Fourth Avenue Financial

What Fourth Avenue Financial does

Fourth Avenue Financial is an independent, privately-held financial advisory firm founded in 2020 and headquartered at 170 Court Street, Charleston, West Virginia. The firm operates as a hybrid brokerage and advisory practice offering financial planning, investment management, insurance, and employer retirement plan services to individuals, families, and small business owners primarily in West Virginia and the surrounding Southeast region. Its core product suite spans retirement, college, and estate planning; investment management using seven model portfolios spanning the conservative-to-aggressive risk spectrum plus access to over 1,000 third-party money managers; life, disability, and long-term care insurance; and employer-sponsored retirement plans including 401(k), 403(b), profit sharing, defined benefit, and SEP/IRA options.

The firm's technology stack is built on the Wealthscape platform (Fidelity Investments) for client account access and reporting, with trades clearing through National Financial. Securities are offered through J.W. Cole Financial, Inc. (Member FINRA/SIPC) and advisory services through J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc. — both unaffiliated entities — meaning Fourth Avenue Financial itself does not hold its own broker-dealer registration. The firm employs 1-10 people, with two named professionals: John Burdette (Financial Advisor) and Chuck Rose (CIMA). Client accounts are protected under SIPC.

The business model combines fee-based advisory revenue (subscription/recurring, billed annually, covering investment management) with commission-based securities brokerage revenue (transaction fees for stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs). Go-to-market is sales-led via personalized consultations, with a free consultation booking funnel, supplemented by a multi-channel content marketing apparatus including the Retire Right Radio podcast, a 580AM Monday radio show, life-stage-segmented blog content, social media presence across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and a weekly email newsletter. The firm reports having "successfully guided hundreds of families through retirement in both good and bad markets." Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Fourth Avenue Financial

Legal name

Fourth Avenue Financial

Website

https://fourthavenuefinancial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fourth Avenue Financial is an independent, privately-held hybrid brokerage and advisory firm founded in 2020 in Charleston, West Virginia, offering financial planning, investment management, insurance, and employer retirement plan services to individuals, families, and small business owners primarily in West Virginia and the Southeast United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Investment Banking and Securities Intermediation (523150)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Full-Service Retail Brokerage & Wealth Platforms (FSAAAAAA)

Keywords

• Financial planning services
• Retirement planning advisory
• Investment management
• Insurance advisory services
• Employer retirement plans

Headquarters

HQ city

Charleston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Securities Brokerage Commissions: Traditional commissioned securities trades for stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, and other securities through J.W. Cole Financial, Inc. (Member FINRA/SIPC).
2. Advisory Fees: Fee-based investment advisory services through J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc. utilizing model investment portfolios and third-party money managers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fourth Avenue Financial is an independent hybrid brokerage and financial advisory firm that delivers personalized financial planning, investment management, insurance advisory, and employer retirement plan services. It offers fee-based advisory portfolios alongside commission-based securities trades, with trade clearing through National Financial (a Fidelity Investments company) and account access via the Wealthscape platform.

Product overview

Fourth Avenue Financial is a financial planning firm offering a unified suite of advisory services built around five core offerings: Financial Planning Services (retirement, college, and estate planning), Investment Management (advisory and brokerage through a hybrid model), Insurance Products (life, disability, and long-term care), and Employer Retirement Plans (401k, 403b, profit sharing, and defined benefit plans). The firm clears trades through National Financial/Fidelity using the Wealthscape platform and provides supplementary educational content via podcasts, radio, and downloadable guides. All services are coordinated with affiliated broker-dealer J.W. Cole Financial for securities offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Planning Services Comprehensive financial planning covering retirement planning, college planning, and estate planning. The firm helps clients develop, implement, and monitor strategies tailored to individual situations, including retirement income strategies, investment approaches, and long-term wealth management goals.
• Investment Management Hybrid investment management combining fee-based advisory and commission-based brokerage capabilities. Includes seven risk-tiered model portfolios (very conservative to very aggressive), top analytic software for portfolio evaluation, access to mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds, variable annuities, REITs, and over 1,000 third-party money managers.
• Insurance Products Independent insurance advisory services offering Life, Disability, and Long-Term Care insurance programs customized to client needs. Insurance is positioned as a protective foundation rather than an investment vehicle, helping clients evaluate coverage gaps and find cost-effective solutions.
• Employer Retirement Plans Employer-sponsored retirement plan services for small businesses (Corporations, Sub S, PLLC, LLC, sole proprietors), including 401(k), 403(b), Profit Sharing Plans, Defined Benefit Plans, and SEP/IRA options. Includes plan design, setup assistance, employee enrollment, education sessions, annual compliance reviews, and free benchmark analysis of existing plans.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully guided hundreds of families through retirement in both good and bad markets.

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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• J.W. Cole Financial, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecurities offered through J.W. Cole Financial, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. The firm clears trades through National Financial, a Fidelity Investments company, and utilizes the Wealthscape platform for client account access and reporting.
• J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory services offered through J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc. Provides access to over 1000 additional money managers and boutique advisory solutions for clients.
• National Financial (Fidelity Investments)coreTechnology or IntegrationTrades clear through National Financial, a Fidelity Investments company. Part of the Wealthscape platform infrastructure.
• Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC)coreOthersClient brokerage accounts are protected under the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer and RIA serving independent financial advisors with holistic planning, investment, and insurance offerings. Comparable go-to-market as a host platform for hybrid advisory practices.
• Carson Group: Partner-owned wealth management firm supporting financial advisors with holistic planning, investment solutions, and coaching. Shares the culture of independent, partner-centric hybrid advisory.
• Cetera Financial Group: Independent broker-dealer and RIA host supporting hybrid advisory practices with a similar menu of brokerage, advisory, and insurance solutions. Highly comparable operating model to Fourth Avenue Financial's structure through J.W. Cole.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Large independent broker-dealer supporting thousands of hybrid advisors offering both fee-based advisory and commissioned brokerage. Closely mirrors Fourth Avenue Financial's independent hybrid architecture.

Broad incumbents

• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the US, supporting a very similar hybrid advisory and brokerage model at much greater scale. Overlap with Fourth Avenue Financial in service menu and target advisor profile.
• Robert W. Baird & Co. Private, employee-owned financial services firm offering wealth management, investment banking, and asset management. Comparable as a privately-held, advisor-led wealth platform with full-service planning offerings.
• Northwestern Mutual: Large provider of financial planning, investment, and insurance products through a captive advisor network. Comparable product breadth (planning + investment + insurance) but materially different distribution model.
• Charles Schwab (Independent Advisor Services): Provides custody, trading, and technology infrastructure to independent RIAs and broker-dealers; competes with and supports Fourth Avenue Financial's distribution ecosystem. Major competitive incumbent in the independent advisory space.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large independent RIA providing financial planning, investment management, and employer plan services. Directly overlaps with Fourth Avenue Financial's service suite, but at national scale.

Emerging players

• Focus Financial Partners: Partnership model supporting independent RIAs and wealth management firms with operational scale and capital. Comparable in serving independent advisory firms, though at materially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PL4g-f大叔-8RV1yZE3lV1cN8eK4jX6m5G
• Facebookfacebook.com/FourthAvenueFinancial/?epa=SEARCH_BOX
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fourth-avenue-financial
• Instagraminstagram.com/winningatwealthpodcast

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 Fourth Avenue Financial