Guardian Wealth Management
Guardian Wealth Management is a fee-only fiduciary RIA in Salt Lake City, Utah, providing bespoke financial planning, custom investment management, retirement, and risk-optimization services to affluent Utah households with $500k+ in investable assets, capped at 30 households per advisor.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersSalt Lake City, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Guardian Wealth Management does
Guardian Wealth Management, LLC is a privately held, fee-only fiduciary Registered Investment Advisor founded in 2008 and headquartered at 299 South Main Street, Suite 1300, Salt Lake City, Utah. The firm delivers personalized wealth and investment management to affluent individuals and families in Utah (and more broadly the Western United States) with $500k or more in investable assets, with a stated capacity cap of 30 households per advisor and three named advisors (Todd Berg, ChFC, Founder; Colby Berg, CFP, Wealth Advisor; Brian Barton). Core services include financial planning, custom investment management (portfolios built from scratch with no pre-built models), retirement planning, risk optimization, wealth preservation, and charitable giving guidance, alongside specialized strategies such as Roth conversions, tax-loss harvesting, and 529 college savings plan advisory. The firm operates on an AUM-based subscription fee of 0.75% to 0.90% with no commissions, kickbacks, or 12b-1 fees.
The business model is a boutique, advisor-led direct-sales motion: client acquisition runs through personalized consultations, complimentary second-opinion reviews, content marketing (blog, newsletter, financial checklist), and an active social presence (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube). The technology stack is non-proprietary and relies on third-party custody and portal infrastructure — Charles Schwab and Trade PMR for custody, plus yHLsoft for the client portal covering asset allocation, performance, transactions, and secure documentation. No AI/ML capabilities, proprietary platforms, patents, or external funding are disclosed. The June 2024 rebrand repositioned the firm under an 'Old School meets New School' philosophy blending traditional long-term wealth strategies with behavioral finance and advanced portfolio management technology, but the firm remains a small, founder-controlled practice with concentration in a single regional market and a single client segment.
Guardian Wealth Management firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Guardian Wealth Management
- Legal name
- Guardian Wealth Management, LLC
- Website
- https://investgwm.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Guardian Wealth Management is a fee-only fiduciary RIA in Salt Lake City, Utah, providing bespoke financial planning, custom investment management, retirement, and risk-optimization services to affluent Utah households with $500k+ in investable assets, capped at 30 households per advisor.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Guardian Wealth Management industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wealth Management Services
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight) (FSAAABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)
Keywords
Where Guardian Wealth Management is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salt Lake City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Guardian Wealth Management business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Assets Under Management (AUM) Fees: Guardian Wealth Management charges a straightforward 0.75% to 0.90% fee on assets under management. As a fee-only fiduciary, they do not earn commissions, kickbacks, or 12b-1 fees from mutual fund companies. The fee-only model aligns the firm's interests with clients—'if your portfolio does well, we celebrate with you. If not, we feel it too.'
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Assets Under Management Fee: 0.75% to 0.90% |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Guardian Wealth Management product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Guardian Wealth Management is a fee-only fiduciary registered investment advisor providing personalized financial planning, custom investment management (portfolios built from scratch with no pre-built models), retirement planning, risk optimization, wealth preservation, and charitable giving strategies. The boutique firm serves affluent individuals, families, and busy professionals primarily in Utah, charging a straightforward 0.75% to 0.90% AUM fee with no commissions or kickbacks. Each advisor partners exclusively with approximately 30 households to deliver high-touch, holistic wealth management grounded in tax-conscious and behavioral investing principles.
Product overview
Guardian Wealth Management offers a unified suite of personalized wealth and investment management services built around bespoke portfolio construction and holistic financial planning. The core offerings include Financial Planning, Investment Management (featuring custom portfolios built from scratch with no pre-built models), Retirement Planning, Risk Optimization, Wealth Preservation, and Charitable Giving guidance. The firm provides fee-only fiduciary advisory services with a focus on tax-minimization strategies, cost-efficiency techniques, and behavioral investing guidance. Additional specialized strategies include Roth Conversion planning, Tax Loss Harvesting, and 529 College Savings Plan advisory. The firm maintains a boutique approach with a ratio of 30 households per advisor, ensuring dedicated personalized attention.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Financial Planning Strategic and goal-oriented financial planning designed for busy professionals, simplifying complex financial decisions and connecting every move directly to life goals.
- Investment Management Tax-conscious and cost-aware custom investment portfolio construction. Each portfolio is built from scratch with no pre-built models, tailored to individual goals, values, and risk comfort.
- Retirement Planning Planning to help meet income needs now and in retirement, tailored to ease clients into their desired lifestyle transition.
- Risk Optimization Holistic risk management considering every component of the financial ecosystem, from insurance coverage adequacy to estate plan intricacies, with proactive risk mitigation strategies.
- Wealth Preservation Objective advice and strategies to help ensure long-term wealth withstands market tests and time, focused on disciplined investment strategies for wealth preservation.
- Charitable Giving Tax-efficient charitable giving guidance including donor-advised funds and appreciated securities strategies to help clients give freely without compromising their financial plan.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30 households per advisor ratio ensures dedicated attention and thoughtful service
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Guardian Wealth Management
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Guardian Wealth Management technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Guardian Wealth Management partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Guardian Wealth Management competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aspiriant: Fee-only RIA specializing in personalized wealth management for high-net-worth families. Directly comparable in target client, fee-only fiduciary model, and bespoke portfolio approach.
- Carson Group: Large RIA platform serving HNW households with holistic financial planning and fee-based advisory. Comparable as a fiduciary advisor; a key aggregator competitor that actively recruits small RIAs into its network.
- Merit Financial Advisors: Fee-only fiduciary RIA serving affluent individuals and families with comprehensive financial planning and investment management. Directly comparable as a boutique-to-mid-sized fiduciary advisory competing for the same HNW household segment.
- Mariner Wealth Advisors: National fee-based RIA providing comprehensive wealth management to HNW individuals and families. Comparable in service breadth and client profile; significantly larger scale with acquisition-led growth.
Broad incumbents
- Fisher Investments: Large global investment manager serving HNW and institutional clients with portfolio management. Adjacent incumbent offering similar discretionary investment management but with a model-driven, less bespoke approach.
- Edelman Financial Engines: Large independent RIA offering investment advisory and financial planning to a broad mass-affluent and HNW base. Overlaps with Guardian's planning and investment management services but at much greater scale and lower per-client touch.
- Northwestern Mutual: Large diversified financial services firm offering investment advisory, financial planning, and insurance to individuals and families. Broad incumbent with overlapping HNW wealth management offerings.
Emerging players
- Schwab Intelligent Portfolios: Schwab's automated robo-advisory service. Indirect competitor targeting the same HNW mass-affluent segment Guardian serves, offering low-cost model portfolios versus Guardian's bespoke approach.
- Facet Wealth: Tech-enabled fee-only financial planning firm serving HNW clients virtually nationwide. Comparable in fiduciary model and target segment; competes on convenience rather than physical boutique access.
Regional players
- Albion Financial Group: Utah-based fee-only RIA providing investment management and financial planning to HNW individuals and families in the Intermountain West. Most direct geographic peer to Guardian.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Guardian Wealth Management social profiles
Digital presenceGuardian Wealth Management compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Guardian Wealth Management financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Guardian Wealth Management leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Guardian Wealth Management funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Guardian Wealth Management 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 Guardian Wealth Management
What does Guardian Wealth Management do?
Guardian Wealth Management is a fee-only fiduciary registered investment advisor providing personalized financial planning, custom investment management (portfolios built from scratch with no pre-built models), retirement planning, risk optimization, wealth preservation, and charitable giving strategies. The boutique firm serves affluent individuals, families, and busy professionals primarily in Utah, charging a straightforward 0.75% to 0.90% AUM fee with no commissions or kickbacks. Each advisor partners exclusively with approximately 30 households to deliver high-touch, holistic wealth management grounded in tax-conscious and behavioral investing principles.
Is Guardian Wealth Management a public or private company?
Guardian Wealth Management is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Guardian Wealth Management founded?
Guardian Wealth Management was founded in 2008. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Guardian Wealth Management based?
Guardian Wealth Management is headquartered in Salt Lake City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Guardian Wealth Management make money?
One revenue line is on record: assets Under Management (AUM) Fees.
Who are Guardian Wealth Management's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aspiriant, Carson Group, Merit Financial Advisors and Mariner Wealth Advisors. Broad incumbents are Fisher Investments, Edelman Financial Engines and Northwestern Mutual. Emerging players are Schwab Intelligent Portfolios and Facet Wealth. Albion Financial Group is listed as a regional player.
Does Guardian Wealth Management have an API?
No public API is recorded for Guardian Wealth Management.
What industry is Guardian Wealth Management in?
Guardian Wealth Management's product category is Wealth Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAABAF, Trust & Fiduciary Advisory for HNW/UHNW (Trust Structuring & Trustee Oversight), with a secondary code of FSAAABAD, Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.