PFG Advisors

What PFG Advisors does

PFG Advisors is a privately held financial advisory firm founded in 2005 by J. Louis McCraw and headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, operating within the Southeastern Pennsylvania / Philadelphia metropolitan market. The firm delivers personalized financial planning through two service lines: Personal Financial Planning Services (investment planning and asset management, retirement planning, and estate preservation) and Business Planning and Corporate Solutions (corporate retirement plan design, implementation and servicing, buy/sell agreements, business succession planning, and non-qualified deferred compensation plans). Service is delivered through a team-based model anchored by partners and financial advisors holding advanced designations (CFP, ChFC, CLU, CRPC, CBEC, CRPS, JD/LLM), with a named roster of approximately 15 staff members.

The firm's underlying technology platform is LPL Financial's open-architecture broker-dealer and RIA custodial infrastructure, providing client access to LPL products alongside third-party mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks and bonds, TIPS, REITs, private money managers, and fixed and variable annuities. Client account linkages extend to American Funds, Brinker Capital, Empower Retirement, Fidelity, and eMoney. No proprietary technology or AI/ML capabilities are evidenced.

The revenue model is fee-based, recurring, and asset-under-management-driven, with pricing individualized to client complexity and not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct, relationship-based advisory services, with no public marketing spend beyond an educational Resource Center. In August 2024, PFG Advisors merged with Academy Financial, Inc., migrated from Lincoln Financial (now part of Osaic) to LPL Financial's broker-dealer and custodial platforms, and now operates under the Academy brand umbrella, collectively serving approximately $4 billion in advisory, brokerage, and retirement plan assets with over 30 financial advisors.

Name

PFG Advisors

Legal name

PFG Advisors

Website

https://pfgadvisors.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PFG Advisors is a King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based independent financial advisory firm founded in 2005, delivering personalized financial planning, retirement, estate, and business succession services to high-net-worth individuals and small to mid-sized business owners through LPL Financial's open-architecture platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory and Wealth Management Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Owner & Executive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAO), Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Berwyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory and Planning Fees: Revenue generated through financial planning services for individuals and business owners, including investment planning, asset management, retirement planning, estate preservation, and business succession planning. Services offered through open architecture platform with access to wide range of financial products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

PFG Advisors delivers personalized financial planning and wealth management services to individuals and small-to-mid-sized business owners. Through an open architecture platform accessed via LPL Financial, the firm offers investment planning, asset management, retirement planning, estate preservation, business succession planning, buy/sell agreements, non-qualified deferred compensation plans, and corporate retirement plan design and servicing.

Product overview

PFG Advisors is a financial advisory firm offering comprehensive wealth management services through two core service areas: Personal Financial Planning Services and Business Planning and Corporate Solutions. The Personal Financial Planning Services division includes Investment Planning & Asset Management, Retirement Planning, and Estate Preservation Planning modules. The Business Planning and Corporate Solutions division serves small to mid-sized business owners with Corporate Retirement Plans, Business Owner Planning, Buy/Sell Agreements, and Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plans. The firm also provides a Resource Center with educational content including articles, videos, calculators, and a financial glossary. Services are delivered through an open architecture platform with access to LPL Financial and various investment products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Financial Planning Services Comprehensive financial planning services including investment planning and asset management, retirement planning, and estate preservation planning tailored to individual client needs and long-term goals.
• Business Planning and Corporate Solutions Comprehensive business planning services including business owner planning, corporate retirement plan design review, implementation and servicing, buy/sell agreements, and non-qualified deferred compensation plans for small to mid-sized privately owned businesses.

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

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Academy FinancialcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2024PFG Advisors merged with Academy Financial and together joined LPL Financial's broker-dealer, RIA and custodial platforms. The combined entity operates under the Academy brand umbrella, unifying their shared commitment to building and preserving wealth for families, executives and business owners.
• LPL FinancialcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor. Member FINRA & SIPC. LPL is described as Fortune 400 company providing technology, tools, resources and flexible operating environment.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Moneta Group: Independent RIA serving HNW individuals, families, and business owners with comprehensive financial planning, retirement plan services, and business transition advisory. Closely comparable in client segments, service mix, and emphasis on fiduciary, fee-based planning.
• Carson Group: Large independent wealth management firm affiliated with LPL Financial that serves individual investors and business owners through a network of partner advisors. Comparable in business model (LPL-anchored RIA), target segments (HNW and business owners), and emphasis on holistic financial planning.
• Academy Financial: Mid-market RIA based in Pennsylvania that merged with PFG Advisors in August 2024 to join LPL Financial. Directly comparable in size, customer base (HNW individuals and business owners), and service offerings (financial planning, retirement plan services, business succession).
• CAPTRUST: Independent RIA specializing in investment advisory and retirement plan services for businesses and HNW individuals. Directly comparable in the corporate retirement plan design and servicing niche that PFG emphasizes for small/mid-sized business owners.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer and RIA platform supporting thousands of financial advisors nationwide. Comparable to PFG in offering an open-architecture platform for advisors serving HNW individuals with comprehensive financial planning services.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Independent RIA providing evidence-based financial planning and investment management to HNW individuals and families. Comparable in fiduciary planning model, advisor-supported delivery, and LPL-style independent advisor affiliation.

Broad incumbents

• Cetera Financial Group: Large multi-channel independent broker-dealer and RIA platform serving independent financial advisors. Comparable to PFG in advisor-supported financial planning model but operates at much greater scale across multiple custodian relationships.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Large privately held independent broker-dealer and RIA supporting thousands of advisors nationwide. Comparable in independent advisor support model, comprehensive planning emphasis, and business-owner services, but with materially greater AUM scale.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National wealth advisory firm providing financial planning, investment management, tax, estate, and retirement plan services to HNW individuals and business owners. Comparable in target client segments and service suite, with deeper specialty practices at much larger scale.
• Creative Planning: Large independent RIA offering comprehensive financial planning to HNW individuals and business owners, including retirement plan services and succession planning. Comparable in service breadth and target segments, though significantly larger in AUM and geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 PFG Advisors