Ignite

What Ignite does

Ignite (legal entity IGNITE FI CLUB, LLC, doing business as Ignite Financial / Ignite Planning) is a fee-only fiduciary financial advisory firm headquartered at 2616 Orchard Drive, Suite C1, Cedar Falls, Iowa. The firm is co-founded by Mike Dunlop, CFP and Casey Redmond, CFP and operates as an independent Registered Investment Advisor serving individuals and families, with a primary focus on pre-retirees and retirees within five years of retirement or already retired. Secondary segments include young professionals, established mid-career households, and small-to-medium businesses seeking retirement plan services.

The firm's core offerings are structured around three pricing tiers. Comprehensive Financial Planning is the flagship ongoing wealth management service billed on tiered AUM fees ranging from 0.85% on assets under $500K down to 0.20% on $10M–$25M. Two project-based offerings complement this: Freedom Blueprint ($4,900 one-time) for near-retirees and retirees, and Momentum Planning ($3,600 one-time) for clients in their 30s and 40s. The technology stack is built on third-party platforms — eMoney for financial planning, RightCapital for the client portal and account aggregation, and Altruist for custody — supplemented by an internally branded 'Income Laboratory' for retirement income modeling and Monte Carlo simulation running 1,000+ scenarios for probability-of-success analysis.

Ignite makes money through a hybrid of one-time flat fees and recurring AUM-based advisory fees, with no commissions, kickbacks, or proprietary product sales. Go-to-market is content-led: an educational blog, the 'Spark Beneath' weekly newsletter, the 'Peeling Back Money and Life' podcast, active social channels, and free introductory consultations drive top-of-funnel awareness and qualified lead capture. Local clients are served in person at the Cedar Falls office; clients outside Iowa are served virtually via screen sharing, extending the firm's reach nationally. Memberships in NAPFA, the Fee Only Network, and XY Planning Network, along with CFP credentials for both founders, underpin the firm's fiduciary positioning.

Name

Ignite

Legal name

IGNITE FI CLUB, LLC

Website

https://igniteplanning.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ignite (IGNITE FI CLUB, LLC) is a fee-only fiduciary financial advisory firm in Cedar Falls, Iowa, providing flat-fee retirement and wealth planning services primarily to pre-retirees and retirees, with virtual reach across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers) (FSAAACAE)

Keywords

• Fee-only financial planning
• Retirement income planning
• Fiduciary investment management
• Flat-fee wealth advisory
• Evidence-based portfolio management

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Project-Based Financial Planning: One-time flat-fee engagements for specific financial planning projects including Comprehensive Financial Planning, Freedom Blueprint for retirees, and Momentum Planning for 30s-40s.
2. Ongoing Wealth Management: Annual advisory fees based on total personal assets under management, providing comprehensive ongoing financial planning and investment management with regular meetings throughout the year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ignite is a fee-only fiduciary Registered Investment Advisor that sells flat-fee financial planning projects and ongoing investment management services to individuals and families. Its core offerings are Comprehensive Financial Planning (ongoing holistic engagement), Freedom Blueprint ($4,900 one-time retirement plan for those within 5 years of retirement or already retired), Momentum Planning ($3,600 one-time plan for individuals in their 30s–40s), and Investment Management on a tiered AUM fee schedule, all anchored by evidence-based, low-cost index fund strategies and Monte Carlo retirement modeling.

Product overview

Ignite is a fee-only fiduciary financial planning firm offering a unified platform of financial planning and investment management services. The core offerings include Comprehensive Financial Planning (ongoing holistic service), Freedom Blueprint ($4,900 one-time retirement plan for those within 5 years of retirement), and Momentum Planning ($3,600 one-time plan for 30s and 40s). Investment Management is provided on an ongoing basis with a fee schedule based on assets under management. Additional services include Business Retirement Plans (401k), Social Security Planning, College Planning, Tax Guidance, Insurance Planning, Estate Preparation, Debt Management, and Charitable Giving Strategies. The firm operates on a flat-fee, fiduciary model with no commissions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Comprehensive Financial Planning: Full-service financial planning including investment management, retirement planning, tax strategy, estate preparation, and insurance review.
• Freedom Blueprint
• Momentum Planning

Products and services

• Comprehensive Financial Planning Ongoing holistic financial planning service for clients seeking long-term fiduciary guidance, covering retirement planning, tax strategy, estate preparation, investment management, Social Security/Medicare guidance, insurance review, and portfolio management. Priced as a one-time flat fee for project engagements ($1,500–$4,000 range) and is the primary service for clients wanting an ongoing advisory relationship.
• Freedom Blueprint One-time project-based retirement planning service for individuals within 5 years of retirement or already retired. Includes retirement readiness analysis, income strategy plan, investment recommendations, tax planning overview, healthcare planning, and estate planning overview. Priced at $4,900 one-time fee covering all meetings, analysis, and deliverables, with an optional 90-day follow-up.
• Momentum Planning One-time financial planning review for individuals and families in their 30s and 40s. Covers goal setting, investment strategy, cash flow evaluation, debt management, tax planning, education planning, risk management, and estate planning. Priced at $3,600 one-time fee with action plan and 60-day complimentary check-in.
• Investment Management Ongoing investment management service focused on low-cost index funds, fee efficiency, and long-term diversification across asset classes (bonds, U.S. stocks, international stocks). Includes portfolio allocation recommendations and rebalancing strategies. Priced via tiered annual advisory fees on assets under management: $0–$500K at 0.85%, $500K–$1M at 0.75%, $1M–$2M at 0.65%, $2M–$5M at 0.45%, $5M–$10M at 0.35%, $10M–$25M at 0.20%.
• Business Retirement Plans Retirement plan services for small and medium businesses, including 401(k) plan setup and ongoing management to help employers offer retirement benefits to their employees.

Quantifiable outcome

• Markets have produced a 10.2% gross average return in the last 89 years (referenced as basis for long-term investment strategy)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• eMoneycoreTechnology or IntegrationeMoney is used as the primary financial planning software platform for client portal access and comprehensive financial planning. Clients access their accounts through the eMoney platform for planning tools and portfolio management.
• AltruistcoreTechnology or IntegrationAltruist serves as the investment custodian for client accounts. Altruist is a modern brokerage platform designed for independent advisors, providing custody services for client assets.
• RightCapitalcoreTechnology or IntegrationRightCapital is used as the client portal for financial planning and account aggregation. Clients access their financial plans and accounts through the RightCapital platform.
• CFP BoardcoreOthersThe CFP Board is the professional organization that certifies financial planners. Both co-founders Mike Dunlop (CFP ID: 04930d82-2ef9-4e8d-8ff4-9af0ed74969c) and Casey Redmond hold active CFP certifications, with Mike Dunlop's profile available on the CFP Board directory.
• National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA)coreOthersNAPFA is the leading professional organization for fee-only financial planners in the United States. Ignite is a verified NAPFA member (Member ID: 37616). NAPFA members must work exclusively within the fee-only structure and may not accept commissions.
• Fee Only NetworkcoreOthersFee Only Network is a directory of verified fee-only advisors who do not accept commissions or compensation from financial product companies. Mike Dunlop is listed on the Fee Only Network directory.
• XY Planning NetworkminorOthersXY Planning Network is a network of fee-only advisors providing accessible financial planning. Michael Dunlop is listed on the XY Planning Network directory (Member ID: 10638) serving as a connector for younger clients seeking financial planning services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Creative Planning: Creative Planning is a large, nationally scaled fee-only RIA offering comprehensive financial planning and wealth management. It competes with Ignite across all the same service categories but at vastly greater scale, broader geographic reach, and deeper institutional infrastructure.
• Wealthfront: Wealthfront is a leading robo-advisor offering automated index-fund portfolio management, retirement planning, and tax-optimization services. It overlaps Ignite's investment management and retirement planning offerings but at materially lower price points and broader scale.
• Schwab Intelligent Portfolios: Schwab Intelligent Portfolios is a robo-advisor offering automated portfolio management using low-cost index funds. It targets the same evidence-based-investing value proposition Ignite promotes, but at a fraction of the price and with no human advisor — representing the most direct digital competitive threat.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Buckingham is a large fee-only RIA focused on evidence-based investing and comprehensive financial planning for individuals and families. Comparable service model to Ignite but operating nationally with significantly larger AUM and advisor headcount.

Direct peers

• Facet Wealth: Facet Wealth is a fee-only fiduciary RIA offering flat-fee financial planning and investment management delivered virtually. It is the closest direct peer to Ignite in business model (flat-fee, fiduciary, virtual) and target audience (mass-affluent and pre-retiree/retiree households).
• Boldin (formerly NewRetirement): Boldin provides DIY and advisor-supported retirement planning tools with Monte Carlo simulation, directly overlapping Ignite's Income Laboratory capability. It targets the same retiree/pre-retiree cohort and represents the digital-native alternative to Ignite's personalized retirement planning service.
• Advance Capital Management: Advance Capital Management is a fee-only RIA offering financial planning and investment management with a similar fiduciary, evidence-based philosophy. Comparable to Ignite in service mix (comprehensive planning + investment management) and emphasis on low-cost indexing for individuals and retirees.
• Ritholz Wealth Management: Ritholz Wealth Management is a fee-only fiduciary RIA providing flat-fee financial planning and investment management with a focus on evidence-based investing. Closely comparable to Ignite in compensation structure (flat fee), service breadth, and target clientele.

Others

• XY Planning Network: XY Planning Network is a network and directory of fee-only financial advisors — Ignite is itself a member. It functions as both a referral source for Ignite and a cohort of peers operating under the same flat-fee, fee-only model targeting younger demographics and pre-retirees.
• NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors): NAPFA is the leading professional association for fee-only financial advisors, of which Ignite is a member. It serves as a directory and credentialing body that channels qualified prospects to fee-only firms and represents the broader community of directly comparable peer advisors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IgniteYourRetirement
• Facebookfacebook.com/igniteplanning
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ignite-planning
• Instagraminstagram.com/benchfin

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Ignite