What Key Planning does

Key Planning is a private financial advisory firm founded in 1975 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with one identified office at 2302 Parklake Dr NE, Suite 368. The firm operates under a horizontal segmentation strategy targeting individuals and families, with primary emphasis on pre-retirees and retirees who need help managing the transition from accumulation to decumulation. The practice is licensed to serve residents across 14 U.S. states (AL, AZ, CA, FL, GA, IN, MA, MI, MS, NC, OR, SC, TN, TX), enabling remote advisory delivery beyond the Atlanta metro. Operations are run by a three-person team: Tamala Williams (CFP, RICP with 15+ years of experience including financial advisor supervision), Michael Hurtnole (Financial Advisor holding Series 7, 66, and Life & Health Insurance licenses), and Mako Williams (Operations Manager).

Key Planning offers three core product lines. Investment Services cover bonds, common stock, IRAs (Traditional, Roth, SEP, Simple, Educational), brokerage accounts, Treasury securities, and variable annuities. Financial Planning Services cover retirement, tax, 401(k)/403(b), college, estate, money purchase, and profit sharing plans. Insurance Services cover life, disability income, and long-term-care insurance. The technology stack is conventional: Emaplan for financial planning, Cirstatements.com for consolidated reporting, and Pershing NetXInvestor as the custody viewing portal integrated via a client login page.

The firm operates a relationship-based, consultative sales motion with a team approach that delivers multiple advisor perspectives per client. Revenue is generated through advisory fees and product commissions across securities and insurance product lines. Securities are offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. (a FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer), advisory services through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. (a Registered Investment Adviser), and fixed insurance through various independent insurance companies — Key Planning explicitly disclaims affiliation with these partners. Marketing is primarily content-driven via an FMG Suite-hosted resource center (articles, videos, 200+ term glossary, financial calculators, tax resources) and direct contact via phone, email, and online form for appointment scheduling.

Name

Key Planning

Legal name

Key Planning

Website

https://keyplanning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Key Planning is a private Atlanta-based financial advisory firm founded in 1975 that serves individuals and families — primarily pre-retirees and retirees — with retirement, investment, estate, tax, and insurance planning services through three credentialed advisors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Financial Planning

NAICS

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

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Portfolio Construction & Asset Allocation Advisory (FSAEAAAC)

Keywords

• Financial planning services
• Retirement planning
• Investment advisory
• Insurance planning
• Wealth management

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory Services: The firm provides personalized financial planning and advisory services, including retirement strategies, investment management, estate planning, and insurance solutions. Revenue is generated through advisory fees and commissions on financial products such as securities, insurance, and annuities.
2. Securities and Insurance Products: Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. Fixed insurance offered through various independent insurance companies. Products include bonds, stocks, IRAs, 401(k)s, variable annuities, life insurance, long-term care insurance, and disability income insurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Key Planning is an independent financial advisory firm that delivers personalized financial planning services to individuals and families. Its core offerings span retirement planning, investment management, estate planning, insurance solutions, and tax planning, sold through scheduled advisory appointments and supported by a team-based multi-advisor approach. Securities are offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., and advisory services through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., with fixed insurance offered through various independent insurance companies.

Product overview

Key Planning is a financial advisory firm offering a comprehensive suite of financial planning services through three core product lines: Investment Services (including bonds, stocks, IRAs, brokerage accounts, and variable annuities), Financial Planning Services (retirement, tax, 403(b), college, and estate planning), and Insurance Services (life, disability, and long-term-care insurance). The firm also provides extensive educational resources including retirement, estate, investment, insurance, tax, and money management content, along with financial calculators and a 200+ term glossary. Securities are offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., and advisory services through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Services Comprehensive investment product offerings including bonds, common stock, IRAs (Traditional, Roth, SEP, Simple, Educational), brokerage accounts, Treasury securities, and variable annuities to help individual clients pursue their financial goals. Securities are offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
• Financial Planning Services Strategic financial planning services covering retirement plans, tax planning, 401(k) and 403(b) planning, college savings plans, estate plans, money purchasing plans, and profit sharing plans, tailored to individual client needs.
• Insurance Services Insurance product offerings including disability income insurance, life insurance, and long-term-care insurance to protect families from the financial consequences of unexpected events. Fixed insurance is offered through various independent insurance companies.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, member FINRA & SIPC. This is a core distribution partnership enabling Key Planning to offer securities products to clients through a registered broker-dealer.
• Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvisory services offered through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Adviser. This partnership enables Key Planning to provide investment advisory services under regulatory oversight.
• Various Independent Insurance CompaniessupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFixed insurance products offered through various independent insurance companies, allowing Key Planning to provide life insurance, long-term care insurance, and disability income insurance solutions.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Carson Group: Large IBD-affiliated wealth management firm offering financial planning, investment management, and advisor support services to individual clients. Comparable to Key Planning as an independent-advisor practice that provides holistic financial planning, but at a national scale with partner-advisor and corporate RIA models.
• Fisher Investments: Large independent RIA managing over $200B for individual and institutional clients, with a heavy focus on personalized investment management and retirement planning. Comparable to Key Planning in core services (retirement, investment management) but materially larger in scale and primarily directs-marketed to high-net-worth clients.
• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S., supporting thousands of independent financial advisors who offer retirement, investment, and insurance planning. Comparable as the host platform for independent advisor practices similar to Key Planning, though LPL itself is the enabling infrastructure rather than a direct competitor.
• Edelman Financial Engines: One of the largest independent financial planning and investment advisory firms in the U.S., offering retirement planning, investment management, and financial planning services to individuals. Highly comparable to Key Planning's holistic advisory model but operates at significantly greater scale with a national footprint.
• Northwestern Mutual: Large financial services company offering insurance, investment products, and comprehensive financial planning via a network of financial advisors. Comparable to Key Planning in bundling insurance, retirement, and investment planning for individuals, but with a captive advisor model and national scale.

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Digital-first financial planning firm offering flat-fee comprehensive financial planning to individuals nationwide via remote CFPs. Comparable to Key Planning in targeting individuals seeking holistic financial planning, but uses a tech-enabled, fully remote delivery model rather than an in-person office-based approach.
• Betterment: Leading robo-advisor offering automated investment management and retirement planning to retail consumers. Comparable to Key Planning's retirement and investment focus for individual clients, but competes on price and digital convenience rather than personalized advisor-led relationships.

Others

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer and RIA supporting independent financial advisors offering comprehensive financial planning. Comparable to Key Planning as a host IBD/RIA sponsor for independent advisory practices, but at much larger scale with thousands of advisors across the U.S.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer and RIA under which Key Planning offers securities and advisory services. Cambridge is the corporate partner that enables Key Planning's operations rather than a direct competitor, but it represents the broader IBD-affiliated model in which Key Planning operates.
• Cetera Advisor Networks: Independent broker-dealer supporting independent financial advisors with financial planning, investment, and insurance services. Similar to Key Planning's IBD-affiliated structure, providing back-office, compliance, and product access to advisors serving individual clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 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 Key Planning