Duncan Williams Asset Management

What Duncan Williams Asset Management does

Duncan Williams Asset Management (DWAM) is a privately held, SEC-registered investment adviser headquartered in a single Memphis, Tennessee office at 5350 Poplar Ave., Suite 600. The firm serves individuals, families, small and midsize businesses, enterprises, and non-profits across the Memphis / Mid-South region (West Tennessee, North Mississippi, Eastern Arkansas), and is led operationally by its Investment Management Group (IMG): President David Scully, CFA, CFP (20+ years of experience); CIO Kyle Gowen, CFA, CFP (MBA in finance from Tulane University); and Investment Analyst Jack Eason, CFA. Chairman Duncan Williams anchors the firm's civic identity through the recurring "FOR MEMPHIS" community newsletter and visible regional board participation.

DWAM's offering is organized around advisor-led service lines rather than a proprietary technology platform: Personal Finances, Retirement Planning, Retirement Plan Services, Cash Management, Education Planning, Life Changes, Institutional Services, Family Matters, Estate Planning, and a Career Transition Toolkit. The IMG develops and implements investment strategy applied across all client relationships. Differentiated workflow features include tax-aware retirement withdrawal sequencing across 401(k), IRA, Roth, and taxable accounts coordinated with RMDs, Social Security taxation, and Medicare premiums; and an annual "Retirement Paycheck" review that adjusts withdrawal plans each year rather than relying on rigid rules like the 4% rule.

The firm generates revenue primarily from recurring investment advisory fees on assets under management, supplemented by project-based and ongoing fees for financial planning, retirement plan services, and institutional engagements. Pricing and fee schedules are not publicly disclosed; engagement begins with a consultation and is formalized through a client service agreement. DWAM is privately held with no disclosed external investors, funding events, M&A activity, or parent-subsidiary relationships, and operates as a founder/management-controlled independent RIA.

Name

Duncan Williams Asset Management

Legal name

Duncan Williams Asset Management

Website

https://dwassetmgmt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Duncan Williams Asset Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser in Memphis, Tennessee, providing investment management, retirement income planning, and financial advisory services to individuals, families, businesses, and non-profits across the Mid-South region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Investment Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAAABAC

Discretionary Portfolio Management (DPM)

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Private Banking & HNW/UHNW Wealth Management

SECONDARYFSAAABAD

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary)

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Private Banking & HNW/UHNW Wealth Management

SECONDARYFSAAACAE

Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers)

Financial & Insurance/Asset & Wealth Management/Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) & Independent Wealth Managers

Keywords

• Investment advisory services
• Retirement income planning
• Financial planning services
• Portfolio management
• Wealth management

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Fees: As an SEC-registered investment adviser, DWAM generates revenue from fees on assets under management (AUM) and advisory relationships for individuals, families, institutions, non-profits, and retirement plans. Standard investment-adviser fee model.
2. Financial Planning & Retirement Plan Services: Recurring and project-based revenue from financial planning, retirement income planning, retirement plan services (for small/mid-size/enterprise businesses), estate planning, education planning, and institutional services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

Duncan Williams Asset Management (DWAM) is an SEC-registered investment adviser that delivers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management through its Investment Management Group (IMG), supported by a suite of financial planning and retirement income advisory services for individuals, families, businesses, and non-profits. The firm coordinates portfolio strategy with tax-aware retirement withdrawal planning, RMD management, Social Security and Medicare planning, and institutional retirement plan services, anchored by an annual "retirement paycheck" review process.

Product overview

Duncan Williams Asset Management (DWAM) is a single-firm SEC-registered investment advisory practice rather than a multi-product software platform. Its offering is organized around an Investment Management Group (IMG) team that develops and implements investment strategies, supported by a suite of client-facing advisory service lines including Personal Finances, Retirement Planning, Retirement Plan Services, Cash Management, Education Planning, Life Changes, Institutional Services, Family Matters, and Estate Planning. The Retirement Planning service line is the most heavily content-marketed, with emphasis on annual "retirement paycheck" reviews, 401(k) withdrawal sequencing, RMD coordination, and Roth conversion strategy. Institutional clients (non-profit, enterprise, midsize business) are served through Institutional Services and Retirement Plan Services. The IMG team serves as the engine that translates research and market commentary into the investment strategies applied across all these service lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Investment Management Group (IMG): Internal investment management team at Duncan Williams Asset Management, led by President David Scully, CFA, CFP; CIO Kyle Gowen, CFA, CFP; and Investment Analyst Jack Eason, CFA. Oversees investment strategy and publishes market commentary.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tenure signal: IMG President David Scully has more than 20 years of investment management experience
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Memphis Chamber (Greater Memphis Chamber)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe 'FOR MEMPHIS' newsletter explicitly solicits submissions to [email protected] and links readers to 'Check Out More Good News' hosted by the Greater Memphis Chamber. Duncan Williams (Chairman) is publicly identified as a Chamber-affiliated civic voice, co-promoting positive Memphis stories alongside Chamber programming.
• Slingshot MemphisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSlingshot Memphis partnered with TNAchieves on a workforce-development event at which Duncan Williams (DWAM Chairman) was a speaker promoting workforce initiatives 'FOR MEMPHIS.'
• TNAchievesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTNAchieves co-hosted the Slingshot Memphis workforce event where DWAM's Chairman spoke about why workforce matters for Memphis.
• Tulane University (MBA program)

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Independent, fee-only RIA providing evidence-based financial planning, retirement income, tax, and estate planning to individuals and families. Highly comparable as a similarly-sized advisor-led fiduciary RIA focused on holistic retirement and tax-aware planning.

Broad incumbents

• Carson Group: National RIA and coaching-based platform supporting independent advisor practices with investment management, financial planning, and back-office infrastructure. Comparable in independent-RIA positioning and advisor-led service model targeting individuals and small businesses.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large national independent RIA combining advisor-led planning with technology-enabled portfolio management for individuals, retirement plan participants, and institutional clients. Comparable in fiduciary RIA positioning and breadth of retirement-focused offerings.
• Mercer Advisors: National independent RIA providing wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan services with a focus on consolidating breakaway advisors. Comparable in independent fiduciary model, institutional services, and advisor-roll-in growth strategy.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large national independent RIA providing comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan services to individuals and institutions. Comparable as a fiduciary, fee-based, advisor-led RIA serving overlapping client segments.
• Regions Wealth Management: Wealth management division of Regions Bank serving individuals, families, businesses, and non-profits across the Southeast, including Memphis. Comparable as a regional bank-affiliated wealth provider competing for the same Mid-South HNW and institutional clients.
• Creative Planning: Large national fiduciary RIA offering financial planning, investment management, retirement, estate, and tax services to individuals and institutions. Comparable in comprehensive service offering and SEC-registered fiduciary model.

Regional players

• Pinnacle Financial Partners: Tennessee-headquartered bank with wealth management operations across the Southeast including Memphis, serving businesses, non-profits, and HNW individuals. Comparable as a Tennessee-based competitor offering investment advisory and retirement plan services to overlapping segments.
• Argent Financial Group: Independent, fiduciary RIA with deep Mid-South/Southeast presence serving individuals, institutions, non-profits, and retirement plans. Directly comparable to DWAM in regional footprint, institutional service mix, and SEC-registered independent advisory model.
• First Horizon Advisors: Memphis-headquartered wealth management affiliate of First Horizon Corporation offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement services. Comparable as a Memphis-based competitor targeting the same HNW individuals, families, and Mid-South institutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DWAMASSETMGMT
• Facebookfacebook.com/DWAMASSETMGMT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duncan-williams-asset-management
• Instagraminstagram.com/dwam_memphis

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Duncan Williams Asset Management