What Cresta Advisors does

Cresta Advisors is an independent, fee-only Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) founded in 2013 and headquartered in Laredo, Texas. The firm delivers goals-based financial planning and wealth management to individual high-net-worth clients, small business owners, and Texas government entities through three operating divisions: Financial Planning (established 2017), Business 401(k) Strategy (2019), and Public Funds (2023). Its core offerings span wealth management, retirement, tax, estate, and investment planning, with the Public Funds Division providing TPFIA-compliant advisory and portfolio management to counties, cities, municipalities, school districts, and special districts across Texas. The Business 401(k) Division serves small business owners with plan design, fiduciary management, and employee education.

The firm operates under a SEC fiduciary standard with a fee-only compensation model—no commissions—and is co-owned by CEO Manuel E. Garza (CPWA, 20+ years experience) and CIO Mark Deutsch (30+ years, former American Stock Exchange trader). The leadership team also includes a Director of Public Funds, a 401(k) Plan Advisor (CPFA), financial advisors, and client service leads, totaling approximately 9 employees. Technology consists of third-party tools including the Tamarac client portal and standard financial planning software; the firm does not disclose proprietary platforms or AI-driven capabilities.

The business model is recurring advisory fees billed monthly on a subscription/quote basis, with client acquisition driven by consultations, referrals, community presence in Laredo, and content marketing via the firm's Insights blog and newsletter. Customer concentration is regionally narrow (Laredo and South Texas for individuals; statewide Texas for public funds), and the firm has no external institutional investors, no parent company, and no disclosed funding rounds, remaining wholly owned by its two founding partners.

Name

Cresta Advisors

Legal name

Cresta Advisors

Website

https://crestaadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cresta Advisors is an independent, fee-only Registered Investment Advisor in Laredo, Texas, providing goals-based financial planning, wealth management, 401(k) advisory, and TPFIA-compliant public funds investment services to individuals, small businesses, and Texas government entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management & Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Wealth Management (FSAEABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB), Investment Management Advisory (RIA) (FSAEAAAB), Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers) (FSAAACAE)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Financial planning advisory
• Investment management advisory
• Retirement planning services
• Fiduciary investment advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Laredo

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Advisory Fees: As a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor, the firm charges advisory fees for financial planning, wealth management, and investment management services. The fee-only model means no commissions are earned from product sales, aligning firm interests with client interests.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cresta Advisors is a fee-only, fiduciary Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm that delivers comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, and investment advisory services. The firm operates three divisions: a Financial Planning Division (encompassing wealth management, retirement, estate, tax, education savings, and investment management services) for individuals; a Business 401(k) Strategy Division for small business retirement plans; and a Public Funds Division advising Texas government entities on TPFIA-compliant investment management.

Product overview

Cresta Advisors is a fee-only, fiduciary financial advisory firm operating as a unified platform with specialized service divisions. The core offering is goal-based financial planning and wealth management, supported by three main divisions: Financial Planning Division (encompassing Wealth Management, Estate Planning, Education Savings, Retirement Planning, Tax Advisory, and Investment Management services), Business 401(k) Strategy Division, and Public Funds Division. All services are delivered under fiduciary duty with a focus on transparency, trust, and long-term client relationships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Planning Division Holistic financial planning services for individuals encompassing wealth management, retirement planning, tax advisory, estate planning, education savings, and investment management, delivered under fiduciary duty and goals-based planning methodology.
• Business 401(k) Strategy Division Employer-sponsored retirement plan advisory services for small business owners including 401(k) plan design, transition management, fiduciary management, plan monitoring, and employee education programs.
• Public Funds Division Specialized investment management and advisory services for Texas government entities including counties, cities, municipalities, special districts, school entities, and public authorities, with TPFIA compliance, transparency, and fiduciary oversight.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sanctuary Wealth: RIA platform supporting breakaway advisors from wirehouses in delivering comprehensive wealth management. Overlaps with Cresta's fee-only advisory services and is a potential partner or acquirer for growing independent RIAs.
• Fisher Investments: Large fee-only RIA focused on personalized investment management for high-net-worth individuals and institutions. Operates in the same fee-only fiduciary category as Cresta but at much greater scale with discretionary portfolio management as the core offering.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large fee-only RIA providing financial planning, investment management, and workplace retirement-plan services. Directly comparable across all three of Cresta's divisions (individual planning, 401(k), institutional) but at national scale.
• Cetera Financial Group: Broker-dealer and RIA support platform serving independent financial professionals with wealth management, retirement plan, and investment solutions. Comparable through its independent-RIA channel that supports goals-based planning and 401(k) services.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large, PE-backed RIA consolidator offering comprehensive financial planning, wealth management, and institutional services. Directly comparable to Cresta's offerings but at vastly greater scale, and a potential acquirer of regional fee-only RIAs like Cresta.
• Carson Group (Carson): PE-backed RIA platform serving independent advisors with business coaching, technology, and back-office support. Comparable as a consolidator with overlapping fee-only advisory services targeting business owners and individuals.
• Goldman Sachs Personal Financial Management: National wealth management and financial planning business of Goldman Sachs serving individuals, families, and business owners. Comparable to Cresta's wealth-management, retirement, and tax-advisory services but with a national footprint and brand-driven distribution.
• Steward Partners Global Advisory: RIA and wealth-management firm offering financial planning, investment advisory, and institutional services. Comparable in providing goal-based financial planning and serving both individuals and institutions, with multi-region scale Cresta lacks.

Others

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer and RIA support firm providing back-office, technology, and advisory platform services to independent advisors. Comparable as an enabling ecosystem partner for fee-only RIAs like Cresta and a potential platform/affiliation option.

Direct peers

• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only RIA specializing in evidence-based financial planning, wealth management, and 401(k) advisory for individuals and businesses. Closely aligned to Cresta in fee-only fiduciary positioning, financial-planning-led model, and 401(k) services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Cresta Advisors