What Inspire Financial Planning does

Inspire Financial Planning is an independent, fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina (1213 Culbreth Drive), founded in 2020 as an LLC. The firm provides wealth management, fee-only financial planning, fiduciary advisory, estate planning, retirement planning, tax planning, and insurance analysis services primarily to high-net-worth individuals, with stated focus on clients who hold $3 million or more in assets and who are at wealth-management crossroads such as retirement, business sale, inheritance, or job change.

The firm's investment stack centers on low-cost exchange-traded fund (ETF) portfolios with expense ratios of approximately 0.04% per year, materially below the Investment Company Institute-reported average mutual fund expense ratio of 0.40%. Client assets are custodied at Charles Schwab (relationship in place since 2023) under SIPC protection with FDIC coverage available through Schwab's Bank Sweep feature. Investment advisory services are formally delivered through AlphaStar Capital Management, LLC, a separate SEC Registered Investment Adviser. The lead financial advisor has over 20 years of industry experience; deeper team composition is not disclosed.

Revenue is generated through fee-only AUM-based asset management (100% commission-free) and an introductory hourly financial-planning rate of $225. The go-to-market is a hybrid of direct field sales (in-person meetings at office or client location for $3M+ clients) and inside/virtual sales (Zoom), supported by a content-marketing engine (an educational resource center) and bottom-of-funnel free-consultation scheduling via YouCanBookMe. Geographic coverage spans Wilmington, Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, Charlotte, Greensboro, and Asheville (NC), plus Atlanta, New York City, Boston, Scottsdale, San Francisco, Newport Beach, and Chicago — predominantly delivered virtually from the single Wilmington headquarters. The firm maintains institutional relationships with Charles Schwab, Vanguard, and American Funds to support portfolio construction and custody.

Name

Inspire Financial Planning

Legal name

Inspire Financial Planning, LLC

Website

https://inspirefp.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Inspire Financial Planning is an independent, fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm headquartered in Wilmington, NC, serving high-net-worth individuals (typically $3M+ in assets) with low-cost ETF portfolios, holistic financial planning, retirement, estate, tax, and insurance advisory services across multiple U.S. metros.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB), Private Wealth Planning (Tax, Estate & Succession) (FSAAABAE), Estate & Legacy Planning Advisory (FSAEAAAG)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

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

Revenue model

1. Fee-Only Asset Management: Fee-only compensation method where the firm is compensated directly by clients for advice, plan implementation, and ongoing management of assets. Portfolios are 100% commission-free. The firm utilizes low-cost ETFs to minimize client expenses.
2. Hourly Financial Planning: Introductory hourly rate of $225 per hour for fee-only financial planning services, offering transparent hourly engagement for clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Inspire Financial Planning is an independent, fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm that provides comprehensive financial advisory services to high-net-worth individuals. Core offerings span holistic financial planning, low-cost ETF portfolio construction, estate planning, retirement planning, tax planning, and insurance analysis, delivered through a boutique, family-office style client relationship.

Product overview

Inspire Financial Planning is an independent, fee-only, fiduciary wealth management firm offering comprehensive financial advisory services to high-net-worth individuals. The firm operates as a boutique family-office type practice, providing integrated services including wealth management, investment management using low-cost ETFs (approximately 0.04% expense ratios), fee-only financial planning, fiduciary advisory services, estate planning, retirement planning, tax planning, and insurance analysis. The core offering centers on personalized wealth management for clients with $3 million or more in assets, delivered through fiduciary advisors with over 20 years of industry experience. Services are offered across multiple office locations and via virtual meetings, with institutional relationships maintained at Charles Schwab for custody.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wealth Management Ongoing, holistic wealth management service for high-net-worth individuals and families, encompassing investment, estate, retirement, tax, and insurance coordination under a single fee-only fiduciary advisor.
• Fee-Only Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning engagement offered on a flat-fee or hourly basis, covering goal setting, cash-flow analysis, and integrated planning across multiple financial domains.
• Fiduciary Financial Advisory Advice delivered under a fiduciary standard of care, meaning recommendations are made in the client's best interest rather than to generate commissions, suitable for clients who prioritize conflict-free guidance.
• ETF Portfolio Construction Investment portfolio design and ongoing management built primarily from low-cost exchange-traded funds (ETFs), executed in coordination with AlphaStar Capital Management, LLC and custodied at Charles Schwab.
• Estate Planning Estate planning advisory service addressing wealth transfer, beneficiary structuring, and coordination with clients' estate legal documents to support multi-generational wealth objectives.
• Retirement Planning Retirement planning advisory focused on accumulation, decumulation, income sustainability, and distribution strategy for high-net-worth individuals approaching or in retirement.
• Tax Planning Tax planning advisory integrated with overall wealth management, addressing investment tax efficiency, withdrawal sequencing, and coordination with clients' tax professionals.
• Insurance Analysis Analysis of clients' insurance coverage and needs across life, disability, long-term care, and related categories to identify gaps and align coverage with overall financial plan.

Quantifiable outcome

• ETF expense ratios approximately 0.04% per year, about 1/7th the cost of the average mutual fund expense ratio of 0.40%

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Charles SchwabcoreTechnology or IntegrationSince 2023, most client assets have been custodied at Charles Schwab. Schwab is a member of Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) protecting securities and cash in client brokerage accounts. FDIC protection available through Schwab's Bank Sweep feature, which may sweep deposits into more than one Program Bank to extend total FDIC coverage.
• The Vanguard GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationInstitutional relationship for portfolio construction tools and model portfolios referenced by the firm. Vanguard referenced for CRSP expense information.
• AlphaStar Capital Management, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEC Registered Investment Adviser providing investment advisory services. Inspire Financial Planning offers services through AlphaStar Capital Management, LLC. Both entities are independent.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Moneta Group: Fee-only fiduciary RIA providing comprehensive wealth management to HNW individuals and families; closely matches Inspire on fiduciary model, integrated planning, and boutique-private-wealth experience.
• TrueNorth Wealth Advisors: Boutique fee-only fiduciary RIA serving HNW individuals with comprehensive planning and investment management — closely comparable in segment, fee model, and boutique family-office positioning.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only, fiduciary RIA serving HNW individuals with comprehensive financial planning, low-cost fund portfolios, and an advisor-led model — directly comparable in customer segment and value proposition to Inspire.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman Financial Engines: Large-scale fee-only fiduciary wealth manager and workplace advisory platform offering planning, portfolio management, and tax services to a national HNW and mass-affluent base, comparable in core services but vastly larger than Inspire.
• Focus Financial Partners: Consolidator of independent, fee-based wealth management firms; while a roll-up platform rather than a direct competitor, its member firms offer the same fiduciary planning-led model Inspire pursues, often at larger scale.
• Fisher Investments: Large fee-only investment manager serving HNW clients with portfolio management services, comparable in fee model and target customer to Inspire, though much broader in scale.
• Carson Group: Large RIA platform supporting independent advisor firms with compliance, technology, and back-office; overlaps Inspire's fee-only fiduciary RIA delivery while operating at much greater scale.

Others

• XY Planning Network: Network of fee-only financial planners serving clients on an ongoing basis; an enabling and ecosystem counterpart to Inspire rather than a direct competitor, addressing similar HNW and mass-affluent segments.
• AlphaStar Capital Management: SEC-registered RIA through which Inspire delivers investment advisory services; an infrastructure/enabling partner rather than a competitor, but materially comparable in business model.

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Digital-first flat-fee fiduciary financial planner targeting HNW and mass-affluent clients; competes with Inspire on transparent, conflict-free financial planning for clients who do not need a traditional advisor relationship.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/inspirefp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Inspire Financial Planning