Cooper Financial Planning

What Cooper Financial Planning does

Cooper Financial Planning is a privately held, founder-owned financial advisory firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 2002 by Sean S. Cooper. The firm serves individuals and families across the Chicago metropolitan area with comprehensive financial planning services spanning six core areas: Financial Position, Protection Planning, Investment Planning, Tax Planning, Retirement Planning, and Estate Planning. The firm operates through a small team of four (one principal financial planner, one director of client services, one associate, and one administrative assistant) and reports serving hundreds of clients on an ongoing basis.

The firm's product portfolio includes eight core categories: 529 College Savings Programs, annuities, disability income insurance, individual retirement accounts, life insurance (term, whole, universal, variable universal, and survivorship), long-term care insurance, mutual funds, and trust services. The firm does not develop proprietary technology; it relies on the FMG Suite website platform and an Investor 360 client portal for digital operations, with no AI/ML capabilities, no mobile application, and no published APIs. Securities and investment advisory services are delivered through registered representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC (Member SIPC), and insurance products are offered through representatives affiliated with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual).

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining ongoing advisory fees (subscription/recurring), insurance commissions (one-time), mutual fund transaction fees, and trust/professional service fees. The firm does not publicly disclose pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-based, leveraging complimentary initial financial reviews, in-person advisor meetings, client appreciation events, community involvement through the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce, and referral/word-of-mouth acquisition. The firm is licensed for securities in 26 states and for insurance in 21 states, though its active client base is concentrated in the Chicago metro.

Name

Cooper Financial Planning

Legal name

Cooper Financial Planning

Website

https://cooperfinancialplanning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cooper Financial Planning is a privately held, founder-owned financial advisory firm founded in 2002 and headquartered in Chicago, serving hundreds of individual and family clients with comprehensive financial planning, retirement, insurance, and investment services through MassMutual-affiliated representatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Consumer Credit Counseling & Budgeting (FSAEAFAA)

Keywords

• Financial planning services
• Retirement planning
• Investment advisory
• Insurance products
• Estate planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Financial Planning Advisory Services: Ongoing advisory relationships with hundreds of clients providing comprehensive financial planning services
2. Insurance Products: Commissions from sale of insurance products including life insurance, annuities, disability income insurance, and long-term care insurance
3. Mutual Funds: Commissions from mutual fund sales and ongoing management
4. Trust Services: Estate planning and trust services for wealth transfer and management

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cooper Financial Planning is a Chicago-based financial advisory firm that provides comprehensive financial planning, retirement planning, investment advisory, and insurance solutions to individuals and families. Through licensed advisors and partnerships with MML Investors Services, LLC and MassMutual, the firm offers education-based planning across six core areas: Financial Position, Protection Planning, Investment Planning, Tax Planning, Retirement Planning, and Estate Planning.

Product overview

Cooper Financial Planning is a financial advisory firm that offers a comprehensive suite of financial planning products and services. The company's portfolio consists of eight core product categories: 529 College Savings Program for education planning, Annuities (immediate and deferred) for retirement income, Disability Income Insurance for income protection, Individual Retirement Accounts (Traditional, Roth, Coverdell ESA, and SIMPLE), Life Insurance (Term, Whole, Universal, Variable Universal, and Survivorship), Long Term Care Insurance, Mutual Funds for investment management, and Trust Services for estate and wealth transfer planning. These products are designed to address the six key areas of financial planning: Financial Position, Protection Planning, Investment Planning, Tax Planning, Retirement Planning, and Estate Planning. The firm operates as a traditional financial advisory practice without a unified technology platform or software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 529 College Savings Program
• Annuities
• Disability Income Insurance
• Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Care Insurance
• Mutual Funds
• Trust Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of clients served on ongoing basis

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MML Investors Services, LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities and investment advisory services are offered through qualified registered representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC, Member SIPC. Supervisory Office located at 30 S Wacker Drive, Suite 2700, Chicago, IL, 60606.
• Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCooper Financial Planning offers MassMutual insurance products including annuities, life insurance, disability income insurance, and long-term care insurance through their affiliated representatives.
• Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of CommerceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSean Cooper serves as the liaison to the Special Service Area 21 Neighborhood Improvement Program, focusing on making Lincoln Square a more prosperous and livable place.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Advisor Services: Provides custody, trading, and practice management infrastructure to independent RIAs and advisors. Comparable as a host platform alternative to the MML Investors Services arrangement Cooper Financial Planning uses.
• Northwestern Mutual: Direct structural analog to Cooper Financial Planning — a hybrid advisor model offering life insurance, annuities, investment planning, and retirement products through affiliated financial representatives. Comparable in commission-driven product mix and comprehensive planning approach.
• Raymond James Financial Services: Independent contractor broker-dealer and advisor network providing securities, insurance, and advisory services. Comparable in providing the back-office and product infrastructure that a small planning firm like Cooper uses.
• Ameriprise Financial: Independent advisor network offering comprehensive financial planning, retirement, investment, and insurance products. Comparable business model of supporting small advisory practices with a broad product shelf and centralized compliance.
• Edward Jones: Large branch-based financial advisory firm emphasizing long-term, face-to-face relationships with individuals and families. Highly comparable GTM (community involvement, local offices, complimentary consultations) and core product set focused on retirement and investment planning.
• Cetera Financial Group: Independent advisor network offering wealth management and financial planning through affiliated advisors. Comparable role as a host platform for small financial planning practices serving individuals and families.
• Waddell & Reed Financial Advisors: Traditional financial advisory firm offering investment, retirement, and insurance planning through a network of advisors. Comparable in focus on long-term comprehensive planning for individuals and pre-retirees.
• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S., supporting thousands of financial advisors with compliance, product, and technology infrastructure. Comparable role as the platform layer that enables small advisory practices to operate.
• Fidelity Wealth Management: Large wealth advisory practice offering comprehensive financial planning, IRAs, mutual funds, and retirement products. Comparable in serving individuals and families across the same six planning areas, but at meaningful scale and with proprietary technology.

Emerging players

• Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Hybrid digital/human advisory service from a low-cost mutual fund giant. Comparable on the customer segment (retirement, IRAs, mutual funds) but represents the disruptive fee-only model that competes with traditional commission-based advisors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Cooper Financial Planning