Cobalt Unlimited

What Cobalt Unlimited does

Cobalt Unlimited is a privately held registered investment advisory firm founded in 2016 by Thane McCready and headquartered at 10055 Slater Avenue, Suite #260, Fountain Valley, California, operating as the successor to McCready Financial Group (2005). The firm delivers comprehensive financial planning — investment planning, retirement planning, tax management, estate planning, risk management, education funding, and employee/executive benefits — primarily to affluent individuals, families, and top-of-their-field professionals in California, with services delivered through Thane McCready's CFP-credentialed, relationship-led advisory practice.

The firm operates on a partnership-based technology architecture rather than proprietary software: securities are offered through LPL Financial (broker-dealer, FINRA/SIPC member), investment advice is provided through Perennial Investment Advisors (SEC-registered RIA, CRD #286477), and client-facing risk assessment is delivered via the embedded Riskalyze tool. The firm's own process layer is the proprietary "Cobalt FORMula" planning methodology, which organizes client financial components into a unified work-optional/financial-independence framework, supported by an educational resource center (articles, videos, calculators) and an events-based community engagement program.

Monetization is a hybrid of recurring and one-time fees: a maximum 2.00% annual AUM fee (charged quarterly) on Asset Management and Wrap Asset Management services, a maximum flat fee of $25,000 or $350 hourly rate for standalone Financial Planning & Consulting (50% retainer upfront), and insurance product commissions. The team consists of three people (Thane McCready as Financial Planner, Melanie McCready as Registered Administrative Associate, and Suzie Lemus as Client Services Manager), with no external institutional investors, no parent company, and no disclosed revenue or AUM.

Name

Cobalt Unlimited

Legal name

Cobalt Unlimited

Website

https://cobaltunlimitedfv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cobalt Unlimited is a 3-person, California-based registered investment advisory firm founded by Thane McCready that provides comprehensive financial planning, discretionary asset management, and insurance services to affluent individuals, families, and business owners through its LPL Financial partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Universal Life (UL) Insurance (FSAIABAB)

Keywords

• Financial planning services
• Wealth management advisory
• Retirement planning
• Investment management
• Estate and tax planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Fountain Valley

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Asset Management: Ongoing quarterly fee based on the value of assets under management. Maximum annual fee of 2.00%. Discretionary authority to manage client assets with at least annual monitoring and rebalancing.
2. Wrap Asset Management: Comprehensive advisory service where the firm pays broker-dealer transaction fees on behalf of clients. Higher fees than standard asset management due to included transaction costs.
3. Financial Planning & Consulting: Standalone service offered for flat or hourly fees. Maximum flat fee typically $25,000 per engagement; maximum hourly rate $350. 50% upfront retainer required.
4. Insurance Products: Licensed insurance agents sell insurance products for commissions, creating additional revenue streams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cobalt Unlimited is a registered investment advisory firm delivering personalized financial planning, retirement, investment, tax, estate, and risk management services to affluent individuals, families, and business owners. The firm executes discretionary asset management through LPL Financial custody infrastructure and applies its proprietary Cobalt FORMula process to help clients pursue work-optional lifestyles and financial independence.

Product overview

Cobalt Unlimited is a financial advisory firm offering a unified suite of financial planning services rather than a technology platform with discrete products. The core offering centers on financial planning and investment advisory services delivered through partnerships with LPL Financial (broker-dealer/custodian) and Perennial Investment Advisors (registered investment adviser). Primary services include Investment Planning, Retirement Planning, Tax Management, Estate Planning, Risk Management, Education Funding, and Employee/Executive Benefits. The firm also offers direct investment management through Asset Management and Wrap Asset Management programs where discretionary authority is accepted. Financial Planning & Consulting is available as a standalone service. Client account access is provided through LPL's Account View 2.0 portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Planning Asset allocation analysis and risk tolerance assessment services that help clients determine appropriate investment vehicles to pursue their financial goals.
• Retirement Planning
• Tax Management
• Estate Planning
• Risk Management
• Education Funding
• Employee and Executive Benefits
• Asset Management
• Wrap Asset Management
• Financial Planning & Consulting

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LPL FinancialcoreTechnology or IntegrationLPL Financial is one of the leading financial services companies and the largest independent broker/dealer in the nation. The firm provides enabling technology, comprehensive clearing and compliance services, practice management programs and training, and independent research. Cobalt Unlimited uses LPL for trade execution, custody, and operational support.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Buckingham Wealth Partners: National RIA offering wealth planning, investment management, and tax strategies to high-net-worth households. Comparable in service breadth and affluent-client focus, though at significantly larger scale than Cobalt Unlimited.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large fee-based RIA offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-income strategies to mass-affluent and high-net-worth households. Directly comparable in service breadth and recurring-fee revenue model.
• Carson Group: RIA-affiliated wealth management firm offering financial planning, investment management, and coaching to advisors and their clients. Comparable in advisor-platform model and comprehensive planning services; LPL competitor in the independent broker-dealer space.
• Fisher Investments: Large investment advisory firm providing discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to high-net-worth individuals. Comparable to Cobalt Unlimited's asset-management-led model with affluent-client concentration.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Independent RIA providing holistic financial planning, investment management, and tax/estate services to affluent individuals and families. Overlaps with Cobalt Unlimited's full-service planning offering and affluent-client targeting.
• Creative Planning: Large fee-only RIA offering comprehensive financial planning across investment, retirement, tax, and estate domains. Directly comparable to Cobalt Unlimited's fee-based, planning-led model, though operating at materially greater scale across multiple geographies.

Others

• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S., providing custody, clearing, compliance, and technology infrastructure to ~$2.3 trillion in advisory and brokerage assets. Cobalt Unlimited's platform partner and the enabling infrastructure on which the firm depends; included as an ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Cetera Financial Group: Independent broker-dealer and RIA platform supporting independent financial advisors with custody, compliance, and technology services. Directly comparable platform layer to LPL Financial, on which Cobalt Unlimited depends.
• Charles Schwab Wealth Advisory: Schwab-affiliated discretionary wealth advisory offering financial planning and investment management at scale. Comparable fee-based, planning-led service model targeting affluent and high-net-worth investors, but operating as a much larger incumbent.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer and RIA providing practice management, technology, and custody support to independent financial advisors. Functions as a LPL/Perennial-style platform competitor supporting similar solo-advisor RIA practices.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cobalt-unlimited

Compliance5 records

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 Cobalt Unlimited