Francis Investment Counsel
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersBrookfield, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Francis Investment Counsel does
Francis Investment Counsel (legal entity Francis, LLC) is a privately held US financial advisory firm specializing in retirement plan consulting and workplace financial wellness. The firm operates on a conflict-free business model, explicitly declining asset-based fees and retail wealth management revenue to align advisor incentives with plan sponsor and participant outcomes. Services are delivered to employers, plan fiduciaries, HR administrators, and individual employees across the Midwest, with offices in Brookfield (Milwaukee), Wisconsin and Oakdale (Minneapolis), Minnesota.
The product portfolio is anchored by Retirement Plan Consulting (ERISA-compliant advisory, investment consulting, fee analysis, and plan design) and Workplace Financial Wellness (personalized financial planning programs addressing 'Work-Life-Money Balance'). Supporting these are a Participant Portal for self-service retirement account access and education, and the Francis Financial Wellness App, a mobile participant tool recognized with a 2018 BizTimes IQ Innovation Award. Knowledge products — white papers, blogs, podcasts, and a founder-led commentary series — function as top-of-funnel content marketing. The tech stack is a participant portal and mobile app rather than an AI-native platform; there is no disclosed AI/ML capability.
Revenue is generated through fee-based professional services engagements sold via direct enterprise field sales to plan fiduciaries and HR buyers, with multi-year contract cadence and pricing on a quote basis. Distribution is regional (Midwest) with national visibility through PLANADVISER conference participation and PlanAdviser industry recognition (Top Retirement Plan Advisers, 11 consecutive years; PlanAdviser Awards 2022–2025). The firm has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, no acquisitions, and a single senior leadership mention (Elizabeth Aidoo, Director of Inclusive Engagement Strategy), with founder Mike Francis serving as the visible thought leadership figure.
Francis Investment Counsel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Francis Investment Counsel
- Legal name
- Francis, LLC
- Website
- https://francisinvco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Francis Investment Counsel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retirement Plan Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts (FSAEABAF), Fee-Based Advisory (FSAEAAAM)
Keywords
Where Francis Investment Counsel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brookfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Francis Investment Counsel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retirement Plan Consulting Services: Fee-based advisory services for retirement plan management, ERISA compliance, and investment consulting for plan sponsors and fiduciaries
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise advisory services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Francis Investment Counsel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Francis Investment Counsel provides fee-based retirement plan consulting and workplace financial wellness services to employers and plan fiduciaries. Offerings include ERISA-compliant investment consulting, fee analysis, and plan design optimization, paired with personalized employee financial planning programs and a self-service Participant Portal and Francis Financial Wellness App. The firm operates on a conflict-free model, declining asset-based fees and retail wealth management products in favor of flat advisory fees.
Product overview
Francis Investment Counsel is a financial advisory firm offering a portfolio of retirement and financial wellness services. The core offerings consist of Retirement Plan Consulting (ERISA-compliant advisory for employers), Workplace Financial Wellness (personalized employee financial planning), and a Participant Portal (self-service retirement account access). Supporting these core services are knowledge content products including White Papers, Blogs, Podcasts, and From Mike Francis insights. The firm operates on a conflict-free business model, distinguishing it from traditional asset-based fee advisors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Francis Financial Wellness App: Mobile application for financial wellness services
Products and services
- Retirement Plan Consulting ERISA-compliant retirement plan advisory services for plan fiduciaries and plan sponsors, including investment consulting, fee analysis, and plan design optimization to help organizations manage costs, reduce fiduciary liability, and create value.
- Workplace Financial Wellness Personalized financial planning programs for employees that address Work-Life-Money Balance, helping workers gain control over personal finances and protect their retirement investments as part of employer-sponsored benefits packages.
- Participant Portal Online portal enabling employees to access their retirement accounts, educational resources, and financial planning tools to manage their retirement benefits and personal finances.
Quantifiable outcome
- 21 National EDDY Awards for Outstanding Employee Education Programs
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Francis Investment Counsel
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Francis Investment Counsel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Francis Investment Counsel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Francis Investment Counsel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Mercer: Global consulting leader (Marsh McLennan) with a major retirement and investment consulting practice serving plan sponsors. Comparable to Francis as a retirement plan advisor but operates at vastly greater scale with multi-service offerings.
- Aon: Global professional services firm with a substantial retirement and investment consulting practice. Comparable to Francis in retirement plan advisory and fiduciary consulting, with much broader capabilities across insurance, health, and risk.
- WTW (Willis Towers Watson): Global advisory firm with extensive retirement plan consulting and actuarial services. Overlaps with Francis in serving plan sponsors with fiduciary and investment advisory but competes at enterprise scale with broader risk and benefits offerings.
- OneDigital: Large employee benefits and retirement plan advisory firm combining consulting, wealth management, and insurance brokerage. Overlaps with Francis in retirement plan advisory but offers a broader, integrated benefits platform at national scale.
Direct peers
- Meketa Investment Group: Investment consulting firm serving pension plans, endowments, and retirement plan sponsors with investment advisory and OCIO services. Comparable to Francis in the institutional retirement plan advisory space with similar fiduciary-oriented client relationships.
- SageView Advisory: Independent retirement plan and wealth advisory firm focused on plan sponsors and participants. Directly comparable to Francis in fee-based consulting model, participant services, and workplace financial wellness offerings.
- Segal Group: Independent consulting firm providing retirement plan, health and welfare, and actuarial advisory services. Comparable to Francis in serving retirement plan sponsors with fee-based advisory and compliance support, though at a larger scale.
- CAPTRUST: One of the largest independent retirement plan advisors in the U.S., offering fee-based investment advisory for plan sponsors and participant services. Closely comparable to Francis as a fee-based, conflict-conscious retirement plan consultancy with a national client base.
- AndCo Consulting: Independent, fee-only retirement plan and investment advisory firm serving public, corporate, and Taft-Hartley plan sponsors. Directly comparable to Francis in fee-only philosophy and retirement plan consulting focus.
Emerging players
- Edelman Financial Engines: Large-scale independent financial planning and workplace financial wellness provider with a tech-enabled participant advice platform. Comparable to Francis in the workplace financial wellness segment, especially via the Participant Portal/app, though at substantially larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Francis Investment Counsel social profiles
Digital presenceFrancis Investment Counsel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Francis Investment Counsel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Francis Investment Counsel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Francis Investment Counsel 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 Francis Investment Counsel
What does Francis Investment Counsel do?
Francis Investment Counsel provides fee-based retirement plan consulting and workplace financial wellness services to employers and plan fiduciaries. Offerings include ERISA-compliant investment consulting, fee analysis, and plan design optimization, paired with personalized employee financial planning programs and a self-service Participant Portal and Francis Financial Wellness App. The firm operates on a conflict-free model, declining asset-based fees and retail wealth management products in favor of flat advisory fees.
Is Francis Investment Counsel a public or private company?
Francis Investment Counsel is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Francis Investment Counsel founded?
Francis Investment Counsel was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Francis Investment Counsel based?
Francis Investment Counsel is headquartered in Brookfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Francis Investment Counsel make money?
One revenue line is on record: retirement Plan Consulting Services.
Who are Francis Investment Counsel's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Mercer, Aon, WTW (Willis Towers Watson) and OneDigital. Direct peers are Meketa Investment Group, SageView Advisory, Segal Group, CAPTRUST and AndCo Consulting. Edelman Financial Engines is listed as an emerging player.
Does Francis Investment Counsel have an API?
No public API is recorded for Francis Investment Counsel.
What industry is Francis Investment Counsel in?
Francis Investment Counsel's product category is Retirement Plan Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEABAE, Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension), with a secondary code of FSAEABAF, Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.