Waterfront Wealth

What Waterfront Wealth does

Waterfront Wealth Inc. (DBA Waterfront Advisors) is a privately held, fee-only, fiduciary Registered Investment Adviser headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, with a secondary office in Ocala, Florida. The firm serves select high-net-worth families and foundations across the United States, providing comprehensive financial planning across estate planning, retirement planning, investment strategy, education funding, foundation asset management, and risk management. The business is delivered through a relationship-based advisor model, with new client acquisition driven by referrals, quarterly market commentaries, and a VP of Business Development (Trent Grissom) overseeing onboarding. Client engagement is structured around personalized financial plans, minimum four annual touchpoints, and quarterly written performance reviews.

The firm's investment platform is anchored by Waterfront Asset Management (WAM), an SEC-registered division co-founded in 2016 by CIO Chris Harrington, which manages four proprietary separately managed account strategies — Opportunistic Equity, Opportunistic Strategy, Waterfront Balanced, and Waterfront Equity — available to all investors. Portfolio management is led by Harrington and Matt Hekman (formerly 18 years at Waddell & Reed / Ivy Investments). Client account access is delivered through a partnership with Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLC, which hosts the firm's 'Access Online' portal. There is no proprietary digital onboarding, self-directed platform, or mobile application.

Waterfront generates revenue through recurring, AUM-based investment advisory fees under a fee-only structure (no commissions), with multi-year client engagements typical. The firm is independent and founder/partner-owned, with no disclosed institutional or external capital. The leadership team comprises Managing Director Roger Ratzlaff (founder, career spanning 1988), CIO Chris Harrington, Director of Operations Crissa Krikke, VP Business Development Trent Grissom, Senior Director Mike Shields, and a bench of CFP/CPA/CDFA-credentialed advisors operating from the Kansas and Florida offices.

Name

Waterfront Wealth

Legal name

Waterfront Wealth Inc.

Website

https://waterfrontadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Waterfront Wealth is a fee-only, fiduciary SEC-registered investment adviser serving select high-net-worth families and foundations, providing financial planning, retirement, estate, and investment management services through two offices in Kansas and Florida.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management and Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Client/High-Net-Worth Advisory (FSAEAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Wealth & Multi-Generational Planning RIAs (HNW/UHNW-lite) (FSAAACAH), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH), Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight) (FSAAABAF)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Overland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Fees: As a fee-only registered investment advisor, Waterfront Wealth charges fees for investment advisory services. They are described as fiduciary advisors serving high-net-worth families and foundations with comprehensive financial planning services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Waterfront Wealth is a fee-only, fiduciary investment advisory firm that delivers personalized financial planning and portfolio management to high-net-worth families and foundations. Its Waterfront Advisors division provides estate, retirement, investment, education funding, foundation, and risk management planning, while its Waterfront Asset Management (WAM) division runs four separately managed account strategies (Opportunistic Equity, Opportunistic Strategy, Waterfront Balanced, and Waterfront Equity). Services are delivered through scheduled advisor consultations from its Kansas and Florida offices.

Product overview

Waterfront Wealth is a fee-only fiduciary financial advisory firm serving high-net-worth families and foundations since 1988. The company operates through two divisions: Waterfront Advisors provides comprehensive financial planning services including estate planning, retirement planning, investment strategy, education funding, foundation management, and risk management. Waterfront Asset Management, a division registered with the SEC, manages four separately managed account strategies: Opportunistic Equity, Opportunistic Strategy, Waterfront Balanced, and Waterfront Equity. The four investment strategies are available to all investors and are managed by the firm's portfolio managers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Waterfront Asset Management (WAM): A division of Waterfront Wealth Inc., an Investment Advisor registered with the SEC. WAM manages four separately managed account strategies: Opportunistic Equity, Opportunistic Strategy, Waterfront Balanced, and Waterfront Equity.

Products and services

• Comprehensive Financial Planning Fiduciary, personalized financial planning engagement combining investment, retirement, estate, education funding, and risk management advice for high-net-worth families, with annual plan updates and quarterly written performance reviews.
• Estate Planning Advisory service to prepare for the transfer of wealth and assets after one's death, coordinating with the client's CPA and attorney as part of the broader advisory team.
• Retirement Planning Service to identify retirement goals and create individualized plans to help clients stay on track to achieve those goals, including sustainable retirement income strategies.
• Investment Strategy Service focused on learning client goals, priorities, and investment timelines to develop appropriate investment strategies, often implemented via Waterfront Asset Management (WAM) separately managed accounts.
• Education Funding Service to help evaluate options for funding higher education and determine the best approach for each client's family circumstances.
• Foundations Asset Management Asset management service for foundation accounts that benefit multiple non-profit organizations, providing fiduciary investment oversight for philanthropic capital.
• Risk Management Comprehensive approach to identify potential client risks and evaluate insurance and long-term care needs to minimize such risks across the household balance sheet.
• Opportunistic Equity (WAM Separately Managed Account) One of four separately managed account strategies managed by Waterfront Asset Management, focused on identifying and capitalizing on equity market opportunities.
• Opportunistic Strategy (WAM Separately Managed Account) One of four separately managed account strategies offered by Waterfront Asset Management, designed to pursue opportunistic investment approaches across asset classes.
• Waterfront Balanced (WAM Separately Managed Account) One of four separately managed account strategies offered by Waterfront Asset Management, combining equity and fixed income for balanced portfolio management.
• Waterfront Equity (WAM Separately Managed Account) One of four separately managed account strategies offered by Waterfront Asset Management, focused on equity investments and managed by portfolio managers Chris Harrington and Matt Hekman.

Quantifiable outcome

• Minimum four client touchpoints per year with ongoing communication
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Wells Fargo Clearing Services LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides online account access platform for Waterfront clients to view and manage their investment accounts. The Access Online portal is hosted through Wells Fargo's clearing services infrastructure.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Moneta Group: Fee-only RIA serving HNW and UHNW families with comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and estate services. Closely comparable business model and target client base to Waterfront Wealth.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA serving HNW individuals and families with evidence-based investment management and comprehensive financial planning. Comparable fiduciary fee-only positioning with similar client profile.
• Carson Group: Large fee-only RIA serving HNW families and financial advisors, with proprietary asset management strategies. Comparable fiduciary model and SMA-style investment offerings similar to Waterfront's WAM division.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Fee-only RIA also headquartered in Overland Park, KS, serving HNW families with comprehensive financial planning, tax, and asset management. Mariner is a much larger scaled competitor but operates the same fiduciary model with overlapping HNW and foundation client segments.
• Creative Planning: Fee-only RIA also based in Overland Park, KS, serving HNW and UHNW clients with wealth management, tax, and estate services. Head-to-head local competitor with very similar fiduciary positioning and HNW family focus.
• Sanctuary Wealth: Partner-owned RIA platform serving HNW clients through affiliated advisor teams. Comparable HNW client focus, fiduciary model, and team-based advisory approach.

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Digital-first RIA offering flat-fee financial planning and investment management. Targets the same HNW segment as Waterfront but with a hybrid digital model that competes for younger HNW heirs and second-generation clients.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman Financial Engines: Large national RIA serving HNW and mass-affluent clients with planning, investment management, and 401(k) advisory. Competes for the same HNW segment but at substantially greater scale with digital capabilities.
• Focus Financial Partners: Large RIA consolidator (now part of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice) partnering with HNW-focused advisory firms. Many Waterfront-sized RIAs have joined as Focus partner firms, representing both a competitive threat and a potential strategic exit path for Waterfront.
• Waddell & Reed / Ivy Investments: Traditional asset manager and wealth platform (now part of Macquarie). Competes for HNW advisory relationships and talent; notably, Waterfront's own portfolio manager Matt Hekman spent 18 years there before joining Waterfront in 2021.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/waterfront-advisors

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Waterfront Wealth