Ledford Planning Service

What Ledford Planning Service does

Ledford Planning Service is an independent financial planning and advisory practice founded in 1984 by Michael S. Ledford, CLU, ChFC, RICP, and headquartered at 1802 Skyline Drive in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The firm serves high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners, providing strategic financial planning across estate planning, retirement income planning, business succession planning, income protection, long-term care protection, charitable giving, and wealth transfer. Its service offering is split into a Business Services suite (executive compensation, key person protection, salary continuation, qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, group life and health insurance) and a Family Services suite (retirement income, estate, income replacement, long-term care, charitable giving, wealth transfer). Deliverables are produced manually through personalized consultations rather than a software platform, supported by an educational Learning Center of 25+ financial calculators, research articles, newsletters, flipbooks, videos, and a tax library.

The firm operates as a sole-practitioner-style practice with 1–10 employees and a relationship-based, referral-driven sales motion targeting HNW and business-owner clients in the Southeast US. Revenue is generated through financial advisory and planning fees, insurance product commissions (life, health, long-term care), and securities and investment advisory fees. Securities are distributed through The O.N. Equity Sales Company (Member FINRA/SIPC), and investment advisory services are provided through O.N. Investment Management Company — both are core channel partners that enable the firm to offer regulated products it does not build itself. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured per engagement based on complexity and assets under management.

The firm's differentiation rests on the founder's 40+ years of practice experience and his stack of professional designations (CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, RICP), augmented by sustained industry recognition including multiple Million Dollar Round Table qualifications and multiple National Quality Awards. The competitive position is that of a small, credentialed advisory practice rather than a scalable technology business: there is no proprietary platform, no app, no API, no AI/ML capability, no funding, no parent or subsidiary structure, and a single office geography. Material risks include key-person dependency on the founder, limited succession infrastructure, and competitive pressure from AI-enabled and larger-scale wealth management platforms.

Name

Ledford Planning Service

Legal name

Ledford Planning Service

Website

https://ledfordplanningservice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ledford Planning Service is an independent financial planning practice in Chattanooga, Tennessee, founded in 1984 by Michael S. Ledford, serving high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners with estate, retirement income, business succession, and income protection planning delivered through personalized advisory engagements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Pension Funds (525110)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Owner & Executive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAO), Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB), Employee Benefit & Retirement Plan Trust Services (FSAAANAC)

Keywords

• Financial planning services
• Estate planning advisory
• Retirement income planning
• Business succession planning
• Wealth preservation strategies

Headquarters

HQ city

Chattanooga

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory and Planning Fees: The firm generates revenue through financial advisory fees for services including estate planning, retirement income planning, business succession planning, and wealth management. Additional revenue streams come from insurance product commissions (life, health, long-term care) and securities advisory fees through affiliated O.N. Equity Sales Company and O.N. Investment Management Company.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ledford Planning Service is an independent financial advisory firm that delivers comprehensive financial planning for businesses and families. Services include estate planning, retirement income planning, business succession planning, income protection, long-term care protection, charitable giving, and wealth transfer, along with executive compensation and group insurance solutions for businesses. Securities and investment advisory offerings are distributed through affiliations with The O.N. Equity Sales Company and O.N. Investment Management Company.

Product overview

Ledford Planning Service is a financial advisory firm offering a unified suite of planning services rather than a modular software platform. The firm provides business services (Executive Compensation Plans, Key Person Protection, Salary Continuation Plans, Business Succession Planning, Qualified and Non-Qualified Retirement Plans, Group Life and Health Insurance) and family services (Retirement Income Planning, Estate Planning, Income Replacement, Long Term Care Protection, Charitable Giving, Wealth Transfer). These services are delivered alongside an educational Learning Center featuring over 25 financial calculators (including Cash Flow Analysis, Retirement Portfolio Lifespan, Mortgage Acceleration, and various tax/retirement calculators), comprehensive research articles, newsletters, flipbooks, videos, and a tax library. The calculators are educational tools for client use rather than a distinct product line.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Compensation Plans Customized compensation packages designed for executives, including deferred compensation, equity participation, and benefit arrangements.
• Key Person Protection Insurance and financial strategies to protect businesses from the loss of critical employees.
• Salary Continuation Plans Employee benefit plans that provide continued salary payments during periods of disability or other qualifying absences.
• Business Succession Planning Strategic planning services to ensure smooth ownership and management transitions for family or partner-owned businesses.
• Qualified and Non-Qualified Retirement Plans Design, implementation, and management of employer-sponsored retirement plans including 401(k), profit-sharing, and executive deferred compensation arrangements.
• Group Life and Health Insurance Employee benefit insurance products providing life and health coverage for business employees.
• Retirement Income Planning Comprehensive planning to help individuals generate sustainable income streams during retirement years.
• Estate Planning Strategies for organizing the transfer of assets, minimizing estate taxes, and ensuring wishes are fulfilled upon death.
• Income Replacement Life and disability insurance solutions to replace income lost due to death or incapacity.
• Long Term Care Protection Insurance products and strategies to cover extended care expenses associated with aging or chronic illness.
• Charitable Giving Planned giving strategies including charitable trusts, donor advised funds, and other vehicles to support philanthropic goals.
• Wealth Transfer Multi-generational wealth transfer strategies including trusts, family limited partnerships, and gifting strategies.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• The O.N. Equity Sales CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities offered through The O.N. Equity Sales Company, Member FINRA/SIPC, One Financial Way, Cincinnati, OH 45242 (513)794-6794. This is a critical distribution partnership enabling the firm to offer securities products to clients.
• O.N. Investment Management CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationInvestment Advisory services offered through O.N. Investment Management Company, providing access to managed investment advisory solutions for clients.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Direct peers

• Carson Group: Advisor coaching and wealth management firm helping independent financial advisors scale practices serving HNW clients with comprehensive planning. Comparable in serving similar-sized independent advisory practices targeting HNW and business-owner segments.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Independent wealth advisory firm providing comprehensive financial planning, estate, retirement, tax, and business owner advisory services. Comparable in offering the same dual-track business/family planning value proposition that Ledford provides.
• Edelman Financial Engines: National financial planning firm combining human advisors with technology-driven planning tools, serving HNW individuals and business owners with retirement, investment, and estate planning. Comparable comprehensive planning model.
• Creative Planning: Large national RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, tax, estate, and retirement services to HNW individuals and business owners. Directly comparable business model and service suite to Ledford Planning Service, though at much greater scale.
• Sequoia Financial Group: Fee-only wealth advisory firm providing financial planning, investment management, retirement plan services, and estate planning to HNW clients and business owners. Comparable service breadth and target client profile to Ledford Planning Service.

Broad incumbents

• Kestra Financial: Independent wealth management platform whose subsidiary The O.N. Equity Sales Company is Ledford's actual BD affiliate. Comparable as the parent/channel enabling Ledford's securities and advisory services.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer and RIA supporting independent financial advisors with practice management, technology, and product access. Functions as a peer channel to Ledford's O.N. Equity affiliation.
• Cetera Financial Group: Large independent broker-dealer and RIA network that supports thousands of independent financial advisors with securities, advisory, and insurance distribution. Comparable in that Ledford uses a similar BD/RIA affiliation model (O.N. Equity / Kestra) to access product shelves.
• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S., supporting thousands of independent financial advisors with securities, advisory, and insurance distribution. Comparable as an alternative BD/RIA channel for practices similar to Ledford.
• Fisher Investments: Large independent investment advisory firm managing portfolios for HNW individuals and institutions. Comparable in operating as an independent advisory practice, though far larger and more specialized toward discretionary portfolio management rather than holistic planning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ledford-planning-svc

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 Ledford Planning Service