Shaw Financial Services

What Shaw Financial Services does

Shaw Financial Services, now operating as Forge Financial Services, is a privately held registered investment advisor headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma, with a secondary office in Tulsa. Founded in 2003, the firm delivers personalized investment planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, and relationship management services, and connects clients to external tax and estate planning professionals. Its advisory approach is differentiated by a faith-based investment philosophy and the integration of Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps methodology into client engagements, targeting families and individuals—primarily in Oklahoma—seeking values-aligned, holistic financial guidance.

The firm operates as a traditional human-led advisory practice rather than a technology platform. Securities and brokerage execution are routed through LPL Financial, a third-party registered broker-dealer and FINRA/SIPC member, while Forge Financial functions as a separate registered investment advisor providing the advisory relationship and financial planning layer. The firm's web presence and marketing assets are built on a standard Squarespace CMS, and no proprietary technology, integrations, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. All service delivery is anchored on personal advisor-client meetings and educational content.

Commercially, the firm generates revenue through investment advisory fees—most likely structured as a percentage of assets under management or flat-fee arrangements—billed against personalized plans. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated individually. Customer acquisition is driven primarily by the firm's Dave Ramsey SmartVestor Pro directory listing (a 20+ year relationship making it the longest-tenured SmartVestor Pro in Oklahoma and the 2nd longest nationally), supplemented by its website and community referrals. With 11-50 employees and operations concentrated in Oklahoma, the firm is a regional, relationship-driven RIA with no disclosed funding, M&A activity, or institutional ownership.

Name

Shaw Financial Services

Legal name

Forge Financial Services, LLC

Website

https://shawfinancialinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shaw Financial Services, operating as Forge Financial Services, is an Oklahoma-based registered investment advisor providing faith-based investment, retirement, insurance, and estate planning services to families and individuals, with securities offered through LPL Financial.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Trusts, Estates, and Agency Accounts (525920)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trust, Fiduciary & Estate Planning Services (FSABADAG), Estate Planning & Trust Structuring Advisory (FSAEAKAC)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmond

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 Services: The firm provides investment advisory services as a registered investment advisor, earning fees for financial planning and investment management services. Securities are offered through LPL Financial, a registered broker-dealer and investment advisor.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Forge Financial Services (formerly Shaw Financial Services LLC) is a faith-focused registered investment advisory firm providing personalized financial planning services to individuals and families. Its core offerings include Investment Planning, Retirement Planning, Insurance Planning, and Relationship Management, delivered through a team of advisors who integrate Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps methodology. Securities transactions are executed through LPL Financial, a third-party broker-dealer, while investment advice is provided directly by the firm.

Product overview

Forge Financial Services (formerly Shaw Financial Services LLC) is a unified financial advisory service offering four integrated core services: Investment Planning, Retirement Planning, Insurance Planning, and Relationship Management. As a Dave Ramsey SmartVestor Pro, the firm also embeds the Baby Steps methodology into its service delivery. The company operates as a single cohesive offering rather than a platform with separate modules, providing holistic financial guidance through a team-based advisory approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LPL FinancialcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities are offered through LPL Financial, a registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC. Forge Financial Services operates as a registered investment advisor separate from but affiliated with LPL Financial for securities transactions and investment product distribution.
• Dave Ramsey / SmartVestorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerForge Financial is a SmartVestor Pro, listed in Dave Ramsey's directory of investment professionals. The firm has maintained a relationship with Dave Ramsey for over 20 years. Dave Ramsey's Baby Steps methodology is integrated into the firm's business approach.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Direct peers

• RonaldBlueTrust: Faith-based, fee-only RIA providing investment, retirement, estate, and tax planning for families and individuals. Closest direct peer: same faith-aligned positioning, similar holistic planning offering, and overlapping target client.
• Stewardship Financial Services: Faith-based financial planning firm serving individuals, families, and churches with investment, retirement, and stewardship planning. Comparable values-based positioning and similar holistic planning services for a faith-aligned client base.
• Local SmartVestor Pros in Oklahoma: Other Dave Ramsey SmartVestor Pro advisors operating in the same Oklahoma geography. They share the same directory-based lead channel, the Baby Steps methodology, and a faith/value-aligned client base, making them the most directly competitive peers for the same households.
• Faithward Advisors: Faith-based, fee-only RIA offering financial planning and investment management to Christian families and ministries. Closest faith-aligned direct peer, with similar values-based positioning and comparable scale.

Broad incumbents

• Carson Group: Wealth management firm that supports a national network of financial advisors. Comparable in offering advisors a turnkey platform for holistic financial planning, retirement, and investment services, though at much greater scale and with a corporate ownership model.
• Edward Jones: Large U.S. retail financial advisory firm with a deeply relationship-driven, branch-based model. Comparable in target market (mass-affluent families) and emphasis on long-term advisor-client relationships, but operates at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Northwestern Mutual: Large U.S. financial services firm combining insurance and investment/retirement planning with a relationship-driven advisor model. Comparable in bundling insurance with investment and retirement planning for families, though at far greater scale and with proprietary products.
• Creative Planning: Large independent RIA providing comprehensive wealth management, retirement, tax, and estate planning to high-net-worth and mass-affluent households. Overlapping in service breadth and holistic planning orientation, with significantly larger AUM and national footprint.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National RIA offering investment, retirement, tax, estate, and insurance planning to families and institutions. Comparable in the integrated family-wealth offering and the Oklahoma/regional presence is similar in scale; however, Mariner is a much larger, PE-backed consolidator.

Emerging players

• DaVinci Financial Planning: Independent, fee-only RIA offering comprehensive financial planning including investments, retirement, and insurance. Comparable in holistic planning offering for individuals, but more virtual/digital and less anchored in a single community than Forge.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Shaw Financial Services