Smith Gillis Financial

What Smith Gillis Financial does

Smith Gillis Financial is a privately held, family-run financial advisory firm headquartered in Meriden, Connecticut, with a second office in Ridgefield, Connecticut. The firm provides retirement planning, Social Security optimization, life insurance, wealth management, investment strategy, and Medicare supplement services to individual households and families in Connecticut. According to its own materials, the firm reports serving over 300 families with a 97% client satisfaction rate, and its revenue model combines ongoing advisory fees with insurance product commissions.

The firm operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees, including certified fiduciaries and FINRA-licensed representatives. Its service offering is built around traditional face-to-face and phone-based financial planning rather than any disclosed proprietary technology platform, digital client portal, or automated investment engine. No AI or machine-learning capability is mentioned across the available materials, and the firm's go-to-market relies on local referrals, educational workshops, and limited community partnerships.

The firm's geographic footprint is confined to Connecticut, with no indication of multi-state operations, remote-service infrastructure, or partnership-driven distribution beyond a small number of local affiliations. The website asserts "50 years in business" while other materials reference a 2007 founding date; this discrepancy is itself a material data point regarding the firm's public positioning and should be resolved before any investment decision.

Name

Smith Gillis Financial

Legal name

Smith Gillis Financial, LLC

Website

https://smithgillisfinancial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Smith Gillis Financial is a privately held, family-run financial advisory firm based in Meriden and Ridgefield, Connecticut, offering retirement, Social Security, life insurance, wealth management, and Medicare services to Connecticut households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Financial Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive/Full-Service RIAs & Independent Wealth Managers (FSAAACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers) (FSAAACAE), Insurance-Integrated Wealth Managers (RIA + Insurance Solutions) (FSAAACAI)

Keywords

• Retirement planning services
• Financial advisory services
• Life insurance products
• Wealth management advisory
• Social security planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Meriden

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. Financial Advisory and Planning Services: Revenue is generated through financial advisory fees for retirement planning, wealth management, and investment strategy services. The firm also earns commissions on insurance products sold, including life insurance and fixed/fixed indexed annuities. Consultation services are offered on a complimentary basis as an initial client acquisition approach.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Smith Gillis Financial is a family-run financial advisory firm that provides retirement planning, Social Security claiming optimization, life insurance, wealth management, and investment strategy services to individuals and families in Connecticut. The firm also sells insurance products including fixed annuities, fixed indexed annuities, and several life insurance policy types (Term Life, Indexed Universal Life, Single Premium Life), offered alongside Traditional and Roth IRAs as part of integrated retirement income strategies.

Product overview

Smith Gillis Financial is a financial advisory firm offering a comprehensive suite of retirement planning and wealth management services. The core offering consists of five integrated service lines: Retirement Strategies (including Lifetime Income Strategies, Traditional/Roth IRAs, fixed and fixed indexed annuities), Social Security Exploration, Life Insurance (Term Life, Indexed Universal Life, Single Premium Life), Wealth Management, and Investment Strategy. These services are designed to work together as a unified financial plan, with the firm providing ongoing guidance through complimentary consultations, educational video content, and downloadable brochures. The company serves individuals and families in Connecticut through offices in Meriden and Ridgefield.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retirement Strategies Comprehensive retirement planning service creating reliable lifetime income strategies to help clients avoid outliving their money. Includes lifetime income strategies, Traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, Roth Conversions, employer retirement plan considerations, defined benefit plans, fixed annuities, and fixed indexed annuities. Designed for individuals and families planning for or in retirement.
• Social Security Exploration Strategic guidance service helping clients understand when and how to claim Social Security benefits, including evaluation of timing, taxes, and income coordination within their retirement plan. Includes review of Social Security statements, spousal/ex-spousal/dependent/caregiver benefits, and strategies for married couples.
• Life Insurance Financial protection advisory and product offering including Term Life, Indexed Universal Life, Single Premium Life, and other tailored strategies designed to protect families and provide long-term security.
• Wealth Management Disciplined oversight of financial strategy ensuring investments remain aligned with client objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance. Focuses on long-term financial stability through consistency and thoughtful decision-making.
• Investment Strategy Investment planning service building strategies around client goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. Emphasizes disciplined, diversified approach with focus on stability and long-term planning principles.
• Fixed Annuities Insurance product providing guaranteed income streams for retirement with financial strength backed by the issuing insurance company.
• Fixed Indexed Annuities Annuity product that earns interest based on the performance of a market index, providing growth potential with downside protection.
• Traditional IRA Individual retirement account offering tax-deferred growth for retirement savings.
• Roth IRA Individual retirement account offering tax-free growth and qualified tax-free withdrawals in retirement.
• Term Life Insurance Life insurance coverage for a specified term, providing financial protection at affordable rates.
• Indexed Universal Life Insurance Life insurance product with cash value that grows based on the performance of a market index.
• Single Premium Life Insurance Life insurance funded with a single lump-sum payment, providing immediate coverage and cash value accumulation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% client satisfaction rate
• +1 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Council of Financial Educators (COFE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro bono education partnership where Steve Smith and Rick Claxton conduct training and educational sessions on Social Security and retirement strategies to increase community awareness of retirement options.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Edward Jones: Large U.S. financial advisory franchise built on local offices serving mass-affluent individuals and retirees with retirement, investment, and insurance products. Closely mirrors Smith Gillis Financial's relationship-led, in-person advisory model with comparable product breadth.
• New York Life: Mutual insurer with a large agent/advisor channel selling life insurance, annuities, and long-term care products alongside retirement and wealth planning. Directly comparable service mix and advisor-driven distribution to Smith Gillis Financial.
• Northwestern Mutual: Insurance-and-advisory hybrid serving individuals and families with life insurance, disability income, annuities, and wealth management through a network of local financial representatives. Directly comparable to Smith Gillis's combined insurance commissions plus advisory services model.
• Cetera Financial Group: Independent advisor support platform serving independent financial professionals with retirement, investment, and insurance solutions. Comparable to Smith Gillis as a small practice leveraging an affiliated BPO/RIA umbrella to deliver wealth and retirement services.
• Ameriprise Financial: Advice-led wealth management firm with a national network of independent advisors serving individuals and families on retirement, investment, and financial planning. Comparable to Smith Gillis in bundling advisory planning with insurance and annuity solutions for pre-retirees and retirees.
• MassMutual: Mutual life insurer offering life insurance, annuities, and retirement/wealth solutions through a local advisor network. Comparable to Smith Gillis in integrating insurance products (whole life, fixed annuities) with retirement income and Social Security planning for individuals.

Broad incumbents

• Wells Fargo Advisors: Large broker-dealer network offering retirement planning, wealth management, and investment services through thousands of financial advisors nationwide. Comparable to Smith Gillis at the retail retirement-planning layer but with far broader scale and product offerings.
• Charles Schwab Wealth Advisory: Large retail brokerage and advisory firm with Schwab Wealth Advisory, Intelligent Portfolios, and retirement income planning offerings for individuals. Comparable in retirement-planning service to Smith Gillis, but with a national brand, digital delivery, and substantially lower fee structure.
• Fidelity Personal Investing: Major retail investment provider offering retirement accounts, annuities, and (via Fidelity Go/Personal Advisor) hybrid digital advisory services targeting mass-affluent and retiree households. Comparable to Smith Gillis's retirement and investment strategy offerings but at much larger scale with a self-service/digital component.
• Vanguard Personal Advisor: Hybrid digital-human advisory service from Vanguard targeting retirement savers and retirees with ongoing planning, portfolio management, and income strategies. Comparable to Smith Gillis's retirement and Social Security planning focus, but delivered at significantly lower fees and at national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Smith-Gillis-Financial-LLC-100897534953829
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smith-gillis-financial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Smith Gillis Financial