Schechter

What Schechter does

Schechter is a third-generation, boutique wealth management firm founded in 1939, headquartered in Birmingham, Michigan, that provides integrated financial advisory services to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. Its core offerings span portfolio design and management, wealth and estate planning, multi-family office services, individualized financial planning, private investments (including private equity and private credit through Schechter Private Capital), philanthropic planning, tax strategies, and advanced life insurance design with premium financing. The firm operates two principal divisions — Schechter Investment Advisors, an SEC-registered RIA managing $4 billion in assets as of May 31, 2025 (launched in 2013), and the Advanced Design Life Insurance business (which continues as a separate independent entity following the June 2025 Arax transaction).

The technology backbone is the third-party Black Diamond Wealth Platform for client reporting and portfolio management, supplemented by single sign-on portals to Fidelity, Pershing, and Charles Schwab custodial accounts, plus an AppFolio-backed investor portal for Schechter Private Capital. Service delivery is team-based through direct advisor-client relationships and a Strategic Partner Program that distributes premium financing and advanced life insurance design to outside advisors and institutions.

Schechter monetizes through asset-based advisory fees (annual subscription-style billing on AUM) charged as a percentage of assets under management, supplemented by commissions and fee income from the life insurance and premium finance business. As of June 4, 2025, the RIA division was acquired by Arax Advisory Partners, a wealth management platform backed by RedBird Capital Partners, and now operates as a division of Arax Advisory Partners, LLC. The firm is led by CEO Marc Schechter (now managing director at Arax) alongside Managing Director/CIO Aaron Hodari, COO Alfredo Risi, and a multidisciplinary team of 37 wealth-side professionals plus ~35 in the life insurance business.

Name

Schechter

Legal name

Schechter Investment Advisors (A Division of Arax Advisory Partners, LLC)

Website

https://schechterinvestments.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Schechter is a third-generation, boutique wealth management firm founded in 1939 that provides integrated investment advisory, estate planning, multi-family office, private capital, and advanced life insurance design services to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families across the U.S.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

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

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers (FSAAACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Wealth & Multi-Generational Planning RIAs (HNW/UHNW-lite) (FSAAACAH), Family Office Investment Platforms & Direct Investing (PE/VC/Co-Invest) (FSAAADAH), Business Owner & Executive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAO)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Investment advisory
• Estate planning services
• Private capital investing
• Life insurance design

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomfield Hills

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. Investment Advisory / Wealth Management: Fee-based investment advisory services charged as a percentage of assets under management. Services include portfolio design and management, financial planning, estate planning, and multi-family office services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Schechter is a third-generation boutique wealth management firm providing customized investment portfolio management and comprehensive wealth planning services to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. Its offerings span Portfolio Design & Management, Wealth and Estate Planning, Multi-Family Office Services, Individualized Financial Planning, Private Investments, Philanthropic Planning, Tax Strategies, and Insurance Design with premium financing. The firm operates through two key divisions—Schechter Investment Advisors (SEC-registered RIA managing $4 billion AUM) and Schechter Private Capital—plus a separate Advanced Design Life Insurance business.

Product overview

Schechter is a third-generation, boutique wealth management firm offering a unified platform of financial services primarily to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. The core offering centers on Portfolio Design & Management alongside comprehensive Wealth and Estate Planning, Multi-Family Office Services, and Individualized Financial Planning. The firm operates two key divisions: Schechter Investment Advisors (RIA, launched 2013) managing $4 billion AUM, and Schechter Private Capital (formed 2016) providing private equity access. Supporting services include Tax Strategies, Insurance Design (with premium financing capabilities), and Philanthropic Planning. The firm also maintains a Strategic Partner Program serving insurance professionals nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Portfolio Design & Management Customized investment portfolio design and ongoing management for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families, with tailored strategies based on each client's goals and risk tolerance.
• Wealth and Estate Planning Comprehensive estate planning including wealth transfer strategies, trust structures, and multi-generational wealth transition planning for wealthy families.
• Multi-Family Office Service Institutional-quality multi-family office services for high-net-worth families, providing coordinated advisory and administrative support across their financial affairs.
• Individualized Financial Planning Personalized financial planning tailored to each client's unique circumstances, goals, and risk tolerance.
• Private Investments Access to private equity, private credit, and alternative investments for qualified investors seeking diversification beyond public markets.
• Philanthropic Planning Charitable planning strategies including donor-advised funds, private foundations, and charitable trust structures for HNW families.
• Tax Strategies Tax-efficient investment and planning strategies including tax-loss harvesting, Roth conversions, and income tax analysis.
• Insurance Design Advanced life insurance design and premium financing solutions for high-net-worth clients, including services delivered to outside insurance and investment professionals.
• Schechter Private Capital Private equity investment division providing clients access to private company investments, with focus on market-leading products, processes, and technology with growth opportunities, accessible through the AppFolio-powered investor portal.
• Schechter Investment Advisors (RIA) SEC-registered investment advisory division managing $4 billion AUM as of May 31, 2025, now operating as a division of Arax Advisory Partners, LLC following the June 2025 acquisition.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 30% alternative investments allocation across the firm
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Insurance and Investment Professionals (Strategic Partners)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of insurance advisors, financial planners, and investment professionals who partner with Schechter to bring premium financing and advanced life insurance designs to their clients. Partners include firms like MAI Capital, Retirement Planning Center, Lakeside Financial Partner, Madrona Financial Services, and others across various states.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Creative Planning: One of the largest independent RIAs in the U.S., serving HNW and UHNW families with holistic wealth management. Comparable in service breadth (tax, estate, retirement, insurance) and PE-backed growth (TPG), with substantially greater scale.
• Mercer Advisors: Large national RIA serving HNW clients with comprehensive wealth management, estate planning, tax, and family office services. Similar multi-disciplinary team model and PE-backed growth strategy (Genstar Capital), directly comparable to Schechter's positioning.
• Lido Advisors: Independent, fee-only RIA offering comprehensive wealth management to HNW individuals, families, and institutions. Comparable boutique HNW focus, multi-family office services, and prior employment overlap with Schechter advisors.
• Monarch Wealth Advisors: Independent RIA providing comprehensive wealth management, estate planning, tax strategies, and insurance design to HNW families. Comparable multi-disciplinary boutique model with similar HNW/UHNW client focus.
• Cresset Capital: Independent, family-founded multi-family office and RIA serving UHNW families with integrated wealth, tax, estate, and private investment solutions. Closely comparable boutique-to-mid-market positioning with strong alternative investment offerings.
• CI Private Wealth (Conrad Siegel Investment Counsel): Mid-Atlantic RIA providing fee-only wealth management, financial planning, and institutional advisory services to HNW families. Comparable independent, fee-based model with multi-generational planning orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Focus Financial Partners: Partnership model for independent RIAs and wealth management firms, providing capital, infrastructure, and M&A support. Highly comparable platform model to Arax/RedBird that has consolidated many boutique HNW firms similar to Schechter.
• Arax Advisory Partners: Wealth management platform backed by RedBird Capital that acquired Schechter Investment Advisors in June 2025. Arax is a coalition of independent advisory firms serving UHNW families, making it the closest 'platform' peer and direct acquirer of Schechter.
• Wells Fargo Private Wealth Management: Large incumbent wealth management franchise serving HNW/UHNW clients with investment management, trust, and estate planning. Comparable client segment but vastly greater scale and product breadth.
• Charles Schwab Private Wealth Services: Custodian-led wealth management offering investment advisory, financial planning, and trust services to HNW and UHNW households. Comparable service breadth and serves as a custodian/integration partner for Schechter via existing portal integrations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/schechterwealth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmj4y0Ot10ymV3oDdQu2BcA
• Facebookfacebook.com/SchechterWealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schechter-wealth

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Schechter