Elm3

What Elm3 does

Elm3 Financial Group, LLC is a privately-held, multi-credentialed financial advisory firm headquartered at 5755 North Point Pkwy in Alpharetta, Georgia. Founded in 2006 by Stacey Nickens, the firm operates with 1-10 employees and serves clients primarily in the southeastern United States through relationship-driven, in-person and digital advisory engagements. The firm also does business as Alpharetta Financial Group.

The firm delivers integrated financial services rather than a software platform, combining investment management, retirement planning, Social Security optimization, personal and business insurance advisory, estate planning, and real-estate investment advice for individuals, alongside small-business tax planning and preparation, management consulting, retirement plan administration, and business insurance advisory for SMB owners. Service delivery is supported entirely by third-party technology: SmartVault for document management, Fidelity for investment custody, RightCapital for financial planning, and Orion Advisor for portfolio management and client portal access.

Revenue is generated through subscription/recurring advisory retainers plus seasonal tax-preparation fees, with pricing disclosed only via direct consultation rather than published tiers. Customer acquisition relies on content marketing (an educational blog), direct referrals, and local Alpharetta community presence. No external funding, M&A, partnerships beyond technology vendor integrations, or growth signals are disclosed.

Name

Elm3

Legal name

Elm3 Financial Group, LLC

Website

https://elm3financial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Elm3 Financial Group is a privately-held, multi-credentialed financial advisory firm in Alpharetta, GA, serving individuals and small businesses in the southeastern US with integrated investment, retirement, tax, insurance, and estate planning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services (54121)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE), Retirement Income Planning & Decumulation Advisory (FSAEABAD), Business Owner & Executive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAO), Financial Reporting & Technical Accounting Advisory (GAAP/IFRS) (BPAHABAF)

Keywords

• Financial advisory services
• Investment management
• Retirement planning
• Tax preparation services
• Estate planning advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Alpharetta

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. Financial Advisory and Investment Management Services: Revenue is generated through ongoing financial advisory relationships with individuals and small businesses. Services include investment management, retirement planning, tax planning and preparation, insurance advisory, and estate planning. The firm employs CPAs, Enrolled Agents, Registered Investment Advisers, and Certified Financial Planners (CFPs) to deliver comprehensive financial services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Elm3 Financial Group provides comprehensive financial advisory and investment management services for individuals and small businesses. The firm delivers integrated financial planning encompassing investment management, retirement planning, tax preparation, personal and business insurance advisory, estate planning, and Social Security optimization, all provided by a multi-credentialed team of CPAs, Enrolled Agents, Registered Investment Advisers, and Certified Financial Planners.

Product overview

Elm3 Financial Group is a financial and investment advisory firm that operates as a unified service portfolio rather than a software platform. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning services for individuals organized by life stages (20s through 60s+), including investment management, retirement planning, personal insurance advisory, Social Security planning, estate planning, and real estate investment advisory. For businesses, the firm provides small business tax planning and preparation, management consulting, small business retirement plans, and business insurance advisory. Services are enhanced with client portal access to integrated third-party platforms including SmartVault for document management, Fidelity for investment accounts, RightCapital for financial planning, and Orion Advisor for investment advisory. The firm also offers educational blog content covering taxes, financial planning, investments, retirement, insurance, and estate planning topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Management Strategic investment advisory services where the team selects appropriate investments and provides independent market insight to help individuals and businesses meet their financial goals and objectives.
• Retirement Planning Comprehensive retirement planning services incorporating all financial moving parts to develop a plan that helps clients reach their retirement goals.
• Personal Insurance Advisory Insurance protection review service that analyzes clients' assets, liabilities, income, and goals to determine optimal insurance coverage for comprehensive wealth protection.
• Social Security Planning Strategic planning for Social Security benefits to maximize client benefits through understanding claiming strategies and optimization techniques.
• Financial Planning Financial planning services ranging from targeted plans for specific short-term needs to comprehensive plans covering all aspects of a client's financial life.
• Life Stage Goal Setting Age-based financial planning guidance organized by life stages (20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s+) to help clients make appropriate financial decisions at each life phase.
• Estate Planning Estate planning services to help clients organize assets and ensure proper distribution to heirs while minimizing tax implications.
• Real Estate Investment Advisory Advisory services for real estate investment decisions including rental property analysis and mortgage interest deduction strategies.
• Small Business Tax Planning and Preparation Tax planning and preparation services specifically designed for small businesses including entity selection, deductions, and compliance.
• Management Consulting Business management consulting services to help small businesses improve operations, efficiency, and profitability.
• Small Business Retirement Plans Retirement plan setup and management services for small businesses including 401(k) plans, SEP IRAs, and SIMPLE IRAs.
• Business Insurance Advisory Insurance advisory services for businesses including coverage review and recommendations for liability, property, and employee benefits insurance.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting.

• SmartVaultsupportingTechnology or IntegrationSmartVault provides secure document management platform for client document storage and exchange. Elm3 clients access SmartVault portal for storing and retrieving financial documents, tax returns, and planning materials.
• FidelitysupportingTechnology or IntegrationFidelity serves as the investment platform and custody provider for client investment accounts. Clients access Fidelity portal for investment account management and reporting.
• RightCapitalsupportingTechnology or IntegrationRightCapital provides financial planning software platform enabling Elm3 advisors to create, monitor, and adjust comprehensive financial plans for clients. Clients access RightCapital portal for financial planning tools.
• Orion AdvisorsupportingTechnology or IntegrationOrion Advisor provides investment advisory platform for portfolio management, reporting, and client communication. Elm3 uses Orion for investment advisory services and client portal access.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Wealth advisory firm providing holistic financial planning, investment management, tax, and estate services to individuals and business owners, mirroring Elm3's full-service model.
• Carson Group: RIA serving individuals and small businesses with financial planning, investment, tax, and retirement plan services through partner advisors, comparable in service mix and client profile.
• Creative Planning: Large RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, tax, and estate services to individuals and small businesses — directly comparable integrated model to Elm3 at greater scale.

Emerging players

• Empower Personal Dashboard: Digital RIA and personal wealth platform combining automated investment tools with human advisors, competing for the same individual and retirement-planning segment as Elm3 at lower cost.
• Schwab Intelligent Portfolios: Hybrid robo-advisor and human advisory service from Charles Schwab offering automated and advised portfolios targeting the same retail wealth management audience as Elm3.

Broad incumbents

• Cetera Financial Group: Large broker-dealer and RIA network supporting independent advisors with financial planning, investment, and insurance solutions across a much broader footprint than Elm3.
• Fisher Investments: Large asset manager with private client advisory and financial planning services targeting high-net-worth individuals, comparable in investment advisory function though at far greater scale.
• Edelman Financial Engines: National RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and retirement services to individuals, overlapping heavily with Elm3's individual-focused offerings.

Others

• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer providing custody, technology, and practice management to independent RIAs — comparable as the underlying infrastructure layer for an advisory practice like Elm3.

Regional players

• Modern Woodmen of America: Fraternal financial services provider offering insurance, investment, and financial planning to individuals and small businesses, primarily in the U.S. heartland — comparable integrated personal-finance model with regional concentration.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Elm3Financial
• Xx.com/elm3group
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elm3-financial-group-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Elm3