthly 'On Course' newsletter and a financial education library with published books by founder Jennifer Lane. All services are centered on deliberate listening, practical kindness, and true fee-only advice without commissions or portfolio percentage fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Free 30-minute initial consultation to establish relationship fit
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Facet Wealth: Facet Wealth is a fee-only, fully virtual financial planning firm offering flat-fee comprehensive financial planning to individuals nationwide. It matches Compass Planning's value proposition of conflict-free, advisor-led virtual planning and is the most directly comparable service-based competitor.
• XY Planning Network: XY Planning Network is a network of fee-only financial advisors specializing in serving Gen X and Millennial clients with comprehensive, subscription-based planning. It mirrors Compass Planning's fee-only, retainer-style model and the same target demographic of younger clients seeking fiduciary advice.
• Harness Wealth: Harness Wealth matches clients with vetted fiduciary financial advisors for comprehensive planning delivered virtually. Like Compass Planning, it emphasizes conflict-free, fee-only advice and serves individuals seeking personalized guidance outside the traditional broker model.
• Ellevest: Ellevest is a fee-only digital financial planning and investment platform originally focused on women, offering goal-based planning and managed portfolios. It overlaps Compass Planning's comprehensive planning mission with a fully virtual, flat-fee delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Empower (Personal Capital): Empower, which acquired Personal Capital, is a large hybrid RIA offering digital wealth management plus human advisor services to mass-affluent clients nationwide. It competes with Compass Planning in comprehensive financial planning but at greater scale and with proprietary technology.
• Wealthfront: Wealthfront is a leading robo-advisor providing automated investment management, financial planning, and cash management at low fees. While it does not offer human CFP-led advisory, it competes for the same fee-conscious, comprehensive-planning customer segment that Compass Planning targets.
• Betterment: Betterment is one of the largest independent digital wealth managers offering automated investing plus access to human CFP® professionals for goal-based planning. It competes directly with Compass Planning's planning and investment advice services through a tech-forward, lower-fee model.
• Carson Group: Carson Group is a large network of fee-only RIAs supported by a shared technology, coaching, and back-office platform. It shares Compass Planning's fee-only philosophy but operates at institutional scale with proprietary tools and centralized support.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Mariner Wealth Advisors is a national fee-only RIA providing comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and tax services. It is comparable as a fee-only comprehensive planner but serves clients across the wealth spectrum with much larger AUM and headcount than Compass Planning.

Emerging players

• Boldin (formerly NewRetirement): Boldin is a retirement planning software platform that enables consumers and advisors to model comprehensive retirement scenarios. It is comparable to Compass Planning in addressing retirement and life-transition planning, but delivers the capability through self-serve technology rather than human advisory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Compass Planning Associates Inc