The BlackOak Group

What The BlackOak Group does

The BlackOak Group, LLC is a privately-held financial advisory firm co-founded in 2008 by Michael T. Peters and Austin V. Kelly, operating as a team within Equitable Advisors, LLC. Headquartered in Williamsville, New York with additional offices in Hamburg and Woodbury (Long Island), the firm employs approximately 18 financial advisors and partners, holding 24 industry designations and averaging 17+ years of advisor experience. As of 6/30/2025, the group advises on more than $2.8 billion in client assets. Securities and investment advisory services are offered through Equitable Advisors (SEC-registered, FINRA/SIPC member), and annuity and insurance products through Equitable Network, LLC.

The firm's service offering is organized around two pillars. The Wealth Strategies pillar serves individuals and families with wealth management, financial planning, retirement funding, estate strategies, education funding, and insurance analysis. The Business Strategies pillar serves employers and business owners with corporate retirement services, key person programs, executive benefits and deferred compensation, business succession planning, and employee financial seminars. The firm holds ERISA 3(21) Co-Fiduciary Services authorization, enabling institutional retirement plan advisory work. Customer segments span affluent individuals, business owners, educators (with a dedicated Retirement Benefit Group for NY State Teachers Retirement System participants), medical professionals, and municipal employees.

Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring investment advisory fees on assets under management, transaction-based commissions on annuity and insurance product sales through Equitable Network, and professional services fees for customized financial planning. The go-to-market is a direct advisor model within the Equitable Advisors channel, supported by content marketing (educational blog, videos, resources), LinkedIn/Facebook presence, and community engagement including annual charity golf tournaments benefiting Make-A-Wish and Mikey's Way Foundation. The firm operates as an affiliated but independently owned team within the Equitable distribution platform.

Name

The BlackOak Group

Legal name

The BlackOak Group, LLC

Website

https://theblackoakgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The BlackOak Group is a privately-held financial advisory firm in New York State, offering wealth management, retirement planning, estate strategies, and business succession services through 18 advisors operating within Equitable Advisors, managing over $2.8 billion in client assets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management and Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds (5251)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Banking & UHNW Wealth Advisory (FSAEABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Retirement planning
• Financial advisory
• Estate planning
• Business succession planning

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Securities and Investment Advisory Services: Financial professionals offer securities through Equitable Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC) and investment advisory products and services through Equitable Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. Revenue is generated through commissions on securities transactions and advisory fees.
2. Annuity and Insurance Products: Annuity and insurance products offered through Equitable Network, LLC, generating commission revenue on product sales.
3. Financial Planning Fees: Fee-based financial planning services for individuals, families, and businesses including retirement planning, estate strategies, education funding, and business succession planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The BlackOak Group is a financial advisory firm that delivers wealth management, financial planning, retirement funding, estate strategies, education funding, and insurance analysis services to individuals, families, and business owners. For business clients, it offers retirement plan services, key person programs, executive benefits and deferred compensation plans, business succession planning, and employee financial seminars. All products are delivered by licensed financial professionals operating through the Equitable Advisors and Equitable Network platforms.

Product overview

The BlackOak Group is a diversified financial advisory firm offering a unified suite of wealth management and retirement planning services. The firm's offering consists of two main pillars: (1) Wealth Strategies for Individuals & Families covering Wealth Management, Financial Planning, Retirement Funding, Estate Strategies, Education Funding, and Insurance Analysis; and (2) Business Strategies for employers covering Retirement Services, Key Person Programs, Executive Benefits & Deferred Compensation, Business Succession Planning, and Employee Financial Seminars. All advisors operate under Equitable Advisors and offer securities, investment advisory products, and annuity/insurance products through affiliated entities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wealth Management

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $2.8 Billion in client assets under advisement as of 6/30/2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Alliance CPAminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 December 2016Collaborative relationship with CPA firms for tax efficiency and coordinated financial planning. The Alliance CPA program helps clients collaborate with their CPA to improve tax efficiency and simplify tax time.
• Equitable Advisors, LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDuly registered and licensed financial professionals offer securities through Equitable Advisors, LLC (NY, NY 212-314-4600), member FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory products and services offered through Equitable Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment advisor. The BlackOak Group operates as an advisor team within this channel.
• Equitable Network, LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnnuity and insurance products offered through Equitable Network, LLC (Equitable Network Insurance Agency of California, LLC in CA; Equitable Network Insurance Agency of Utah, LLC in UT; Equitable Network of Puerto Rico, Inc.). Equitable Advisors and Equitable Network are affiliated companies.
• Equitable Financial Life Insurance CompanycoreOthersAffiliated company providing insurance products and supporting the Retirement Planning Specialist certification developed in collaboration with the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• LPL Financial: LPL is the largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S. by total revenue, supporting ~22,000 affiliated advisors who deliver wealth management and retirement-plan services — closely comparable to BlackOak's Equitable-affiliated advisor-team model.
• Cetera Financial Group: Cetera is one of the largest independent broker-dealer networks hosting thousands of affiliated advisor teams offering wealth management, retirement, and insurance solutions — comparable to BlackOak's structure of independent advisor groups operating under a parent broker-dealer.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Commonwealth is a leading independent broker-dealer/RIA custodian supporting thousands of affiliated advisors providing comprehensive financial planning and retirement services — comparable to BlackOak in scale, advisor-team model, and holistic wealth focus.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Cambridge is a major independent broker-dealer hosting thousands of affiliated financial advisors with practice models similar to BlackOak, including retirement-plan, wealth-management, and insurance offerings.
• Ameriprise Financial: Ameriprise is a major affiliated-advisor franchise offering wealth management, retirement planning, and insurance through ~10,000 advisors — directly comparable to BlackOak's model of credentialed advisors distributing wealth and insurance products through a parent broker-dealer platform.
• MassMutual Financial Advisors: MassMutual's career-advisor system distributes wealth management alongside proprietary life insurance and annuities — directly comparable to BlackOak's Equitable-affiliated distribution of securities, advisory, and insurance products to affluent households.
• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management: Northwestern Mutual operates one of the largest career-financial-advisor networks in the U.S., combining wealth management with proprietary insurance and annuity products — a model highly analogous to BlackOak's Equitable Advisors–affiliated distribution of Equitable securities and insurance.
• Edward Jones: Edward Jones runs a 19,000-advisor branch-based wealth management practice focused on mass-affluent and affluent individuals and families, with retirement planning, estate strategies, and education funding as core offerings — a near-direct analogue to BlackOak's Wealth Strategies division.
• Raymond James Financial Services: Raymond James operates a large independent-advisor network offering wealth management, retirement plan services, and insurance to affluent households and business owners — a strong analogue for BlackOak's two-division individual-and-business model.

Emerging players

• Creative Planning: Creative Planning is one of the largest independent RIAs in the U.S., serving affluent and HNW clients with comprehensive wealth, retirement, and estate planning — a comparable scale and service-suite peer, though operating as a fully independent RIA rather than an affiliated broker-dealer team.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheBlackOakGroupLLC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10964752
• Xx.com/blackoak365

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 The BlackOak Group