The Preferred Client Group
The Preferred Client Group, LLC is a fee-based fiduciary advisory firm providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management to individuals, families, trusts, and endowments across the United States, operating under the Wealthplan Investment Management brand.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersRaleigh, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Preferred Client Group does
The Preferred Client Group, LLC is a fee-based fiduciary financial planning and investment management advisory firm headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, serving individuals and families across the United States. The firm delivers comprehensive financial planning services covering retirement, tax, estate, 401(k)/403(b), college, profit-sharing, and money purchase planning, alongside investment management through its Wealthplan Investment Management brand. Investment offerings include bonds, common stock, Treasury securities, brokerage accounts, annuities, and retirement accounts (SEP IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k), 403(b)), with portfolios customized to client goals, risk tolerance, and tax strategy.
The underlying technology stack centers on the Riskalyze risk-assessment platform, which quantifies client risk tolerance via the "Risk Number" framework to align investment recommendations with measured risk capacity. Charles Schwab serves as the custodian for client accounts through the Schwab Alliance portal, providing institutional-grade custody and account access. The firm does not disclose proprietary technology beyond these third-party integrations and relies on consultative, relationship-driven service delivery via in-person, phone, and virtual consultations.
The business model is a subscription/recurring AUM-based fee structure with publicly disclosed tiered pricing: 1.15% on the first $500K, 0.85% on $500K-$1M, 0.65% on $1M-$2M, and 0.5% on balances above $2M. Primary customer segments are individuals and families seeking multi-generational financial planning, with trusts and endowments as a secondary segment. Client acquisition is conducted primarily through referral networks anchored by founder Paul Pittman's CFP® credentials and 40+ years of industry presence, supplemented by content marketing across the firm's website and social channels. The firm is privately held with no external institutional investors disclosed.
The Preferred Client Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Preferred Client Group
- Legal name
- The Preferred Client Group, LLC
- Website
- https://pcgnc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Preferred Client Group, LLC is a fee-based fiduciary advisory firm providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management to individuals, families, trusts, and endowments across the United States, operating under the Wealthplan Investment Management brand.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Preferred Client Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wealth Management & Financial Advisory
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (52592)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Broker-Dealer Affiliated Wealth Advisory (FSAEABAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Personal & Family Trust Services (FSAAANAA), Personal Trust & Fiduciary Administration (FSAEAKAA)
Keywords
Where The Preferred Client Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Raleigh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Preferred Client Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advisory Fees (AUM-based): Fee-based fiduciary model charging percentage of assets under management (AUM). Rates tier based on account value: 1.15% for $0-$500K, 0.85% for $500K-$1M, 0.65% for $1M-$2M, and 0.5% for accounts $2M and above. Services include comprehensive financial planning and investment management.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Tiered AUM-based fee schedule ranging from 1.15% to 0.5% depending on account size |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
The Preferred Client Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Preferred Client Group is a fee-based fiduciary advisory firm providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management services to individuals and families. Its offerings include retirement, tax, estate, 401(k)/403(b), college, profit-sharing, and money purchasing planning, together with customized investment portfolios spanning bonds, common stock, Treasury securities, annuities, SEP/Roth IRAs, brokerage accounts, and other retirement vehicles, delivered under the Wealthplan Investment Management brand.
Product overview
The Preferred Client Group offers a unified financial advisory service combining fee-based comprehensive financial planning and investment management under Wealthplan Investment Management. The firm operates as a Fiduciary CFP® Professional-led advisory firm providing services to individuals and families, with investment offerings including bonds, stocks, Treasury securities, annuities, and retirement accounts (IRA, Roth IRA, SEP IRA, 401(k), 403(b)).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Comprehensive Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning service for individuals and families covering retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning, 401(k) and 403(b) planning, college planning, profit-sharing planning, and money purchasing planning. Delivered as an ongoing consultative process by CFP® professionals on a fee-based fiduciary basis.
- Investment Management (Wealthplan Investment Management) Customized investment management service offered under the Wealthplan Investment Management brand, building portfolios tailored to each client's goals, risk tolerance (measured via Riskalyze), tax strategy, and financial objectives. Investment vehicles include bonds, common stock, Treasury bills and notes, brokerage accounts, government securities, annuities, SEP IRA, Roth IRA, and other retirement accounts. Fee-based with tiered AUM pricing.
Companies that use The Preferred Client Group
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Preferred Client Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature1 record
The Preferred Client Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Wealthplan Investment ManagementcoreParent/advisory entity through which The Preferred Client Group offers investment management services. The Preferred Client Group operates as an advisory practice under the Wealthplan Investment Management brand, with Paul Pittman serving as President and Managing Director.
- Charles SchwabcoreCustodian for client accounts through Schwab Alliance platform, providing secure account management and access for The Preferred Client Group clients.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The Preferred Client Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Carson Group (Carson Wealth): RIA support platform serving independent financial advisors with practice management, technology, and back-office infrastructure. Comparable to The Preferred Client Group as a fee-based fiduciary wealth advisory firm serving individuals and families.
- Mercer Advisors: Large national RIA with a hub-and-spoke model serving HNW clients through comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and trust services. Closely aligned on multi-generational family-office-style offerings.
- Mariner Wealth Advisors: National RIA providing comprehensive wealth advisory, investment management, tax, and estate planning to HNW individuals and families. Directly comparable multi-generational planning focus and fee-based fiduciary model.
- WealthPlan Investment Management: The parent advisory platform under which The Preferred Client Group offers its investment management services, with shared operations oversight by COO Sarah McLean. Functions as both partner and operational twin in the multi-family-office / RIA space.
- Creative Planning: Large national RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and tax services to individuals and families on a fee-based fiduciary basis. Directly comparable in service mix and target client, but at materially greater scale.
- Sanctuary Wealth: Wealth platform supporting independent advisors offering comprehensive financial planning and investment management. Comparable service mix and consultative, relationship-led model with high-net-worth individuals and families.
- Focus Financial Partners: Partnership model aggregator of independent RIAs and wealth advisory firms. The Preferred Client Group's referral-led, founder-driven model mirrors the type of practices Focus targets for affiliation.
Broad incumbents
- Edward Jones: National full-service wealth advisory firm with a heavy branch-network distribution model targeting individuals and families for retirement and investment planning. Overlaps with The Preferred Client Group on core financial planning and investment management services.
- Charles Schwab Wealth Advisory: Schwab's in-house advisory offering — directly relevant since The Preferred Client Group custodies its client accounts at Schwab. Comparable fee-based, planning-led wealth management proposition at far greater scale with a digital-first overlay.
- Commonwealth Financial Network: Large independent broker-dealer / RIA support platform serving thousands of advisors across the country. Overlaps in providing back-office, custody integration, and compliance infrastructure for fee-based fiduciary advisory practices.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Preferred Client Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Preferred Client Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
The Preferred Client Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Preferred Client Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
The Preferred Client Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Preferred Client Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Preferred Client Group
What does The Preferred Client Group do?
The Preferred Client Group is a fee-based fiduciary advisory firm providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management services to individuals and families. Its offerings include retirement, tax, estate, 401(k)/403(b), college, profit-sharing, and money purchasing planning, together with customized investment portfolios spanning bonds, common stock, Treasury securities, annuities, SEP/Roth IRAs, brokerage accounts, and other retirement vehicles, delivered under the Wealthplan Investment Management brand.
Is The Preferred Client Group a public or private company?
The Preferred Client Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Preferred Client Group founded?
The Preferred Client Group was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Preferred Client Group based?
The Preferred Client Group is headquartered in Raleigh, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Preferred Client Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: advisory Fees (AUM-based).
Who are The Preferred Client Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Carson Group (Carson Wealth), Mercer Advisors, Mariner Wealth Advisors, WealthPlan Investment Management, Creative Planning, Sanctuary Wealth and Focus Financial Partners. Broad incumbents are Edward Jones, Charles Schwab Wealth Advisory and Commonwealth Financial Network.
Does The Preferred Client Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Preferred Client Group.
What industry is The Preferred Client Group in?
The Preferred Client Group's product category is Wealth Management & Financial Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEABAB, Broker-Dealer Affiliated Wealth Advisory, with a secondary code of FSAAANAA, Personal & Family Trust Services. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.