Carlin Financial Group

What Carlin Financial Group does

Carlin Financial Group is an independent financial advisory practice based in Friendswood, Texas, focused on retirement planning for individuals and pre-retirees in the Greater Houston market. The firm is operated by a father-and-son advisor team, Matthew Carlin and Jared Carlin, who provide holistic retirement services spanning lifestyle preservation, investment strategies, tax optimization, Social Security timing, Medicare planning, and legacy/estate planning. Matthew Carlin explicitly positions the practice as a fiduciary offering personalized guidance for individuals aged 50 and above, with educational outreach forming a central part of the go-to-market approach.

The firm's technology footprint is intentionally lean: client accounts and reporting are delivered through the third-party Orion Advisor platform, and a stand-alone tax calculation tool is hosted at cfgtaxcalc.com. There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability disclosed, and no indication of in-house engineering or product development. Regulatory and compliance functions are provided through Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC, an SEC-registered investment adviser (CRD #175083), under whose umbrella Carlin Financial Group operates.

The business model is a traditional fee-based independent RIA serving retail clients, monetized through advisory fees on managed assets and one-to-one planning engagements. Client acquisition is driven primarily by in-person consultations, free educational seminars across the Houston region, a multi-channel social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), and selective media visibility such as a 2021 appearance on WJLA ABC 7. The firm maintains a single Friendswood office, has no disclosed institutional or enterprise clients, and has not raised outside funding.

Name

Carlin Financial Group

Legal name

Carlin Financial Group

Website

https://carlinfinancialgroup.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Carlin Financial Group is an independent, father-and-son financial advisory practice in Friendswood, Texas, delivering holistic retirement planning—including investment, tax, Social Security, Medicare, and legacy strategies—to individual and pre-retiree clients under the Foundations Investment Advisors RIA umbrella.

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

Private Banking & UHNW Wealth Advisory (FSAEABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Coaching & Budgeting Advisory (FSAEAAAH)

Keywords

• Retirement planning
• Financial advisory services
• Wealth management
• Investment management
• Personal financial planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Friendswood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory Services: The firm provides personalized financial planning and investment advisory services. Investment advisory services are offered through Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser. Revenue is generated through advisory fees, likely based on assets under management or hourly/fixed fee arrangements typical of independent financial advisors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Carlin Financial Group is an independent financial advisory firm that creates personalized retirement financial plans for individuals and pre-retirees. Services span lifestyle preservation, investment strategies, tax optimization, Social Security planning, Medicare planning, and legacy planning, delivered through one-on-one advisory consultations. Investment advisory services are offered through Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC, an SEC registered investment adviser (CRD #175083).

Product overview

Carlin Financial Group is a financial advisory firm offering personalized retirement planning and financial services. The firm provides holistic financial planning including lifestyle preservation, investment strategies, tax optimization, Social Security planning, Medicare planning, and legacy planning. The core offering is customized financial plans designed for each client's unique situation, delivered through independent advisory services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Planning Services

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Foundations Investment Advisors, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment advisory services are offered through Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC ('Foundations'), an SEC registered investment adviser. This is the affiliated RIA under which the firm's advisors provide investment management services. CRD #175083.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer and RIA supporting small advisory practices focused on holistic retirement and financial planning for individuals — close structural and service-line peer to Carlin.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer and RIA supporting small-to-mid-sized advisory practices offering personalized retirement and wealth planning services — directly comparable to Carlin's independent advisory practice structure.

Broad incumbents

• Edward Jones: Large U.S. financial services firm with thousands of independent-branch financial advisors serving individual retirement clients through a localized, relationship-driven model — directly comparable GTM to Carlin's independent advisor approach, but at vastly greater scale.
• LPL Financial: Largest U.S. independent broker-dealer and RIA custodian supporting thousands of independent financial advisors offering retirement planning — comparable because Carlin operates a similar independent-advisor business model under a partner RIA.
• Fidelity Personal Investing: Major U.S. brokerage and advisory platform offering retirement planning tools, managed portfolios, and advisor services to individual clients — competes with Carlin for retirement-focused individual clients at a national scale.
• Northwestern Mutual: Large U.S. financial services firm with a field-advisor model focused on holistic retirement, investment, and legacy planning for individuals — overlaps heavily with Carlin's retirement and legacy planning offerings.
• Raymond James Financial: Diversified wealth manager with a large independent advisor channel offering personalized retirement and investment planning, comparable to Carlin's independent RIA model.
• Ameriprise Financial: Diversified financial services company whose advisor channel focuses on holistic retirement and wealth planning for individuals — overlaps with Carlin's holistic retirement-planning value proposition.
• Charles Schwab (Independent Advisor Services): Custodian and platform supporting thousands of independent RIAs while also offering direct-to-consumer retirement planning services — comparable because it both enables (like Foundations does for Carlin) and competes with the independent advisory model.
• Cetera Financial Group: Independent advisor-focused wealth management platform supporting advisors serving individual retirement clients — comparable business model to Carlin's RIA-tied advisory practice.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wordpress
• Facebookfacebook.com/wordpress
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/tags/wordcamp

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 Carlin Financial Group