GNZ Financial

What GNZ Financial does

GNZ Financial is a Troy, Michigan-based independent financial advisory firm founded in January 1988 by Greg Zott. As of the input data, the practice is operated by two partners — Greg Zott (Founder and Partner) and Scott Hilliard (Partner, joined October 2023) — with unspecified supporting staff, delivering services through direct advisor-client relationships both in-person at the firm's 'Top of Troy' headquarters (755 West Big Beaver Road, Suite 2020) and virtually via Zoom. Both named advisors operate as investment advisor representatives of USA Financial Securities, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer and registered investment advisor headquartered in Ada, Michigan, which provides the firm's regulatory, custody, compliance, and back-office infrastructure.

The firm's core intellectual property consists of the proprietary Perspective Formula, a seven-pillar planning framework (Retirement Planning, Wealth Management & Investment Strategy, Social Security Strategy, Risk Management, Tax Planning, Legacy Planning, and Value-Added Services) centered on Family, Occupation, and Recreation, paired with the trademarked Asset Cycle Portfolio System® investment methodology that assigns specific tasks to assets across short-, mid-, and long-term horizons. The firm operates a "Plan First, Invest Second®" philosophy and has developed two vertical-specific processes — the Michigan Retirement Process for State of Michigan employees and the Educators Retirement Process for Michigan public school teachers — supported by dedicated on-demand webinar curricula. A four-step client engagement flow (15-minute introduction call, discovery meeting, custom plan design, deploy-and-monitor) structures the delivery model, with auxiliary services in Social Security optimization, life insurance, work-optional lifestyle planning, and legacy planning via a Wealth.com digital estate planning partnership.

Revenue is generated primarily through investment advisory fees and commissions on securities and insurance products under the USA Financial Securities affiliation, supplemented by affiliate referral revenue from a Wealth.com estate planning platform offered to clients at a one-time $299 price point and life insurance product commissions. Go-to-market is sales-led and content-driven: lead generation runs through specialized webinars targeting State of Michigan employees and Michigan public school educators, the Modest Millionaire branded video platform on YouTube, a monthly newsletter ("Journeys with GNZ"), a financial planning blog, financial calculators, and Calendly-driven introductory calls. No revenue figures are publicly disclosed, the firm does not operate through marketplace, app store, or embedded distribution channels, and its advisor registrations cover Michigan plus Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio, and Washington.

Name

GNZ Financial

Legal name

GNZ Financial

Website

https://gnzfinancial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GNZ Financial is a Troy, Michigan-based independent financial advisory firm founded in 1988, serving State of Michigan employees, Michigan public school educators, working professionals, and retirees through a proprietary seven-pillar planning framework under the USA Financial Securities affiliation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Retirement Planning & Long-Term Financial Planning Tools (FSAGADAI)

Keywords

• Retirement planning services
• Financial advisory services
• Wealth management strategies
• Investment advisory services
• Estate planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Troy

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Fees: GNZ Financial provides investment management and strategic wealth planning through its advisors, who are registered representatives and investment advisor representatives of USA Financial Securities. Revenue is generated through advisory fees and/or commissions on securities transactions and insurance products sold to clients.
2. Wealth.com Estate Planning Platform Referral: GNZ Financial offers access to the Wealth.com digital estate planning platform for a one-time cost of $299, providing a digital estate planning solution for clients. The firm acts as a referral channel for this platform.
3. Life Insurance Products: GNZ Financial offers life insurance as a financial product through affiliated insurance companies. The firm is affiliated with insurance providers to offer this product, generating commission revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GNZ Financial is an independent financial advisory firm that delivers comprehensive retirement planning, wealth management, investment advisory, Social Security optimization, risk management, tax planning, and legacy planning services to individual clients, built around its proprietary Perspective Formula framework and the trademarked Asset Cycle Portfolio System® investment methodology. The firm specializes in serving State of Michigan employees, Michigan public school educators, working professionals, and pre-retirees/retirees across multiple U.S. states. Services are delivered through direct advisor relationships (Greg Zott and Scott Hilliard) operating as investment advisor representatives of USA Financial Securities.

Product overview

GNZ Financial is a financial advisory firm offering a comprehensive suite of financial planning and wealth management services led by Greg Zott (Founder and Partner) and Scott Hilliard (Partner). The core offering centers on the proprietary Perspective Formula framework built on seven pillars: Retirement Planning, Wealth Management & Investment Strategy, Social Security Strategy, Risk Management, Tax Planning, Legacy Planning, and Value-Added Services. Investment management is delivered through the trademarked Asset Cycle Portfolio System® that assigns specific tasks to assets across short-term income, mid-term income, and long-term growth. The firm specializes in serving State of Michigan employees and Michigan Public School Educators with tailored retirement processes. Additional services include Social Security optimization, legacy planning through Wealth.com partnership, life insurance services, and the Work Optional Lifestyle planning concept. The firm also provides educational content through the Modest Millionaire platform, the Journeys with GNZ monthly newsletter, and various financial calculators. The planning approach follows a 'Plan First, Invest Second' philosophy delivered through a four-step process: Introduction Call, Discover Meeting, Design personal financial plan, and Deploy & Monitor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Modest Millionaire: A financial education platform created by GNZ Financial to share insights, best practices, and practical resources to help craft financial plans and define paths toward financial freedom. Features video episodes on topics including cybersecurity, investing, social security, and wealth.

Products and services

• Wealth Management & Investment Strategies
• Retirement Planning Services
• State of Michigan Employees Retirement Planning
• Michigan Public School Educators Retirement Planning
• Social Security Strategies
• Legacy Planning with Wealth.com
• Life Insurance Services
• Work Optional Lifestyle Planning
• Working Professionals & Career Change Planning
• Financial Planning Process

Quantifiable outcome

• The firm has served clients for 37+ years since founding in January 1988, indicating long-term client retention and sustained business performance.

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

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USA Financial (USA Financial Securities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGNZ Financial's primary affiliated firm. Greg Zott and Scott Hilliard are investment advisor representatives of, and advisory services are offered through, USA Financial Securities, a FINRA-registered broker-dealer and registered investment advisor headquartered in Ada, MI. USA Financial provides technology, compliance infrastructure, coaching, and a suite of financial services including a broker-dealer, insurance wholesaler, registered investment advisor, formulaic money manager, UMA/TAMP platform, and marketing support. USA Financial celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2023 and is an Inc. 5000 company.
• Wealth.comcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGNZ Financial has partnered with Wealth.com, a digital estate planning platform, to provide an affordable online estate planning solution for clients and Michigan families. The platform is offered for a one-time cost of $299, allowing users to create estate planning documents (wills, trusts, financial power of attorney, healthcare directives) at their own pace. Wealth.com documents are legally valid in all 50 US states and Washington D.C.
• Axos Advisors (Custodian)minorOthersOne of two custodians referenced on the GNZ Financial client portal page for account access. Clients can access their Axos Advisors account through the GNZ client center login portal.
• Charles Schwab (Custodian)minorOthersOne of two custodians referenced on the GNZ Financial client portal page for account access. Clients can access their Charles Schwab account through the GNZ client center login portal.
• VOYA (State of Michigan 457 & 401K Plan Administrator)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVoya Financial serves as the administrator for State of Michigan 457 and 401K plans under the Defined Contribution Plan and Pension Plus Plan. GNZ Financial frequently references Voya as a key resource for Michigan public sector clients, recommending clients log into their VOYA accounts for plan information.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Peers

• Fisher Investments:

Broad incumbents

• Edward Jones: Large national advisor-based wealth management firm serving mass-affluent clients including retirees; uses a local-branch advisor model with FINRA-registered representatives. Closest scaled analogue to GNZ's high-touch, advisor-led distribution model targeting similar demographics (pre-retirees, public-sector employees).

Direct peers

• USA Financial Securities: GNZ's primary broker-dealer and registered investment advisor affiliate; Greg Zott and Scott Hilliard are IARs of USA Financial Securities. Operates the same independent advisor model from Michigan (HQ in Ada, MI), provides TAMP/UMA, compliance, and back-office infrastructure — making it both an operational partner and the closest business-model peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ModestMillionaire-GNZ
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 GNZ Financial