What SIMI does

SIMI (Sound Investment Management, Inc.) is an independent, employee-owned Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) founded in 1993 by John L. Child. The firm provides fee-only investment management, retirement planning, and financial planning services to individual investors and families nationwide, with offices in Tualatin, Oregon (Portland metro) and Marshall, Virginia (Washington, D.C. metro). As a Fee-Only RIA regulated by the SEC, SIMI charges advisory fees based on assets under management and operates non-discretionary accounts that require client approval before any portfolio changes are executed. The firm manages over $100 million in client assets and emphasizes fiduciary standards, multi-generational client relationships, and senior-advisor-led engagement without junior handoffs.

SIMI's core service offering centers on personalized portfolio construction across equities, fixed income, mutual funds, ETFs, index funds, and alternative assets, augmented by custom financial planning built using a proprietary software program that produces interactive financial roadmaps. The firm supplements advisory work with quarterly performance reports and ongoing client education. Its revenue model is a recurring AUM-based fee on a declining, non-incremental schedule, meaning the effective rate on the first dollar managed falls as client assets grow — a structure the firm markets as eliminating commission and fee-sharing conflicts. SIMI distributes directly to clients nationwide through senior advisors, relying primarily on referrals and word-of-mouth driven by its founding principle that clients are treated as friends.

The firm is led by four principals: founder John L. Child (President), Mark A. Child (Principal & Investment Advisor, joined 1998), Mark J. Biallas (Chief Investment Officer, joined January 2019 with prior global trading experience), and Micah F. Child (Vice-President and Investment Advisor, joined 2014, with CFA and CFP designations and prior Amazon.com corporate finance experience). There is no disclosed parent company, external equity, venture funding, or M&A activity; ownership is concentrated among the principals.

Name

SIMI

Legal name

Sound Investment Management, Inc.

Website

https://simiusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SIMI (Sound Investment Management, Inc.) is an independent, employee-owned SEC-registered investment advisory firm founded in 1993, providing fee-only investment management, retirement planning, and financial planning to individual investors and families nationwide across two U.S. offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management & Investment Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Portfolio Management–Led RIAs (Discretionary/Model-Based) (FSAAACAC), Investment Management Advisory (RIA) (FSAEAAAB)

Keywords

• Investment advisory services
• Retirement planning
• Financial planning
• Wealth management
• Portfolio management

Headquarters

HQ city

Tualatin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fee-Only Investment Advisory: SIMI operates as a Fee-Only Registered Investment Advisor, charging advisory fees based on assets under management (AUM). The firm employs a declining fee schedule that is non-incremental, meaning as client assets grow, the fee percentage is reduced on the very first dollar managed. This fee structure is designed to benefit clients as their portfolios grow, eliminating conflicts of interest by not accepting commissions, fee-sharing agreements, or selling financial/insurance products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Sound Investment Management, Inc. (SIMI) provides Fee-Only investment management, retirement planning, and financial planning services to individual investors and families nationwide, managing over $100 million in client assets as an SEC-registered investment advisor. Portfolios are personalized to each client's risk tolerance and financial goals using stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, index funds, and alternative assets, supplemented by custom financial roadmaps built with proprietary software and quarterly performance reporting.

Product overview

SIMI (Sound Investment Management, Inc.) offers a unified set of financial advisory services as a Fee-Only Registered Investment Advisor. The core offering includes personalized investment management, retirement planning, and custom financial planning created using a proprietary software program. Portfolios are uniquely tailored to each client's risk level and financial goals, incorporating stocks, mutual funds, ETFs, index funds, and alternative assets. The firm supplements its advisory services with quarterly performance reports and ongoing client education to help clients understand their investments and financial plans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fee-Only Investment Management Fee-only investment management services for individual investors and families, managing over $100 million in client assets with personalized portfolios tailored to each client's risk tolerance and financial goals using U.S. and international equities, fixed income, mutual funds, ETFs, index funds, and alternative assets.
• Financial Planning Services Custom financial planning built using proprietary software that creates detailed, intuitive, and flexible interactive financial roadmaps for individual clients and families, revisited as life circumstances change.
• Retirement Planning Comprehensive retirement planning services addressing clients' financial goals and evolving life events, with portfolios modified to meet changing circumstances and goals over the long term.

Quantifiable outcome

• Managing over $100 million in client assets
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Tech-enabled fee-only financial planning and investment advisory firm targeting mass-affluent and HNW individuals; comparable fee-only fiduciary model with a digital delivery layer that SIMI lacks.
• Betterment: Leading digital wealth management platform offering automated investment management and financial planning to individuals; represents the low-cost robo-advisor alternative competing for SIMI's younger and mass-affluent prospects.

Broad incumbents

• Creative Planning: Large independent, fee-only RIA offering comprehensive wealth management, retirement, and estate planning to individuals and HNW families nationwide; comparable value proposition though at much greater scale.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National independent wealth advisory firm offering investment management, retirement, and estate planning to individuals and families; comparable offering at meaningfully larger scale.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large independent RIA combining advisor-led financial planning with digital tools for individual investors; comparable in client base and services, with much greater scale and technology investment.
• Fisher Investments: Large independent RIA managing substantially more AUM than SIMI with a discretionary portfolio management model; comparable as an independent, fee-based advisor serving individual investors, though operating at much greater scale.
• Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Hybrid robo/human advisory offering from Vanguard combining automated portfolio management with human advisor access at low fees; comparable target client (individual investors) and represents the digital competitive threat.

Direct peers

• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA providing fiduciary investment management and financial planning to individuals and families; similar size band, fee-only structure, and emphasis on evidence-based investing.
• Carson Wealth: Independent RIA platform serving individuals and families with comprehensive financial planning and multi-generational wealth services; closely comparable in service model and target client base to SIMI.
• Sanctuary Wealth: Network of independent wealth advisory firms serving HNW individuals with personalized planning and investment management; closely comparable in independent RIA structure and client-centric service model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 SIMI