What Planned Financial Services does

Planned Financial Services, LLC is a privately held, owner-operated financial advisory practice headquartered in Clarkston, Michigan, founded approximately in 1960 as an LLC and operating under the MassMutual ecosystem for carrier and broker-dealer services. The firm employs nine people — four licensed financial professionals (Timothy J. Martin, CFP®/ChSNC; Karen Markstrom May, ChSNC; Jake McNeil, RICP/CEPA; Nicholas S. Schummer, CLU®/RICP®) and five administrative/support staff — and serves individuals, families, business owners, local educators, and local government employees through custom financial planning across retirement, estate, investment, insurance, and tax strategies. Its signature niche is the MassMutual-developed SpecialCareSM program, which provides life care planning, Special Needs Trusts guidance, and government benefit preservation (Medicaid, SSI) for families and caregivers of individuals with disabilities or special needs, supported by two ChSNC-designated advisors.

The practice generates revenue through a mix of securities and investment advisory commissions and fees (via MML Investors Services, LLC as broker-dealer), insurance and annuity product commissions (issued by MassMutual and CM Life), mutual fund distribution fees (including via Morningstar Managed Portfolios), and recurring trust administration fees. Distribution is advisor-led and direct — consultations in-office at 5980 S Main St, Clarkston or by phone — supplemented by an eMoney Advisor (EMaplan) client portal, an FMG Suite-powered Insights Resource Center, and a multi-state licensing footprint covering 17 states for securities and 14 states for insurance. The firm's go-to-market is community-rooted and content-driven, with no paid digital advertising, no online sales channel, and growth reliant on local referrals, educational content marketing, and the MassMutual-affiliated ecosystem.

Underlying technology is entirely third-party: FMG Suite for website/content/compliance, eMoney Advisor for client account access, National Financial Services/Wealthscape for brokerage custody, Morningstar Managed Portfolios for discretionary portfolio access, and Investing.com for the live market quotes widget. No proprietary technology platform, in-house models, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed. Pricing is not publicly listed; compensation is generated through product commissions, advisory fees, and service fees on a quote/engagement basis. The firm explicitly states it is not a subsidiary or affiliate of MML Investors Services, LLC, making the MassMutual relationship an affiliation rather than an ownership structure.

Name

Planned Financial Services

Legal name

Planned Financial Services, LLC

Website

https://plannedfinancialservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Planned Financial Services is a privately held, nine-person financial advisory practice in Clarkston, Michigan, offering retirement, investment, estate, and insurance planning through the MassMutual ecosystem, with a signature niche in special needs life care planning for families of individuals with disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Clarkston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Securities & Investment Advisory Commissions/Fees: Securities and investment advisory services are offered through qualified registered representatives of MML Investors Services, LLC (Member SIPC). Revenue is generated via commissions and advisory fees on brokerage and investment advisory accounts.
2. Insurance Product Commissions: Commissions on insurance products issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its subsidiary CM Life Insurance Company, including life insurance (term, whole, universal, variable universal, survivorship), disability income insurance, long-term care, and annuities (immediate/deferred, fixed/variable). Annuity products issued through Principal Underwriters MML Distributors, LLC and MML Investors Services LLC.
3. Trust Services Fees: Ongoing fees for trust administration and fiduciary services including investment management, periodic statements, annual tax reporting, bill paying, ACH/wire deposits and disbursements, income collection, capital change processing, and asset custody/distribution.
4. Mutual Fund & Investment Product Distribution Fees: Distribution/sales fees (including front-end loads) on mutual funds and other investment products offered through Morningstar Managed Portfolios and other product platforms.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Planned Financial Services, LLC is a privately held financial advisory practice that delivers custom financial planning and distributes insurance, annuity, investment, retirement, and estate products to individuals, families, business owners, educators, and local government employees. Its signature offering is the SpecialCareSM program for families and caregivers of individuals with disabilities or special needs, supplemented by a full suite of MassMutual-issued insurance and annuity products distributed through licensed advisors.

Product overview

Planned Financial Services, LLC delivers a single integrated advisory practice built around custom financial planning, with the SpecialCareSM program for families of individuals with disabilities or special needs as its signature niche offering. The practice operates as a platform-plus-modules service: a core Financial Planning & Advisory Services offering ties together a portfolio of product/service modules — Trust Services, Investments, Individual Retirement Account (Traditional/Roth/Coverdell/SIMPLE), Annuities (Immediate and Deferred, Fixed and Variable), Life Insurance (Term, Whole, Universal, Variable Universal, Survivorship), Long Term Care, Disability Income Insurance, Mutual Funds, and 529 College Savings Plans — backed by MassMutual/MML Investors Services as the operating carrier and broker-dealer, with MML Distributors, LLC and MML Investors Services, LLC as principal underwriters. The site also offers an Insights / Resource Center delivering articles, calculators, videos, and tax tools to support client education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Planning & Advisory Services Custom, holistic financial planning service for individuals, families, and business owners covering retirement, estate, tax reduction, insurance, and investments, executed via a documented five-step planning process (review, identify, recommend, implement, ongoing service).
• SpecialCareSM Program Specialty program providing information, specialists, and financial products and services for families and caregivers of individuals with disabilities or other special needs, including Special Needs Trusts guidance and coordination with government programs such as Medicaid and SSI. Delivered by ChSNC-designated Special Care Planners.
• Trust Services Fiduciary trust administration service covering investment management, prudent diversification, periodic and annual reporting, custody, bill pay, ACH/wire deposits and disbursements, income collection, and capital change processing.
• Investments Investment advisory guidance across asset classes including stocks, bonds, short-term/cash-equivalents, mutual funds, variable annuities, and variable life, aligned to investor goals, risk tolerance, time horizon, and tax considerations.
• Individual Retirement Account (IRA) IRA product lineup including Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA), and Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE) IRA.
• Annuities Annuity solutions issued by MassMutual/CM Life, including Immediate Fixed Annuities, Immediate Fixed and Variable Annuities, Deferred Fixed Annuities, and Deferred Variable Annuities.
• Life Insurance Life insurance offerings spanning Term Life, Whole Life, Universal Life, Variable Universal Life, and Survivorship Life Insurance, issued through MassMutual.
• Long Term Care Long-term care planning covering Activities of Daily Living support and strategies spanning family caregiving, personal resources, insurance riders/linked products, and Medicaid qualification.
• Disability Income Insurance Individual disability income insurance designed to supplement group long-term disability coverage, with portable, non-cancelable, guaranteed renewable features and generally tax-free benefits.
• Mutual Funds Curated mutual fund lineup ranging from aggressive to conservative, providing professionally managed diversified portfolios of stocks and/or bonds selected to match client goal profiles.
• 529 College Savings Plans Tax-advantaged 529 plans offered in college savings and prepaid tuition forms, supporting qualified education expenses with associated gift-tax and estate-tax planning benefits.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65+ years of continuous operation serving the Clarkston community.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMassMutual is the primary insurance carrier and the parent ecosystem of the firm's broker-dealer relationship. Insurance products (life, disability income, long-term care, annuities) are issued by MassMutual and its subsidiary CM Life Insurance Company (Enfield, CT). MassMutual also developed the proprietary SpecialCareSM program that Planned Financial Services delivers locally, and MassMutual's MML Investors Services, LLC is the broker-dealer through which the firm's registered representatives offer securities and investment advisory services.
• MML Investors Services, LLC (Member SIPC)flagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMML Investors Services, LLC is the broker-dealer and registered investment adviser through which Planned Financial Services' qualified registered representatives offer securities and investment advisory services. The MML Investors Services supervisory office is located at 3000 Town Center, Suite 3100, Southfield, MI 48075, (248) 357-7600. The firm explicitly states "Planned Financial Services, LLC is not a subsidiary or affiliate of MML Investors Services, LLC or its affiliated companies."
• MML Distributors, LLC (MMLD)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMML Distributors, LLC is one of two Principal Underwriters (alongside MML Investors Services LLC) for the annuity and variable insurance products distributed through the firm. Both MMLD and MMLISI are FINRA and SIPC members and subsidiaries of MassMutual, headquartered at 1295 State Street, Springfield, MA 01111-0001.
• CM Life Insurance CompanycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCM Life Insurance Company (Enfield, CT 06082) is a MassMutual subsidiary that, together with MassMutual, issues the insurance products offered through Planned Financial Services.
• FMG SuitecoreTechnology or IntegrationFMG Suite provides the website platform, content library, FINRA BrokerCheck disclosure integration, and marketing/compliance infrastructure that powers plannedfinancialservices.org. The site footer notes "Some of this material was developed and produced by FMG Suite to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. FMG Suite is not affiliated with the named representative, broker-dealer, state- or SEC-registered investment advisory firm."
• eMoney Advisor (EMaplan / wealth.emaplan.com)coreTechnology or IntegrationeMoney Advisor provides the branded client portal ("EMoney Client Login") at wealth.emaplan.com/mass/SignIn used by MassMutual clients to access consolidated account information. The MassMutual-specific sign-in route is /mass/011.
• National Financial Services LLC (Fidelity)coreTechnology or IntegrationNational Financial Services provides the custody and brokerage infrastructure accessed via the firm's investor.wealthscape.com/mmlis link — the platform where client brokerage assets are held and accessed.
• Academy of Special Needs PlannersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExternal professional organization linked from the Special Care Tools & Resources page as a referral resource for clients needing attorney services for special needs planning.
• Special Needs AllianceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNational special needs planning attorney organization linked from the firm's Special Care Tools & Resources page as a referral directory for clients needing legal expertise in special needs planning.
• Easter SealsminorOthersNonprofit disability services organization linked from the Special Care Tools & Resources page (Links to Organizations section).
• Autism SpeaksminorOthersAutism advocacy organization linked from the Special Care Tools & Resources page (Links to Organizations section).
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)minorOthersU.S. federal agency linked from the Special Care Tools & Resources page (Links to Services section) as the authoritative source on Medicare/Medicaid benefit rules referenced in long-term care and special needs planning.
• Social Security Administration (SSA)minorOthersU.S. federal agency linked from both the Special Care Tools & Resources page and the Links page as the authoritative source on Social Security and disability benefits referenced in retirement and special needs planning.
• American College of Financial Services (Bryn Mawr, PA)minorOthersCredentialing body that developed the Special Care Planner certificate program and the ChSNC® (Chartered Special Needs Consultant) designation that Planned Financial Services' advisors hold. The certificate program was offered by The American College exclusively for MassMutual Financial Services Representatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Edward Jones: Edward Jones is a large community-based financial advisory franchise with thousands of branch offices serving individuals and families. Highly comparable in its relationship-driven, local-presence model and its focus on retirement and estate planning for middle-market clients.
• Ameriprise Financial: Ameriprise operates an advisor-led financial planning franchise model serving individuals, families, and small business owners. Comparable in offering holistic retirement, estate, tax, and insurance planning through independent franchise advisors backed by a national platform.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Commonwealth is a large independent broker-dealer / corporate RIA supporting independent financial advisors with comprehensive planning, technology, and product access. Comparable as a competing institutional platform for small holistic advisory practices.
• Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual): MassMutual is the parent carrier and broker-dealer ecosystem that powers Planned Financial Services' product shelf, SpecialCareSM program, and back-office operations. It is directly comparable as the broader mutual-insurance-led advisor network of which this firm is a local independent agency.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Cambridge is a top-tier independent broker-dealer supporting thousands of independent advisors with holistic financial planning resources. Comparable as an alternative infrastructure partner that enables a similar advisor-led, multi-product financial planning practice.
• Fidelity Personal Investing (Personal Advisor Services / Wealth Management): Fidelity offers personal advisor services combining digital tools with human advisors for retirement, investment, and estate planning. Comparable as a scaled incumbent competing for the same middle-market holistic-planning client with a hybrid human/digital model that pressures traditional advisor-only firms.
• Northwestern Mutual: Northwestern Mutual operates a comparable mutual-insurance-led, advisor-driven financial planning model with a strong community-relationship focus. Comparable in target market (individuals, families, business owners), product mix (life, disability, annuities, investments), and career-advisor distribution structure.
• Cetera Financial Group: Cetera is a leading independent broker-dealer supporting thousands of independent financial advisors with product shelf, compliance, and back-office services. Highly comparable as an alternative institutional platform for small advisor firms like Planned Financial Services.
• Waddell & Reed Financial Advisors (now part of Macquarie Asset Management / Avantax): Waddell & Reed historically operated a community-based financial advisor franchise delivering holistic planning across insurance, retirement, and investments. Comparable in its career-advisor, local-office distribution model targeting middle-market households.
• New York Life: New York Life runs a mutual insurance company with a career-advisor and partner-agent model very similar to MassMutual's. Comparable in combining life insurance, retirement, and wealth advisory products delivered through local advisors serving individuals and small businesses.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

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 Planned Financial Services