KKM Financial

What KKM Financial does

KKM Financial is a Chicago-based, SEC-registered investment advisory firm founded in 2012 by Jeff Kilburg, operating as a boutique RIA targeting wealth advisors, financial institutions, and family offices globally. The firm runs a three-pillar product set: (1) a proprietary stock-selection franchise anchored by The Essential 40 Index (ESS40PR), launched in 2017; (2) a suite of ETF model portfolios — Sector Rotation, Tactical Rotation, International, Fixed Income, Global Dynamic FX Hedged, ex-US Global Dynamic FX Hedged, Developed ex-US Dynamic FX Hedged, and a four-tier Risk-Based set (Conservative through Aggressive Growth) — built on Nasdaq Dorsey Wright relative-strength analytics under a 2018 partnership; and (3) a customizable option overlay program with sub-strategies covering index hedging, covered call writing, tail risk, interest rate, industry, collar, stock monetization, and dynamic volatility hedging. All strategies are implemented exclusively in highly liquid, exchange-traded instruments with no leverage and daily liquidity, and the firm deliberately distinguishes itself from traditional 60/40 and modern portfolio theory construction.

The business is monetized through recurring investment advisory fees on separately managed accounts and TAMP-mediated model portfolios, with no public fee schedule. Distribution is the operating model's central feature: KKM does not run a captive retail sales force but instead lists its SMAs and model portfolios on nine TAMP platforms — Envestnet, Adhesion, Vestmark, SMArtX, TD iRebal MMC, Schwab Managed Account Platform, CircleBlack, Oranj, and First Clearing/Wells Fargo — making its strategies available to thousands of wealth advisors who select KKM at the model shelf. Top-of-funnel demand generation runs primarily through founder Jeff Kilburg's recurring CNBC Contributor role on "Futures Now," and direct institutional relationships (e.g., portfolio consulting to InCapital and Nuveen Investments) supplement the indirect channel. The firm is founder-owned, bootstrapped (no disclosed outside equity), and operates with a 1-10 person team out of 141 W. Jackson Blvd., Suite 1711, Chicago.

Name

KKM Financial

Legal name

KKM Financial, LLC

Website

https://kkmfinancial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KKM Financial is a Chicago-based, SEC-registered boutique investment advisor founded in 2012 by Jeff Kilburg, offering proprietary ETF model portfolios (powered by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright), the Essential 40 stock index, and option overlay programs to wealth advisors, institutions, and family offices globally via TAMP platforms.

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)

akta.pro primary industry

Investor Education, Research & Portfolio Analytics Services (Retail) (FSAAAAAO)

Keywords

• Investment advisory services
• ETF model portfolios
• Option overlay strategies
• Separately managed accounts
• Portfolio management solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Fees: KKM Financial operates as a Registered Investment Advisor and generates revenue through investment advisory fees charged to clients for portfolio management, separately managed accounts (SMAs), and ETF model portfolio solutions. The firm provides its services to wealth advisors, financial institutions, and family offices.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

KKM Financial is a boutique SEC-registered investment advisory firm that creates research-based investment products, including dynamic stock selection strategies, ETF model portfolios powered by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright, and bespoke option overlay programs for hedging and income generation. The firm delivers these strategies via Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) made available to wealth advisors, financial institutions, and family offices through a network of Turnkey Asset Management Platforms (TAMPs) such as Envestnet, Schwab, and TD Ameritrade.

Product overview

KKM Financial is a boutique investment advisory firm offering research-based financial products organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering includes multiple named ETF model portfolios (Essential 40®, KKM Tactical Rotation Model, KKM Sector Rotation Model, KKM International Model, KKM Fixed Income Model, KKM Global Dynamic FX Hedged Model, KKM ex-US Global Dynamic FX Hedged Model, KKM Developed ex-US Dynamic FX Hedged Model, and KKM Risk-Based Models) powered by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright technology. These are distributed through a network of TAMP platforms (Envestnet, Adhesion, Vestmark, SMArtX, TD Ameritrade, Schwab, CircleBlack, Oranj, and First Clearing/Wells Fargo). The modules layer includes an Option Overlay Program with sub-strategies (Index Option Overlay, Covered Call Writing, Tail Risk Hedge, Interest Rate Hedge, Industry Hedge, Collar Strategy, Stock Option Monetization, and Dynamic Volatility Hedging) designed to manage risk and generate income on existing portfolios. The SMA platform provides access to these strategies for qualified investors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Essential 40: A stock portfolio strategy tracking The Essential 40 Stock Index (Ticker: ESS40PR), representing companies essential to the U.S. economy.
• KKM Models

Products and services

• Essential 40 Stock Portfolio Strategy A stock portfolio strategy that seeks to track The Essential 40 Stock Index (Ticker: ESS40PR), representing 40 companies essential to the U.S. economy, constructed using quantitative and qualitative approaches. Made available to wealth advisors and qualified investors.
• KKM Tactical Rotation Model An ETF model portfolio powered by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright that rotates across asset classes based on market conditions and momentum signals, for wealth advisors seeking tactical ETF exposure.
• KKM Sector Rotation Model An ETF model portfolio powered by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright that rotates across market sectors based on technical analysis and momentum indicators, designed for wealth advisors.
• KKM International Model An international rotation ETF model portfolio powered by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright providing exposure to international equity markets, offered to wealth advisors.
• KKM Fixed Income Model An ETF model portfolio powered by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright focused on fixed income securities and bonds, offered to wealth advisors.
• KKM Global Dynamic FX Hedged Model A global ETF model portfolio powered by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright that dynamically hedges foreign exchange exposure for wealth advisors managing global mandates.
• KKM ex-US Global Dynamic FX Hedged Model An ex-U.S. global ETF model portfolio powered by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright with dynamic FX hedging for international exposure, available to wealth advisors.
• KKM Developed ex-US Dynamic FX Hedged Model A developed markets ex-U.S. ETF model portfolio powered by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright with dynamic FX hedging, offered to wealth advisors.
• KKM Risk-Based Models (Conservative, Moderate, Growth, Aggressive Growth) A suite of ETF model portfolios implemented only with ETFs, globally diversified across Conservative, Moderate, Growth, and Aggressive Growth risk levels, offered to wealth advisors at no cost on TAMP platforms.
• Option Overlay Program A bespoke option-overlay solution for managing client-specific needs including tax sensitivity, income generation, and risk mitigation, including sub-strategies such as Index Option Overlay, Covered Call Writing, Tail Risk Hedge, Interest Rate Hedge, Industry Hedge, Collar Strategy, Stock Option Monetization, and Dynamic Volatility Hedging, offered to wealth advisors and family offices.
• Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs) Individually managed investment accounts for qualified investors offering access to KKM strategy offerings including the Essential 40 and KKM model portfolios, distributed on multiple TAMP platforms (Envestnet, Adhesion, Vestmark, SMArtX, TD iRebal, Schwab, CircleBlack, Oranj, First Clearing/Wells Fargo).

Quantifiable outcome

• All strategies utilize highly liquid common stocks and ETFs with no leverage, offering daily liquidity and full transparency.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Nasdaq Dorsey WrightcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018KKM Financial partnered with Nasdaq Dorsey Wright in 2018 to create investible ETF model portfolios. The partnership made research-based ETF model portfolio strategies available on multiple platforms. KKM's suite of ETF model portfolios are powered by Nasdaq Dorsey Wright, including Sector Rotation, Tactical Rotation, International, Fixed Income, Global Dynamic FX Hedged, ex-US Global Dynamic FX Hedged, and Developed ex-US Dynamic FX Hedged models. The partnership also includes Risk-Based ETF model portfolio solutions.
• InCapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKKM Financial has served as a portfolio consultant to InCapital, providing investment advisory and portfolio construction expertise.
• Nuveen InvestmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKKM Financial has served as a portfolio consultant to Nuveen Investments, providing investment advisory and portfolio construction expertise.
• EnvestnetcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeparately Managed Accounts (SMAs) and ETF Risk-Based Models available through Envestnet's TAMP platform, making KKM's investment solutions accessible to thousands of wealth advisors using the Envestnet platform.
• TD Ameritrade (iRebal/Model Market Center)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKKM Asset Allocations and ETF Risk-Based Models available on TD Ameritrade's iRebal and Model Market Center platforms.
• Schwab (Managed Account Platform)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKKM Asset Allocations and ETF Risk-Based Models available through Schwab's Managed Account Platform.
• Adhesion, Vestmark, SMArtX, TD iRebal MMC, CircleBlack, Oranj, First Clearing/Wells FargosupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdditional TAMP platforms where KKM's Separately Managed Accounts are available, expanding distribution reach to additional wealth advisors and financial advisors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Flexible Plan Investments: Turnkey active asset manager offering fully managed ETF and SMA portfolios on TAMP platforms (Envestnet, Schwab, Fidelity, TD Ameritrade) — mirrors KKM's distribution strategy and model-portfolio product set.
• Clark Capital Management Group: Boutique Philadelphia-based RIA offering tactical ETF model portfolios, manager research, and SMA solutions to financial advisors via TAMP platforms — directly comparable in scale, product mix, and distribution model to KKM.
• Stadion Money Management: Tactical ETF-based portfolio manager serving advisors and RIAs through TAMPs (including Envestnet) with risk-managed and retirement-income strategies — overlaps directly with KKM's tactical rotation and risk-based model portfolios.
• WBI Investments: Boutique RIA providing tactical ETF SMA strategies and dividend-income solutions distributed to advisors via TAMPs — directly comparable boutique competitor in KKM's product and channel footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Wilshire: Large institutional investment manager offering ETF model portfolios, multi-asset solutions, and OCIO services; overlaps with KKM in advisor-distributed ETF models but at much greater scale and breadth.
• First Trust Advisors: Large ETF sponsor and asset manager offering proprietary ETF model portfolios distributed to advisors via TAMPs; competes with KKM's Nasdaq Dorsey Wright-powered models in the same advisor workflow.
• Envestnet: Largest US TAMP and portfolio-construction platform where KKM's SMAs are listed; simultaneously a critical distribution partner and a competitor offering its own PMC model portfolios to the same advisors.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth / Buckingham Strategic Partners: National RIA and advisor-services firm curating third-party model portfolios and research for affiliated advisors; competes with KKM in the advisor-research-and-model-portfolio space but with a much larger captive advisor base.
• AssetMark: Large TAMP/wealth-solutions platform offering third-party and proprietary model portfolios, SMAs, and advisor technology — overlapping with KKM's advisor-channel product suite at meaningful scale.

Others

• Nasdaq Dorsey Wright (NDW): KKM's strategic technology partner powering its ETF model portfolios; while formally a partner rather than competitor, NDW licenses similar rotation-based strategies to other asset managers, making it a structural channel and partial substitute for KKM's offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KKMfinancial
• Facebookfacebook.com/KKMFinancial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kkm-financial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 KKM Financial