Watters Financial Services
Watters Financial Services (operating as The Retirement Planning Group) is a Paramus, NJ-based SEC-registered investment adviser serving high net worth individuals and families nationwide with retirement planning, wealth management, tax preparation, and estate planning through a dedicated team model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersParamus, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Watters Financial Services does
Watters Financial Services, operating primarily under The Retirement Planning Group brand, is an SEC-registered investment advisory firm headquartered in Paramus, New Jersey. Founded in the mid-2000s (with corporate history referencing operations since 1986 under a related entity), the firm delivers a bundled financial services offering spanning retirement planning, portfolio management, tax return preparation and filing, estate planning, wealth management, bookkeeping, and payroll services. Its service model centers on a dedicated four-person team per client — comprising a Wealth Manager, Tax Professional, Investment Team member, and Client Relationship Manager — positioning the firm as a multi-disciplinary advisory practice rather than a single-advisor RIA.
The firm's primary technology asset is a proprietary client-facing mobile application featuring a Timeline and Vault, which surfaces account activity, transactions, conversations, trade notifications, and stored documents such as Social Security analyses and tax returns. Distribution is direct and relationship-led: dedicated wealth managers are reachable via a national toll-free number (888-988-6621), the firm publishes case studies and educational content on its website, and clients are also acquired through referrals. The firm serves clients across all 50 U.S. states from a 1–10 employee base, relying on high-touch in-person meetings, Zoom/phone calls, and the mobile app for ongoing engagement.
Revenue is generated through financial advisory and wealth management fees, likely structured as a percentage of assets under management and/or flat planning fees, with a free initial consultation as the entry point. The client base consists primarily of high net worth individuals and families, with a secondary segment of retirees and near-retirees. The firm reports a Net Promoter Score of 90 over the measurement period 10/27/2017 to 1/1/2025, and testimonial evidence suggests average client tenure exceeding 13 years. No funding rounds, institutional ownership, M&A activity, or leadership transitions are disclosed in the available data.
Watters Financial Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Watters Financial Services
- Legal name
- The Retirement Planning Group, LLC.
- Website
- https://wattersfinancial.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Watters Financial Services (operating as The Retirement Planning Group) is a Paramus, NJ-based SEC-registered investment adviser serving high net worth individuals and families nationwide with retirement planning, wealth management, tax preparation, and estate planning through a dedicated team model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Watters Financial Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retirement and Wealth Management Advisory
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Retirement & Pension Wealth (401(k)/IRA/SIPP/Superannuation Retail) (FSAAAAAJ), Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts (FSAEABAF), Retirement Income Planning & Decumulation Advisory (FSAEABAD), Business Owner & Executive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAO)
Keywords
Where Watters Financial Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paramus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Watters Financial Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Financial Advisory and Wealth Management Services: The firm generates revenue through financial advisory fees, likely structured as a percentage of assets under management (AUM) or flat fees for comprehensive planning services. The firm is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission and offers retirement planning, wealth management, and financial planning services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Free Initial Consultation |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Watters Financial Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Watters Financial Services operates as The Retirement Planning Group, an SEC-registered investment adviser that delivers retirement planning, portfolio management with rebalancing, tax return preparation and filing, estate planning, wealth management, bookkeeping, and payroll services to individuals and families across the United States. Every client is assigned a dedicated team consisting of a Wealth Manager, Tax Professional, Investment Team member, and Client Relationship Manager, supported by a proprietary mobile app that surfaces a Timeline of activity and a Vault for storing financial documents.
Product overview
The Retirement Planning Group offers a unified wealth management platform combining retirement planning, portfolio management, tax services, estate planning, bookkeeping, and payroll services. The core offerings include Retirement Planning and Portfolio Management, supported by integrated add-on modules for Tax Return Prep & Filing, Estate Planning, Wealth Management, Bookkeeping, Payroll, and Rebalancing. A proprietary Mobile App serves as the client-facing digital platform providing account access, timeline tracking, and secure document storage through an online Vault.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Retirement Planning Comprehensive retirement planning services for individuals and families, including income strategy development, Social Security analysis, and retirement reality checks to help clients prepare for their post-work years.
- Portfolio Management Investment management services delivered under a fiduciary approach, focused on building and actively monitoring client portfolios tailored to individual client needs.
- Wealth Management Comprehensive wealth management services for high-income and high net worth individuals, including certified wealth management and personal wealth management offerings.
- Tax Return Prep & Filing Tax preparation and filing services for individuals, including tax-solution strategies and year-round tax planning to minimize liabilities.
- Estate Planning Estate planning services that help clients organize and protect their assets for future distribution to beneficiaries.
- Rebalancing Portfolio rebalancing services designed to maintain target asset allocation and manage risk throughout the year.
- Bookkeeping Business bookkeeping services to help clients track and manage their financial records.
- Payroll Payroll management services for business clients to streamline employee compensation and tax withholdings.
- Mobile App Client-facing mobile application providing access to account progress, transaction history, conversations, and documents stored in a secure online Vault; serves as the firm's primary digital engagement tool.
Quantifiable outcome
- NPS Score of 90, significantly outperforming Apple's NPS of 72 and Financial Services sector average of 44
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Watters Financial Services
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Watters Financial Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Watters Financial Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Watters Financial Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Moneta Group: Fee-only RIA offering comprehensive retirement, investment, tax, and estate planning with a team-based approach. Closely comparable in service scope and fiduciary-led planning orientation.
- AE Wealth Management: Independent RIA network focused on retirement planning, wealth management, and investment advisory solutions for individuals and families. Closely comparable in specialization on retirement and tax-focused planning.
- Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Planning-led RIA offering retirement, tax, and estate planning to HNW clients with a team-based service model. Closely comparable in service mix, target client, and fiduciary approach, although national vs. mid-size in scale.
Regional players
- Stratos Wealth Partners: RIA platform delivering financial planning, retirement, and wealth management to HNW households with an integrated advisor-team model. Comparable offering profile, though structured as a multi-affiliate platform versus a single boutique firm.
Broad incumbents
- Edelman Financial Engines: One of the largest independent RIAs, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advice to millions of households. Highly comparable planning-led RIA model, but at significantly larger scale and with broader service breadth.
- Hightower Advisors: RIA platform serving HNW individuals and families with retirement, tax, and estate planning. Comparable HNW-focused wealth advisory model, but operating at much greater scale through an aggregator/RIA partnership structure.
- Carson Group / Carson Wealth: RIA platform and partnership network providing holistic financial planning, retirement, and tax services. Direct peer in offering integrated planning for HNW clients via a dedicated-advisor model.
- Focus Financial Partners: Leading RIA aggregator partnering with independent advisory firms. Provides capital, infrastructure, and scale to wealth managers like TRPG, and represents a strategic consolidation path or acquirer for firms in the space.
- Mercer Advisors: National RIA delivering comprehensive financial planning and wealth management including retirement income, tax, and estate planning. Directly comparable integrated-services RIA model, although much larger and backed by private equity (Oak Hill).
- Fisher Investments: Large privately held RIA focused on retirement and high-net-worth portfolio management. Highly comparable to TRPG's retirement-centric investment management model but operating at dramatically greater scale, serving as a benchmark for the category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Watters Financial Services social profiles
Digital presenceWatters Financial Services compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Watters Financial Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Watters Financial Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Watters Financial Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Watters Financial Services 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 Watters Financial Services
What does Watters Financial Services do?
Watters Financial Services operates as The Retirement Planning Group, an SEC-registered investment adviser that delivers retirement planning, portfolio management with rebalancing, tax return preparation and filing, estate planning, wealth management, bookkeeping, and payroll services to individuals and families across the United States. Every client is assigned a dedicated team consisting of a Wealth Manager, Tax Professional, Investment Team member, and Client Relationship Manager, supported by a proprietary mobile app that surfaces a Timeline of activity and a Vault for storing financial documents.
Is Watters Financial Services a public or private company?
Watters Financial Services is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Watters Financial Services founded?
Watters Financial Services was founded in 2004. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Watters Financial Services based?
Watters Financial Services is headquartered in Paramus, United States, in the North America region.
How does Watters Financial Services make money?
One revenue line is on record: financial Advisory and Wealth Management Services.
Who are Watters Financial Services's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Moneta Group, AE Wealth Management and Buckingham Strategic Wealth. Stratos Wealth Partners is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Edelman Financial Engines, Hightower Advisors, Carson Group / Carson Wealth, Focus Financial Partners, Mercer Advisors and Fisher Investments.
Does Watters Financial Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for Watters Financial Services.
What industry is Watters Financial Services in?
Watters Financial Services's product category is Retirement and Wealth Management Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAACAB, Financial Planning–Led RIAs, with a secondary code of FSAAAAAJ, Retirement & Pension Wealth (401(k)/IRA/SIPP/Superannuation Retail). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.