What Third Act Retirement Planning does

Third Act Retirement Planning is a privately held, fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm founded in 2000 by Thomas Cloud, Jr. and headquartered at 3225 Shallowford Road, Suite 330, Marietta, Georgia. The firm is registered with the SEC as an investment adviser (CRD 122785) and operates on a no-commission, percentage-of-AUM fee schedule (1.5% on the first $750,000 and 1% above, with a $500,000 minimum), with a secondary planning-only tier at $300/month plus 0.8% AUM for self-directed investors.

The firm's niche is Christians who have experienced sudden wealth from inheritances, business sales, NIL contracts, legal settlements, or other windfalls. Its core deliverable is the proprietary 'Sudden Wealth Stewardship' plan, a three-step methodology (Share Your Story → Receive Your Plan → Walk Together) that integrates tax planning, investment management (across stocks, gold, bonds, crypto, structured notes, and RILAs), insurance, estate planning, and retirement planning, delivered with a biblical-stewardship overlay supported by Cloud's CFP®, ChFC®, AAMS®, and CKA® credentials. Lead generation is driven by content marketing (100+ blog articles, free downloadable resource guides) and a free retirement assessment form, with a referral channel reinforced by consumer advocate Clark Howard.

The business is a solo-practitioner model: one primary advisor, headcount of 1–10, no institutional investors, no acquisitions, and no disclosed revenue. Revenue derives entirely from AUM-based advisory fees applied to the consolidated portfolios of individual HNW households served across Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Name

Third Act Retirement Planning

Legal name

Third Act Retirement Planning

Website

https://thirdactretirement.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Third Act Retirement Planning is a fee-only, SEC-registered fiduciary advisory firm founded in 2000 that provides retirement, tax, investment, and estate planning to Christian clients who have received sudden wealth from inheritances, business sales, NIL money, or legal settlements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Wealth Management

NAICS

Finance and Insurance (52), Pension Funds (525110)

akta.pro primary industry

Retirement Income Planning & Decumulation Advisory (FSAEABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Wealth Planning (Tax, Estate & Succession) (FSAAABAE), Tax-Aware Retirement & Estate Coordination (FSAEABAJ), Estate & Legacy Planning Advisory (FSAEAAAG)

Keywords

• Retirement planning
• Wealth management
• Financial advisory
• Estate planning
• Tax planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Woodstock

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. Assets Under Management (AUM) Fee: Fee-only fiduciary financial planning firm charging annual fees based on percentage of investable assets under management. The primary model is a percentage of AUM (1.5% up to $750,000, 1% above $750,000) with a minimum of $500,000 in investable assets. Alternative planning-only option available at $300/month plus 0.8% AUM for those who want to manage their own money.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Third Act Retirement Planning is a fee-only fiduciary financial advisory firm that provides retirement planning, investment management, tax planning coordination, and estate planning services to Christians who have received sudden wealth from inheritances, business sales, NIL money, or legal settlements. The firm delivers its offering through a proprietary 'Sudden Wealth Stewardship' methodology that integrates biblical financial principles with comprehensive wealth management, requiring a minimum of $500,000 in investable assets.

Product overview

Third Act Retirement Planning offers a unified service built around its core Sudden Wealth Stewardship Plan, designed specifically for Christians who have received sudden wealth from inheritances, business sales, legal settlements, or other windfalls. The firm operates on a fee-only basis (no commissions) with a minimum investable asset threshold of $500,000. Their service integrates investment management (across stocks, gold, bonds, crypto, structured notes, and RILAs), comprehensive tax planning coordination, estate planning coordination, and retirement planning—all delivered through their proprietary Sudden Wealth Stewardship methodology. The company supplements its advisory services with free financial resources and educational guides covering topics from tax strategies to estate planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sudden Wealth Stewardship Plan A comprehensive financial planning service designed for high-net-worth Christian individuals who have received sudden wealth (inheritances, business sales, settlements, NIL money), integrating tax strategies, investments, insurance, financial planning, retirement planning, and estate planning aligned with biblical financial principles. Delivered through a three-step process of initial consultation, custom plan creation, and ongoing advisory guidance.
• Investment Management & Portfolio Management Discretionary portfolio management service for clients with a minimum of $500,000 in investable assets, providing diversification across stocks, gold, bonds, crypto, structured notes, and RILAs with downside protection and regular rebalancing. Fees are 1.5% on the first $750,000 and 1% on assets above $750,000, billed annually.

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fisher Investments: Large fee-based investment management firm serving HNW clients. Comparable AUM-based fee model and HNW focus, but with a primarily investment-management (rather than comprehensive planning) orientation.
• Carson Group: National RIA platform with extensive advisor network and wealth management offerings for HNW clients. Comparable fee-based fiduciary model, but serves the broader market rather than a faith-based niche.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large-scale fee-only RIA combining human advisors with proprietary technology to deliver financial planning and investment management. Represents the scaled, tech-enabled incumbent model Third Act could aspire to or compete against.
• Creative Planning: One of the largest independent, fee-only RIAs in the U.S. with comprehensive wealth management for HNW clients. Comparable service suite (investment, tax, estate) but operates at vastly greater scale and a national footprint.

Direct peers

• Dave Ramsey SmartVestor Pro: Referral network that connects consumers with vetted financial advisors, many of whom serve Christian clients seeking biblically-responsible financial guidance. Comparable target customer and faith-aligned value proposition.
• Ronald Blue Trust: Faith-based fee-only RIA serving Christian clients with comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and estate services. Most direct competitor given shared Christian-values orientation and HNW retirement planning focus.

Emerging players

• Empower Personal Dashboard: Hybrid digital wealth management platform combining low-cost investment management with human advisor access. Competes for the same HNW retiree segment with a fundamentally different price point and technology-enabled delivery.
• Facet Wealth: Tech-enabled flat-fee financial planning firm targeting HNW clients ($500k+) with comprehensive advice. Represents the emerging direct competitor on Third Act's core $500k+ AUM segment with a different fee model.

Others

• Focus Financial Partners: Leading RIA acquirer and partnership platform for independent wealth management firms. Highly relevant as a potential acquirer or partner for boutique RIAs like Third Act seeking scale, succession planning, or exit optionality.
• Kingdom Advisors: The organization that awards the CKA® credential held by the founder. Functions as an enabling ecosystem player that trains and certifies Christian financial advisors—directly tied to Third Act's talent moat and niche positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/thirdactretirement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Third Act Retirement Planning