Tassel Capital

What Tassel Capital does

Tassel Capital is a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) founded in 2002 by Will Ertel in Matthews, North Carolina, providing comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and custom planning services to high-net-worth individuals with $500,000 or more in investable assets. The firm operates as a four-person team composed of founder Will Ertel (CPA®, CFP®, CKA®), partners Carlton Whitman and Bradley Kendall, and financial planner Susan Kelly — all holding CFP® and CKA® designations. Revenue is derived from three streams: tiered AUM-based investment management fees starting at 1.1% on the first $500,000 (billed quarterly), comprehensive financial planning engagements priced $2,250–$3,750, and project-based custom planning fees determined by scope.

Portfolios are implemented through diversified mutual funds and ETFs held in custody at Fidelity. The firm serves clients in person at its Matthews, NC headquarters (1220 Mann Drive, Suite 100) and through virtual/remote delivery to clients across 18+ states, providing geographic reach that is disproportionate to its headcount. Distribution is consultative and content-driven: the firm publishes educational FAQs, maintains local SEO-optimized landing pages for Matthews, Charlotte, Waxhaw, and Pineville, and converts prospects through free introductory meetings before deeper engagements. All client fees are paid directly via quarterly invoices; Tassel Capital does not accept commissions and receives no third-party compensation, consistent with its fiduciary mandate as a fee-only RIA.

Name

Tassel Capital

Legal name

Tassel Capital Management, Inc.

Website

https://tasselcapital.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tassel Capital is a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor based in Matthews, NC, providing comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and custom planning services primarily to high-net-worth individuals with $500,000 or more in investable assets across 18+ states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management / Investment Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

Keywords

• Investment advisory services
• Financial planning
• Wealth management
• Portfolio management
• Retirement planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Matthews

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Management Fees: Fee-only investment advisory services where Tassel Capital charges a percentage of assets under management (AUM). The fee starts at 1.1% on the first $500,000 of managed assets and is reduced on a tiered schedule for assets above $500,000. Fees are calculated, invoiced, and paid quarterly, with clients often paying directly from their investment accounts. This is a recurring revenue model based on client AUM.
2. Comprehensive Financial Planning: One-time comprehensive financial planning engagement that covers one to three in-person meetings, typically costing between $2,250 to $3,750 depending on client needs and circumstances. A written proposal is provided before any charges are incurred.
3. Custom Planning Services: Focused planning engagements on specific topics or situations (e.g., stock grants, 401k investments, business sale implications). Cost depends on complexity and is provided via personalized fee proposal after initial consultation. These are project-based, non-recurring engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Tassel Capital is a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor that delivers Comprehensive Financial Planning engagements (typically $2,250-$3,750, one to three in-person meetings), ongoing Investment Management (AUM-based, starting at 1.1% on the first $500,000), and Custom Planning Services for specific situations such as stock grants, 401k selections, or business sale implications. Portfolios are implemented through diversified mutual funds and ETFs with Fidelity acting as custodian. The firm serves high-net-worth individuals with $500,000+ in investable assets.

Product overview

Tassel Capital is a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor offering three distinct financial advisory services. The core offering consists of Comprehensive Financial Planning, which provides holistic analysis of a client's entire financial picture including education savings, retirement, taxes, estate, insurance, and investments. Investment Management delivers professional portfolio management using diversified mutual funds and ETFs with Fidelity as custodian, implementing personalized investment strategies. Custom Planning Services addresses focused, specific financial situations such as stock grants or 401k selection. These services are designed to work together, with comprehensive planning providing the overarching framework while investment management and custom planning can be engaged separately based on client needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Financial Planning A customized, project-based financial planning engagement providing a full analysis of a client's financial picture, covering education savings, retirement, taxes, estate planning, insurance, and investments. Typically involves one to three in-person meetings over three to six weeks and is priced between $2,250 and $3,750, with a written fee proposal provided before any charges are incurred. Designed for high-net-worth individuals seeking holistic guidance.
• Investment Management Ongoing professional portfolio management that aligns client life goals, temperament, and time horizon with a diversified portfolio of mutual funds and ETFs held in custody at Fidelity. Fees start at 1.1% on the first $500,000 of assets under management and are reduced on a tiered schedule for assets above $500,000, billed quarterly directly from client accounts. Includes a minimum account size of $500,000 and is targeted at high-net-worth individuals.
• Custom Planning Services A focused, project-based planning engagement addressing a specific client situation or question, such as stock compensation grants, 401(k) investment selection, or business sale implications. More limited in scope than Comprehensive Financial Planning, with fees determined after consultation via a personalized fee proposal based on complexity and analysis required.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FidelitycoreTechnology or IntegrationFidelity serves as the custodian for client investment accounts at Tassel Capital. The firm uses Fidelity's platform to implement diversified investment strategies using mutual funds and ETFs, leveraging their custodial infrastructure for account administration and security custody.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Savvy Wealth: Tech-enabled platform supporting independent fee-only RIAs serving HNW clients. Adjacent to Tassel via shared client segment and fee-only philosophy; competes more in the advisor-empowerment layer than directly serving end clients.
• Facet Wealth: Digital-first fee-only RIA that delivers flat-fee financial planning and investment management to a broader mass-affluent audience (no high minimum). Comparable to Tassel in fiduciary, fee-only philosophy, but differentiated by digital delivery and lower minimums that expand the addressable market.

Broad incumbents

• Carson Group: RIA platform serving independent financial advisors and their HNW clients through coaching, technology, and back-office support. Comparable in client segment (HNW individuals) and service offering (financial planning and investment management), though it operates a multi-advisor model rather than a single boutique firm.
• Creative Planning: One of the largest U.S. fee-only RIAs providing comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management to HNW clients nationally. Comparable service offering and fiduciary positioning to Tassel, but operates at multibillion-dollar AUM scale.
• Allworth Financial: Fee-only, fiduciary RIA offering comprehensive financial planning and investment management to HNW individuals and families across multiple U.S. locations. Comparable service mix and fee philosophy to Tassel, but operating at significantly greater scale and advisor headcount.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large national RIA consolidator offering financial planning and investment management to HNW individuals and institutions. Comparable to Tassel in core service mix (fee-only advisory, financial planning, AUM-based fees) but operates at vastly greater scale with hundreds of advisors across the U.S.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large national fee-only RIA serving HNW clients with financial planning and discretionary investment management. Comparable service mix to Tassel (planning + investment management, AUM-based fees), but at substantially larger scale and brand recognition.

Direct peers

• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Fee-only, fiduciary RIA headquartered in St. Louis providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management to HNW clients. Closely comparable to Tassel in fee structure, fiduciary positioning, and planning-led service model, though at materially larger scale.
• Ritholtz Wealth Management: Boutique fee-only RIA providing personalized financial planning and investment management primarily to HNW individuals. Closely comparable in service model, fee philosophy, and personalized planning-led approach, though with stronger digital thought-leadership presence.
• Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors: Independent, fee-only RIA providing comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management primarily to HNW individuals and families. Comparable to Tassel in fee-only fiduciary model, planning-led approach, and minimum-investable-asset client profile, though with longer-tenured scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tassel-capital-management-inc

Compliance1 record

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 Tassel Capital