Stewart Wealth Management

What Stewart Wealth Management does

Stewart Wealth Management is a fee-only registered investment advisor founded in 2007 by Ben Stewart and headquartered in San Rafael, California, serving high-net-worth individuals and accredited investors with $500,000 or more in investable assets. The firm operates from a single Bay Area office with a five-person team led by founder Ben Stewart (President/CIO, 24 years of experience) alongside two CFP-designated advisors and support staff. Its product suite centers on proactive ETF Strategies, private Real Estate, Private Equity/Private Debt (alternative investments), and Core/Satellite Portfolio Management that pairs broad-based ETF/index core positions with smaller sector satellite holdings, complemented by Tax-saving Strategies and Retirement/Financial Planning that includes Monte Carlo simulations of retirement outcomes.

The firm generates revenue exclusively through subscription-style AUM-based management fees under a fee-only fiduciary model with no commissions or product-based compensation, with tiered pricing that reduces fees for household balances above $1M and for income-specific strategies. Custody and trade execution are provided through long-standing strategic partnerships with Charles Schwab Institutional (since 2007) and Forge Trust, while complex retirement plan work (pensions, 401ks) for small business owners is delivered via partnerships with third-party administrators. Distribution is entirely direct and relationship-based — referrals, website, phone, and email inquiries — with no digital self-service or third-party channels. Marketing channels are limited to a content-marketing website and bottom-of-funnel direct contact, reflecting a high-touch, founder-led boutique advisory model targeting the San Francisco Bay Area.

Operationally, the firm is privately held by its founder with no outside investors, funding rounds, or institutional backing, and it owns no proprietary technology platform beyond its Core/Satellite methodology and Monte Carlo simulation capability. AI/ML capabilities are not present; technology reliance is on standard custodian infrastructure and advisor-driven portfolio management. The 17-year operating history, stable advisor team, and unchanged single-office footprint indicate a steady-state, mature boutique practice rather than a growth-stage company.

Name

Stewart Wealth Management

Legal name

Stewart Wealth Management

Website

https://stewartwealthmgt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stewart Wealth Management is a fee-only registered investment advisor in San Rafael, California, founded in 2007 by Ben Stewart to deliver ETF-based portfolio management, private real estate, alternative investments, and retirement planning to high-net-worth individuals and accredited investors with $500,000+ in investable assets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Other Investment Pools and Funds (5259)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Real Estate Funds — Core (Stabilized, Income) (FSANAEAF), Real Estate Funds — Core-Plus (FSANAEAG)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Assets Under Management (AUM) Fees: Fee-only compensation model where SWM receives fees as a percentage of assets under management. This creates a fiduciary relationship aligned with client goals. Lower management fees apply for household balances over one million and income-specific strategies. No commissions or product-based compensation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Stewart Wealth Management is a fee-only registered investment advisor that builds and manages customized portfolios for accredited investors with $500,000+ in investable assets. Core offerings include proactive ETF-based portfolio management using a core-satellite strategy, private real estate investments, private equity and private debt alternatives, tax-saving retirement account strategies, and Monte Carlo-based retirement/financial planning.

Product overview

Stewart Wealth Management is a fee-only wealth management firm offering a unified suite of investment and planning services. The core offerings include ETF Strategies (proactive exchange-traded fund portfolio management), Real Estate (private real estate investments for high net worth clients), and Private Equity/Private Debt (alternative investments). These are complemented by Core/Satellite Portfolio Management (a strategic asset allocation approach combining broad-based core holdings with sector-based satellites), Tax-saving Strategies (qualified plans and retirement account optimization), and Retirement/Financial Planning (including Monte Carlo simulations). The $500,000 minimum investment requirement and accredited investor focus position these as integrated services for high net worth individuals seeking comprehensive wealth management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ETF Strategies Proactive exchange-traded fund strategies designed to build low-cost, durable, and tax-efficient portfolios that navigate changing markets with long-term predictable outcomes for accredited investors.
• Real Estate Investments Private real estate investments available for high net worth investors as part of their unique investment allocation, designed to lower volatility, taxation, and improve investor behavior.
• Private Equity/Private Debt Alternative investment offerings including private equity and private debt instruments for accredited investors seeking portfolio diversification beyond traditional stocks and bonds.
• Core/Satellite Portfolio Management Portfolio strategy using a large 'core' of investments with smaller 'satellite' positions; the core uses exchange traded funds and income-producing index funds for long-term investment, while satellites are sector-based with higher volatility.
• Tax-Saving Strategies Qualified plan setup and tax optimization strategies for clients in asset 'accumulation' or 'distribution' phases, including retirement accounts and partnerships with third-party administrators for complex pensions and 401ks for small business owners.
• Retirement/Financial Planning Periodic financial plans showing projected future cash flow during retirement years, including Monte Carlo simulations to measure probability of various outcomes, designed for clients planning to live to 100 years of age.

Quantifiable outcome

• Households with balances over $1M receive lower management fees
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

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 and minor.

• Charles Schwab InstitutionalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Strategic custodian partnership since 2007 providing excellence in trade execution, back office service, and customized statements. Accounts are SIPC insured for securities and cash in the event of broker-dealer failure. Division of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. has served investment managers for more than two decades.
• Forge TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic custody partnership providing account administration and custodial services for client investment accounts.
• Third Party Administrators (Retirement Plans)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with third party administrators who create sophisticated and complex pensions, 401ks, and other tax-saving retirement accounts for small business owners.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Emerging players

• Empower Personal Dashboard (formerly Personal Capital): Hybrid digital wealth management platform combining free financial tools with paid advisory services targeting HNW households with $1M+ in investable assets. Directly competes with SWM for the same HNW client using a tech-enabled, lower-touch delivery model.
• Facet Wealth: Digital-first RIA delivering flat-fee financial planning and investment management primarily to HNW clients nationally. Overlaps with SWM in client segment and fiduciary fee-only positioning but competes via a virtual delivery model versus SWM's in-person San Rafael office.

Broad incumbents

• Creative Planning: One of the largest independent fee-only RIAs in the U.S., offering comprehensive wealth management, tax, estate, and alternative investment services to HNW households. Comparable fee-only fiduciary model and service breadth, but materially larger AUM and national footprint.
• Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Hybrid robo-advisor plus human advisor service from a low-cost passive leader, serving mass-affluent and HNW clients with AUM-based fees well below typical RIA rates. Indirect but growing competitive pressure on SWM's premium-touch ETF-and-alts proposition.
• Charles Schwab Wealth Advisory: Custodian-affiliated wealth advisory service leveraging the same Schwab Institutional infrastructure SWM uses, offering fee-based advisory to mass-affluent and HNW households. Represents a direct competitive threat given the shared custody stack, but with much broader distribution and lower cost positioning.
• Fisher Investments: Large independent, fee-based investment manager serving HNW and institutional clients with discretionary portfolio management. Comparable in independent/fee-based orientation and ETF-and-equity portfolio focus, but operates at materially larger scale with a different institutional tilt.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large independent RIA combining traditional advisor-led wealth management with a digital planning engine, serving HNW investors across the U.S. Comparable fee-based fiduciary model and planning-driven approach, though with a national footprint and significantly larger AUM.

Direct peers

• Sanctuary Wealth: Independent RIA and wealth platform partnering with experienced advisors to serve HNW and ultra-HNW clients. Similar fee-based fiduciary model and service mix including private markets and planning, with multi-office national scale SWM lacks.
• Carson Group: Partnership and RIA-support platform serving independent financial advisors who deliver HNW wealth management, retirement planning, and investment solutions. Comparable client profile and fee-based model, with a partner-network distribution angle rather than a single standalone practice.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large independent, fee-based RIA serving HNW and ultra-HNW clients with comprehensive wealth planning, alternative investments, and tax strategies. Highly comparable to SWM in client focus, fee model, and services, though operating at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stewart-wealth-management

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Stewart Wealth Management