Cooper McManus

What Cooper McManus does

Cooper McManus (legal entity: Cooper Financial Group dba Cooper McManus) is a privately held SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm headquartered in Irvine, California, with a regional office in San Jose. Founded in 2001 by Arthur Cooper and David McManus, the firm provides integrated wealth management services — investment management, financial planning, estate planning, retirement planning, tax strategy, insurance, and business consulting — delivered primarily by CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals. Its stated client base comprises high-net-worth individuals and families, settlement specialists and plaintiffs' attorneys, and business owners, with David McManus and team reporting more than $1B in client assets under management across a network of 65+ advisors.

The firm does not operate proprietary technology. Client-facing capabilities are built on third-party platforms: Wealthscape and Schwab Alliance for account access, and eMoney for financial planning, supported by an in-house content and lead generation layer (Resource Center, videos, calculators, investment quiz). Cooper McManus additionally operates as an Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction (OSJ), providing compliance and consulting infrastructure to more than 20 affiliated independent advisor firms (e.g., Lindsey & Lindsey, Irvine Wealth Management, KWJ Jones Wealth, First Principles Wealth Management), which functions as a hub-and-spoke distribution and compliance model.

Revenue is generated through AUM-based advisory fees as an SEC RIA, supplemented by professional services fees from financial planning engagements. Securities are offered through Cambridge Investment Research Inc., a non-affiliated registered broker-dealer (FINRA/SIPC). Client acquisition is driven by direct advisor relationships, referrals, and content marketing — no enterprise sales motion, public pricing, or disclosed revenue figures are present. The firm holds California Insurance License #0D21140 and Series 4, 6, 7, 24, 53, 63, 65 exam registrations for relevant representatives.

Name

Cooper McManus

Legal name

Cooper Financial Group

Website

https://coopermcmanus.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cooper McManus is a privately held SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm based in Irvine, California, that delivers integrated wealth management — investment management, financial planning, estate planning, tax strategy, insurance, and business consulting — to high-net-worth individuals, families, settlement specialists, and business owners, with $1B+ in AUM across 65+ advisors and an OSJ network of 20+ affiliated firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Services: As an SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm, Cooper McManus provides investment advisory services, typically earning fees based on assets under management (AUM). Securities are offered through Cambridge Investment Research Inc., a registered broker-dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC.
2. Financial Planning Services: Comprehensive financial planning services including estate planning, retirement planning, tax strategy, insurance, and business consulting, integrated with investment management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cooper McManus is a SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm that delivers institutional-grade investment management and integrated financial planning to high-net-worth individuals, families, settlement specialists, plaintiffs' attorneys, and business owners. Services span investment management, financial planning, estate planning, retirement planning, tax strategy, insurance, and business consulting, unified through a team of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER professionals. Securities are offered through Cambridge Investment Research Inc., a registered broker-dealer.

Product overview

Cooper McManus is a SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm offering a unified wealth management platform built around CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals. The core offering integrates Investment Management, Financial Planning, Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Tax Strategy, Insurance Services, and Business Consulting into a comprehensive advisory service. The firm provides institutional-grade investment management combined with financial planning expertise, emphasizing integration across all six key elements of financial well-being: asset management, financial planning, estate planning, insurance, tax strategy, and business consulting. Services are delivered through CFP® professionals with access to client portals including Wealthscape, Schwab Alliance, and eMoney for account access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Management Independent investment advisory services providing institutional-grade portfolio management with a focus on capital preservation. Selects investments from a universe of options without corporate agenda, incorporates tax-efficient strategies, and integrates with comprehensive financial planning.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cambridge Investment Research Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities are offered through Cambridge Investment Research Inc., a Registered Broker Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Cooper McManus and Cambridge Investment Research are not affiliated. This partnership enables the firm to offer securities products while maintaining independence as an SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm.
• Lindsey & LindseyminorOthersIndependent advisor firm affiliated with Cooper McManus OSJ network, providing financial planning and investment services.
• Irvine Wealth ManagementminorOthersIndependent advisor firm affiliated with Cooper McManus OSJ network.
• KWJ Jones WealthminorOthersIndependent advisor firm affiliated with Cooper McManus OSJ network.
• First Principles Wealth ManagementminorOthersIndependent advisor firm affiliated with Cooper McManus OSJ network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Focus Financial Partners: Leading RIA aggregator and partnership firm supporting many independent wealth management firms with capital, technology, and operational resources. Comparable to Cooper McManus's RIA model at scale, though operating as a holding company rather than direct competitor.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Large independent broker-dealer that provides the securities distribution and compliance umbrella through which Cooper McManus operates. A direct business counterparty and structural enabler of Cooper McManus's business.
• Edelman Financial Engines: One of the largest independent RIAs in the US, providing wealth management, financial planning, and investment services to a broad HNW client base. Overlaps with Cooper McManus on integrated planning and HNW focus, but at vastly larger scale.
• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the US, supporting thousands of independent financial advisors and RIAs with custody, compliance, and technology infrastructure. Analogous role to Cambridge for Cooper McManus but at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer and RIA providing compliance, consulting, and back-office support to affiliated independent advisors - mirroring Cooper McManus's OSJ role while also supporting HNW wealth management practices.
• Cetera Financial Group: OSJ-style wealth management firm supporting a large network of independent financial advisors with compliance and consulting services. Directly comparable to Cooper McManus's OSJ/affiliated-advisor model.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Independent, fee-only RIA serving HNW individuals and families with integrated financial planning, estate, tax, and investment management. Comparable in independent positioning, comprehensive offering, and HNW focus.
• Carson Group: Wealth management firm operating an OSJ-like affiliate model that provides compliance, technology, and consulting services to independent financial advisors. Highly comparable to Cooper McManus's OSJ network structure and advisor-affiliation business model.
• Sanctuary Wealth Group: Wealth management platform that partners with select independent advisors, providing compliance, operations, and consulting support through an OSJ structure - paralleling Cooper McManus's affiliated-advisor network approach.
• Creative Planning: Large independent RIA offering comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, estate, tax, and investment services to HNW individuals. Closely comparable to Cooper McManus in integrated-service model, fee-only structure, and HNW target market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CooperMcmanus

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 McManus