PathWise Wealth Partners
PathWise Wealth Partners is a fee-only fiduciary RIA in California that delivers integrated financial planning, tax planning, investment management, and small business advisory to high-net-worth individuals and business owners under a 'Personal CFO' model, charging tiered AUM-based fees.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersPleasant Hill, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What PathWise Wealth Partners does
PathWise Wealth Partners is an independent, fee-only registered investment adviser founded in 2015 and headquartered in Walnut Creek, California, with a second office in Carlsbad (San Diego County). The firm is co-founded and operated by Ryan Wells (CEO) and Arek Puzia (CIO, holding CFP, CPA, and MBA credentials), supported by a client relationship manager. It targets high-net-worth individuals and families — generally those with $1 million or more in investable assets — and small business owners, delivering services through a deliberate low-client-count, high-touch model. Its offering is unified under the 'Your Personal CFO' brand, bundling financial planning, tax planning, investment management, and small business advisory into a single team-based engagement.
The firm's core technology stack is composed entirely of established third-party platforms rather than proprietary systems: Schwab serves as the primary custodian, eMoney (Emaplan) provides the client-facing financial planning dashboard, and Box handles secure document exchange. Investment methodology is grounded in Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Science, with portfolio construction spanning public equities and fixed income (including domestic, international, and emerging markets) plus selective access to private equity and real estate partnerships (including funds from Silver Lake Partners and Carlyle) for qualified purchasers. There is no evidence of proprietary AI/ML capabilities or in-house model development.
PathWise monetizes exclusively through tiered annual fees calculated as a percentage of assets under management, declining from 1.00% on the first $2 million to 0.25% above $10 million, with no sales commissions or product-based compensation. Client acquisition is driven primarily by content marketing (an active 2023–2025 blog), a broad social media presence, and referrals enabled by deep client relationships, with new prospects entering via complimentary 30-minute Calendly-scheduled introductory consultations. The firm holds AICPA, CFP Board, and NAPFA affiliations and operates under SEC fiduciary standards, with the value proposition centered on integrated planning, in-house tax expertise, and fee-only independence from larger financial institutions.
PathWise Wealth Partners firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PathWise Wealth Partners
- Legal name
- PathWise
- Website
- https://pathwise.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PathWise Wealth Partners is a fee-only fiduciary RIA in California that delivers integrated financial planning, tax planning, investment management, and small business advisory to high-net-worth individuals and business owners under a 'Personal CFO' model, charging tiered AUM-based fees.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PathWise Wealth Partners industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wealth Management
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)
Keywords
Where PathWise Wealth Partners is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pleasant Hill
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
PathWise Wealth Partners business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- AUM-Based Advisory Fees: Annual fee calculated as a percentage of assets under management. Fee schedule decreases as AUM increases: 1.00% for $0-$2M, 0.75% for $2M-$5M, 0.50% for $5M-$10M, 0.25% for $10M+. No sales commissions as a fee-only fiduciary.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Tiered AUM-based pricing starting at 1.00% for portfolios under $2M |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
PathWise Wealth Partners product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PathWise Wealth Partners delivers an integrated, fee-only wealth advisory service branded as 'Your Personal CFO,' combining financial planning, year-round tax planning, investment management, and small business advisory into one unified offering for high-net-worth individuals and business owners. The firm is paid through tiered annual fees calculated as a percentage of assets under management, with no sales commissions, and acts as a SEC-registered fiduciary serving clients primarily in California.
Product overview
PathWise Wealth Partners offers a unified comprehensive wealth advisory service rather than separate modular products. The core offering, branded as 'Your Personal CFO,' combines Financial Planning, Tax Planning, Investment Management, and Small Business Advisory services delivered through a collaborative team approach. The firm charges an annual fee as a percentage of assets under management (AUM) with tiered pricing ranging from 1.00% for $0-$2M to 0.25% for assets over $10M. Services are provided by co-founders Ryan Wells (CEO) and Arek Puzia (CIO, CFP, CPA, MBA) along with client relationship staff.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Your Personal CFO A comprehensive wealth advisory service that combines Financial Planning, Income Tax Planning, Investment Management, and Small Business Advisory into one unified offering delivered through a collaborative team approach, acting as the client's primary financial point of contact. It is targeted at high-net-worth individuals and small business owners seeking an integrated 'personal CFO' relationship.
- Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning services including retirement planning, estate planning, withdrawal strategy, risk management, expert coordination, and ad hoc financial advice, producing a holistic financial plan based on the client's current situation and future goals. Designed for individuals and families seeking coordinated, long-term planning.
- Tax Planning Year-round tax minimization strategies including proactive tax reduction, tax-diversified income creation, and tax-aware asset allocation, with access to a CPA professional on staff. Aimed at clients seeking to lower lifetime tax burden through integrated, ongoing planning rather than annual filing-only support.
- Investment Management Portfolio construction and management integrating sophisticated strategies, including access to private equity funds and real estate partnerships, with diversification across stocks, bonds, domestic, international, and emerging markets. Built on Modern Portfolio Theory and Investment Science principles and offered to qualified purchasers.
- Small Business Advisory Strategic guidance for business owners from launch through exit, covering business analysis, corporate structure evaluation, retirement plan optimization (401(k), Defined Benefit, SIMPLE IRA, SEP IRA, Cash Balance), cash flow analysis, and exit planning. Targeted at small business owners seeking coordinated business and personal financial strategy.
Companies that use PathWise Wealth Partners
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PathWise Wealth Partners technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature2 records
PathWise Wealth Partners partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- SchwabcoreSchwab serves as the primary custody platform for client accounts. Clients access their accounts through Schwab's online banking portal for portfolio management and account administration.
- BoxsupportingBox (pathwise.app.box.com) provides secure file sharing capabilities for exchanging confidential documents between the firm and clients.
- eMoneysupportingeMoney (wealth.emaplan.com) provides the personal financial dashboard platform used by clients for financial planning and monitoring.
- Silver Lake PartnerssupportingPrivate equity firm whose funds are made available to qualified purchasers as part of PathWise's investment offerings.
- Carlyle GroupsupportingInvestment firm whose funds are accessible to qualified purchasers through PathWise's investment management services.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
PathWise Wealth Partners competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Carson Group: RIA support platform providing technology, compliance, and growth resources to independent fee-only advisors. Comparable fiduciary positioning; competes for the same HNW planning-led relationships as PathWise.
- Edelman Financial Engines: Large fee-only RIA combining advisor-led wealth planning with digital tools for HNW and mass-affluent clients. Overlaps with PathWise on fiduciary, planning-led service but operates nationally at much greater scale.
- Empower (formerly Personal Capital): Hybrid digital-plus-advisor wealth manager serving HNW and mass-affluent clients with planning tools and portfolio management. Competes for the same HNW segment with a more technology-led delivery model than PathWise.
- Creative Planning: One of the largest independent fee-only RIAs, offering comprehensive wealth, tax, and estate planning for HNW clients. Same fiduciary model and service mix as PathWise but at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.
Direct peers
- Modera Wealth Management: Fee-only RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, tax, and investment management to HNW households and small business owners. Very similar service mix, client segment, and team-based delivery to PathWise.
- Fisher Investments: Large fee-only investment manager serving high-net-worth individuals with AUM-based pricing and centralized portfolio management. Directly comparable business model to PathWise, though operating at materially greater scale.
- Ritholtz Wealth Management: Boutique fee-only RIA focused on evidence-based investing and financial planning for HNW households. Comparable in philosophy, content-driven marketing, and size to PathWise.
- Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA offering integrated financial planning, tax, and investment management to HNW clients with tiered AUM pricing. Closely mirrors PathWise's fiduciary, planning-led approach.
Emerging players
- Facet Wealth: Digital-first fee-only RIA offering flat-fee financial planning and investment management to mass-affluent and HNW clients. Comparable fiduciary model but uses technology to scale, contrasting with PathWise's relationship-led approach.
Others
- Schwab Wealth Advisory: Custodian-affiliated managed-account program serving HNW clients with AUM-based pricing. Provides an alternative PathWise clients implicitly choose against; relevant as PathWise custody sits with Schwab and competes for the same households.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PathWise Wealth Partners social profiles
Digital presencePathWise Wealth Partners compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
PathWise Wealth Partners financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PathWise Wealth Partners leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
PathWise Wealth Partners funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PathWise Wealth Partners 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 PathWise Wealth Partners
What does PathWise Wealth Partners do?
PathWise Wealth Partners delivers an integrated, fee-only wealth advisory service branded as 'Your Personal CFO,' combining financial planning, year-round tax planning, investment management, and small business advisory into one unified offering for high-net-worth individuals and business owners. The firm is paid through tiered annual fees calculated as a percentage of assets under management, with no sales commissions, and acts as a SEC-registered fiduciary serving clients primarily in California.
Is PathWise Wealth Partners a public or private company?
PathWise Wealth Partners is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was PathWise Wealth Partners founded?
PathWise Wealth Partners was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PathWise Wealth Partners based?
PathWise Wealth Partners is headquartered in Pleasant Hill, United States, in the North America region.
How does PathWise Wealth Partners make money?
One revenue line is on record: AUM-Based Advisory Fees.
Who are PathWise Wealth Partners's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Carson Group, Edelman Financial Engines, Empower (formerly Personal Capital) and Creative Planning. Direct peers are Modera Wealth Management, Fisher Investments, Ritholtz Wealth Management and Buckingham Strategic Wealth. Facet Wealth is listed as an emerging player. Schwab Wealth Advisory is listed as an others.
Does PathWise Wealth Partners have an API?
No public API is recorded for PathWise Wealth Partners.
What industry is PathWise Wealth Partners in?
PathWise Wealth Partners's product category is Wealth Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAAAL, Fee-Only Advisory. Its NAICS code is 523940.