Elwood and Goetz

What Elwood and Goetz does

Elwood and Goetz is an independent, employee-owned Registered Investment Adviser founded in 2006 in Athens, Georgia by Lindsay Elwood, CFP® (now CFO) and Joseph Goetz, Ph.D. (CEO). The firm delivers comprehensive fee-only financial planning and investment management to 500+ households and families across more than 30 U.S. states and internationally, supported by offices in Athens (HQ), Atlanta, Charleston, and Naples. Core services include retirement planning, tax planning, investment management, estate and legacy planning, cash flow management, and education planning, all bundled under a single fee.

The firm differentiates through an ensemble team advisory model in which each client is served by multiple certified advisors (managing director, senior planner, associate planner) rather than a single advisor, and through an unusually credentialed bench that includes several Ph.D.s, distinguished university professors, and a high concentration of CFP® professionals with prior experience at Vanguard, Fidelity, TIAA-CREF, Merrill Lynch, and Goldman Sachs. Technology is third-party: Orion Advisor provides the client portal and Dimensional Fund Advisors is a primary investment vehicle, with no proprietary platforms disclosed.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring AUM-based fees ranging from 0.25% to 1% of investable assets under management (billed monthly and deducted directly from client accounts), supplemented by hourly consultation fees for one-time engagements. There is no minimum portfolio size requirement, which opens access to young professionals in addition to retirees, university-affiliated professionals, and business owners. The firm has been recognized by InvestmentNews as a Best Places to Work for Financial Advisors (jumping from #38 in 2022 to #17 in 2023) and earned a NAPFA-DEI badge in 2024.

Name

Elwood and Goetz

Legal name

Elwood & Goetz Wealth Advisory Group

Website

https://elwoodgoetz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Elwood and Goetz is an employee-owned, fee-only Registered Investment Adviser founded in 2006 in Athens, Georgia, delivering comprehensive financial planning and investment management to 500+ households across 30+ U.S. states via offices in Athens, Atlanta, Charleston, and Naples.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management and Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Trust & Estate Tax Planning & Compliance (FSAEAKAE)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Assets Under Management (AUM) Fees: The primary revenue stream is an annual fee based on assets under management (AUM). The fee ranges from 0.25% to 1% of investable assets under their day-to-day management. Fees are deducted directly from client accounts. Their success is measured exclusively by clients' success, aligning incentives.
2. Hourly Consultation Fees: For one-time consultations or advice, the firm also offers hourly-based financial advice for clients who may not need ongoing comprehensive planning services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Elwood & Goetz provides fee-only, fiduciary comprehensive financial planning and investment management for individuals, families, and business owners. Services include retirement planning, tax planning, net worth protection, cash flow management, legacy and estate planning, and portfolio management using globally diversified mutual funds and ETFs, all delivered through an ensemble team advisory model. The firm charges annual assets-under-management fees ranging from 0.25% to 1% with no commissions or product sales.

Product overview

Elwood & Goetz offers a unified fee-only financial advisory service focused on comprehensive wealth management. Their core offering combines financial planning and investment management into a single service, delivered through an ensemble team model where clients work with multiple certified advisors rather than a single advisor. The firm provides retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning, net worth protection, cash flow management, and investment portfolio management with ongoing monitoring. All services are included in their assets-under-management fee structure (0.25%-1% of investable assets), with no commissions or product sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Financial Planning Full-scope financial planning covering retirement planning, tax planning, net worth protection, cash flow management, legacy and estate planning, and investment portfolio management with ongoing monitoring and optimization. Delivered to individuals, families, and business owners through an ensemble team model.
• Investment Management Investment portfolio management using globally diversified mutual funds and ETFs (including those from Dimensional Fund Advisors), tailored to client-specific goals, needs, and risk tolerance, with daily monitoring and dynamic rebalancing.
• Fee-Only Advisory Services Ongoing fee-only financial advisory engagement with annual management fees ranging from 0.25% to 1% of investable assets under management. No commissions, kickbacks, or product sales. Includes all comprehensive financial planning and investment management services.
• Hourly Consultation Services Hourly-based financial advice for clients who want a one-time consultation without engaging in ongoing comprehensive planning or asset management.
• Business Financial Planning Financial planning services tailored to business owners, entrepreneurs, and C-suite executives, including 401(k) plan development, business succession strategies, executive compensation planning, and integrated personal retirement and tax planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99%+ client retention rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)coreOthersElwood & Goetz is a member of NAPFA, the leading professional association for fee-only financial advisors. They adhere to NAPFA's Code of Ethics and are listed in the Fee Only Network.
• CFP BoardcoreOthersAffiliated with the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP®) Board of Standards. Multiple team members hold the CFP® designation.
• Financial Planning Association (FPA)coreOthersTeam members are active members of the Financial Planning Association.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: National fee-only RIA platform offering comprehensive financial planning with an evidence-based investment approach. Comparable to Elwood & Goetz in fee-only fiduciary structure, comprehensive planning bundling, and academic research orientation, though much larger in scale.
• XY Planning Network: Network of fee-only financial advisors serving young professionals and mass-affluent clients, with no AUM minimums. Directly comparable to Elwood & Goetz's fee-only, no-minimum, young-professional-tilting positioning, though operating as a support network rather than a single firm.
• Facet Wealth: Flat-fee digital RIA providing comprehensive financial planning to mass-affluent clients nationwide. Directly comparable to Elwood & Goetz's no-minimum, fully-remote planning delivery and bundling of all planning services into a single fee, though delivered via a digital platform rather than ensemble teams.

Broad incumbents

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Large independent broker-dealer and RIA-supporting platform serving affiliated advisors with planning tools and investment solutions. Adjacent to Elwood & Goetz's fee-only model but supports a broader range of advisor types (commission, fee-based, fee-only).
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large hybrid RIA combining robo-advisor technology with human advisors for comprehensive financial planning. Comparable in offering comprehensive planning to mass-affluent and HNW clients, though with significant proprietary technology scale beyond Elwood & Goetz.
• Carson Group: National RIA platform supporting affiliated advisors with technology, compliance, and investment resources. Comparable in serving independent advisors seeking scale infrastructure, though offering a partnership model rather than direct client service like Elwood & Goetz.
• Creative Planning: One of the largest independent, fee-only RIAs in the U.S. offering comprehensive wealth management. Comparable service model (fee-only, comprehensive planning) but at vastly greater scale and with a broader national footprint than Elwood & Goetz.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large national RIA platform offering comprehensive planning, investment management, and estate services to HNW and ultra-HNW clients. Same comprehensive-planning, fee-based model as Elwood & Goetz but with significantly more scale, offices, and platform capabilities.

Emerging players

• Empower (formerly Personal Capital): Hybrid digital RIA combining free financial tools with human advisors delivering comprehensive planning, often at flat or low AUM fees. Competes with Elwood & Goetz for tech-savvy mass-affluent clients nationwide, though at a different price point and delivery model.
• Betterment: Leading robo-advisor offering automated investment management and goal-based planning at low fees. Indirectly competitive with Elwood & Goetz's mass-affluent, no-minimum segment by providing a low-cost digital alternative to human advisory services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/elwoodandgoetz
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elwoodgoetz
• Instagraminstagram.com/elwoodgoetz

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Elwood and Goetz