Clarity Asset Management

What Clarity Asset Management does

Clarity Asset Management, Inc. is a fee-only, fiduciary registered investment advisor based in Ames, Iowa, founded in 1998 and operating continuously through its 2012 merger with the predecessor Resource Planning Group (founded 1986). The firm provides financial planning and asset management services to individuals and families in or approaching retirement across the Ames/Story County/Iowa market, with no institutional or enterprise customers. Its core service stack consists of a free initial consultation, a one-time $500 comprehensive financial planning engagement, and an ongoing planning and management relationship priced at 1% of assets under management annually (with tiered reductions above $1 million accounts).

The firm's planning work is organized around its proprietary Tri-Lateral Pillars of Financial Health™ methodology, which integrates spending, investing, and giving decisions around a unifying life-purpose framework, and is supported by third-party dynamic planning software for portfolio modeling and risk analysis. Client servicing is delivered through in-person meetings at the Ames office and the myCLARITY client portal (provided via a third-party platform). Distribution is direct, referral-driven, and reinforced by community involvement with local organizations such as the Ames Foundation, Kiwanis, and the Story County Community Foundation. The leadership team is small and tenured — President/CEO Don Erickson, CIO Steve Larson, COO Nevin Conlon, CCO Julie Siegel, and Lead Financial Planner Kacy Bass — with credentials including CFP, ChFC, CLU, CMFC, and NAPFA-Registered Financial Advisor designations.

Clarity generates revenue primarily through the 1% recurring AUM fee, supplemented by the one-time $500 planning fee charged only on completion and client satisfaction. It does not earn commissions or product-sell compensation, which the firm positions as its core fiduciary differentiator. The operating footprint is regional (Iowa) only, with 1–10 employees, no disclosed funding, no subsidiaries, and no AI or proprietary technology platform beyond its planning methodology. The business model is best characterized as a stable, founder-led lifestyle RIA with multi-decade client relationships and limited but durable growth signals, including sustainable investing capability added in 2018 and incremental digital content distribution.

Name

Clarity Asset Management

Legal name

Clarity Asset Management, Inc.

Website

https://investmentclarity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

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

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fee-Based Advisory (FSAEAAAM), Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD), Portfolio Construction & Asset Allocation Advisory (FSAEAAAC), Estate & Legacy Planning Advisory (FSAEAAAG)

Keywords

• Fee-only financial planning
• Asset management
• Retirement planning
• Fiduciary advisory
• Wealth management

Headquarters

HQ city

Ames

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. Financial Planning Fees: One-time flat fee for initial comprehensive financial planning engagement including retirement/cash flow planning, investment allocation, insurance review, and estate planning. Fee is charged only upon completion and client satisfaction.
2. Ongoing Planning & Management: Annual asset-based fee (1% of AUM) covering active investment management, retirement income management, charitable giving support, and ongoing planning. Tiered fee schedule with decreasing percentage on accounts over $1 million.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Clarity Asset Management is a fee-only, fiduciary financial advisory firm in Ames, Iowa that provides comprehensive financial planning and active investment management to individuals and families. Services include a complimentary initial consultation, a one-time $500 comprehensive financial planning engagement covering retirement/cash flow planning, investment allocation, insurance review, and estate planning, and ongoing investment management billed at 1% per year of assets under management with tiered pricing for accounts over $1 million. The firm's planning work is organized around its proprietary Tri-Lateral Pillars of Financial Health™ framework, which integrates spending, investing, and giving with a unifying life-purpose center.

Product overview

Clarity Asset Management is a fee-only, fiduciary financial advisory firm offering a unified suite of financial planning and asset management services. The core offerings consist of an Initial Meeting (free consultation), Financial Planning ($500 planning engagement), and Ongoing Planning & Management (1% AUM fee). These services are delivered through the firm's proprietary Tri-Lateral Pillars of Financial Health™ methodology, which integrates spending, investing, and giving under a unified life purpose framework. The firm does not offer a technology platform but provides client portal access through a third-party provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Initial Consultation Meeting

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Plante Moran Financial Advisors: Mid-Michigan-based fee-only RIA affiliated with Plante Moran, providing financial planning and investment management to individuals and families; comparable Midwestern fee-only model though operating in a different geography.

Direct peers

• Moneta Group: Fee-only RIA providing comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and tax/estate services to high-net-worth and retirement-aged households; comparable scale tier and fiduciary model.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only fiduciary RIA serving mass-affluent and retirement-aged households with comprehensive financial planning and active investment management, structurally analogous to Clarity's model and clientele.
• Carson Wealth: Fee-based wealth management firm with a national advisor network serving retirement- and legacy-focused clients; comparable business model, fee structure, and planning-plus-management offering.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large national RIA consolidator offering fee-based financial planning, investment management, and estate/legacy advisory to households and institutions; directly comparable service mix and acquisition profile.

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Fee-only, virtual-first financial planning and wealth management firm serving mass-affluent households at flat subscription fees; competes for the same retirement-planning segment with a differentiated, lower-cost digital delivery model.
• Wealthfront: Digital wealth management platform offering automated investment management and financial planning at low fees; competes for the same affluent/retirement demographic with a tech-led, lower-touch model.

Broad incumbents

• Edward Jones: Large incumbent wealth manager with a heavy footprint in the U.S. Midwest and Iowa, offering financial planning and investment services to mass-affluent households; competes for the same retiree segment but with a broader product shelf and commission-influenced comp model.
• Fisher Investments: Large investment management firm serving affluent and retirement-aged households with portfolio management and financial planning; overlaps on investment management but at far greater scale and with less local-relationship emphasis.

Others

• NAPFA (National Association of Personal Financial Advisors): Professional association of fee-only financial advisors; not a competitor but the peer ecosystem Clarity operates within, since NAPFA registration is a shared credential and code of fiduciary standard.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CommunityGivingCircle

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 Clarity Asset Management