Oarsman Capital

What Oarsman Capital does

Oarsman Capital, Inc. is an independent, fee-only fiduciary Registered Investment Advisor founded in 2000 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a second office in Prairie du Sac serving the Madison area. The firm provides customized investment management, comprehensive financial planning, multigenerational wealth transfer guidance, and model portfolio services to high-net-worth individuals and institutions on a national basis. Over $1 billion in assets under management is managed through two core product lines: a customized Core+ investment management approach combining individual stocks and bonds with complementary asset classes, and the Oarsman Blueprint® model portfolios built on low-cost ETFs and select mutual funds across conservative to aggressive risk profiles. The firm also operates LRC Aviation Advisors as a dedicated division serving commercial airline pilots and their families with airline-specific retirement, pension, and benefits planning.

Oarsman Capital is employee-owned and compensated solely through recurring assets-under-management fees, with no commissions or financial product sales, aligning firm revenue with client portfolio growth. The leadership team includes Bob Phelps, CFA as President and co-founder, Benjamin J. Kebbekus as Vice-President and Chief Investment Officer, and Derek J. Pawlak as Chief Compliance Officer and Partner, with average advisor tenure exceeding 20 years and a bench of CFA, CFP, CPA, ChFC, and CLU credentialed professionals. Distribution is direct-to-client via dedicated advisor relationships, supported by a content marketing program of quarterly Review & Outlook publications, investment committee webinars, and a LinkedIn presence.

The 2025 Newsweek America's Top Financial Advisory Firms recognition and BizTimes Future 50 award reflect current operating momentum, while the relatively recent buildout of LRC Aviation Advisors and addition of multiple senior advisors in 2022-2024 indicate the firm is in an active hiring and vertical expansion phase. There is no disclosed proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capability, or app product; the firm's primary architectural advantage is the integration of personalized portfolio management with multigenerational financial planning, delivered through a relationship-driven rather than formulaic advisory model.

Name

Oarsman Capital

Legal name

Oarsman Capital, Inc.

Website

https://oarsman.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Portfolio Management–Led RIAs (Discretionary/Model-Based) (FSAAACAC), Specialized/Niche-Vertical RIAs (e.g., Medical, Tech, Executives, Athletes) (FSAAACAL)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

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. Assets Under Management (AUM) Fees: As a fee-only fiduciary Registered Investment Advisor, Oarsman Capital is compensated solely based on client assets under management. Their fees grow as client assets grow, aligning firm interests with client interests. No commissions or financial product sales.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Oarsman Capital is a fee-only fiduciary Independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that provides customized investment management and comprehensive financial planning to high-net-worth individuals and institutions. The firm offers a Core+ investment approach (combining individual stocks and bonds with alternative asset classes) alongside the Oarsman Blueprint® model portfolios, retirement and tax planning, multigenerational wealth transfer, and specialized financial planning for commercial airline pilots via its LRC Aviation Advisors division. The firm is employee-owned and is compensated solely through assets-under-management (AUM) fees.

Product overview

Oarsman Capital offers a unified wealth management platform comprising four core service lines: Customized Investment Management using a Core+ approach (individual stocks, bonds, and alternative assets), Oarsman Blueprint® Model Portfolios (ETF-based diversified funds), Comprehensive Financial Planning (retirement income, tax, and estate planning), and Multigenerational and Survivorship Guidance. The firm also operates LRC Aviation Advisors as a specialized sub-brand focused on airline pilot financial planning. The architecture combines personalized portfolio management with financial planning services, unified under the Find Your Balance® investment philosophy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LRC Aviation Advisors: A division of Oarsman Capital focused on high-quality, customizable, and comprehensive financial planning for airline pilots and their families.

Products and services

• Customized Investment Management (Core+)
• Oarsman Blueprint® Model Portfolios
• Comprehensive Financial Planning
• Multigenerational and Survivorship Guidance
• Airline Pilot Financial Planning (LRC Aviation Advisors)

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Creative Planning: One of the largest independent fee-only RIAs in the U.S., offering comprehensive wealth management with a broader service menu and significantly larger AUM. Comparable in fee-only fiduciary model but operates at much greater scale.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large national fee-only RIA combining advisor-led planning with digital advice capabilities. Comparable in fiduciary model and planning-centric offering, but operates at much larger scale with proprietary technology.

Direct peers

• Merit Financial Advisors: Independent, employee-owned RIA providing fee-only wealth management and financial planning. Comparable in employee-ownership structure, fee-only fiduciary model, and HNW client orientation.
• Plante Moran Financial Advisors: Fee-only fiduciary RIA affiliated with a large accounting firm, providing wealth management and financial planning to individuals and institutions. Comparable in fee-only fiduciary model and Midwest base, with similar customized portfolio offering.
• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: National fee-only fiduciary RIA of comparable size and model, offering customized portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning to HNW clients. Directly comparable in business model, fee structure, and client focus.
• Robertson Stephens Wealth Management: Independent, employee-owned RIA serving HNW clients with customized portfolios and financial planning. Comparable in ownership structure (employee-owned), fee-only fiduciary model, and HNW client focus.
• Carson Group: Large fee-only RIA platform supporting independent advisors with investment management, financial planning, and back-office services. Comparable in fiduciary fee-only model and HNW focus, though significantly larger and corporate-structured.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Independent, fee-only RIA providing comprehensive financial planning and investment management to HNW clients, with significant AUM scale. Directly comparable in business model, client demographic, and national reach from a non-coastal footprint.
• Sequoia Financial Group: Fee-only RIA offering comprehensive wealth management and financial planning to HNW clients and institutions, with a Midwest presence. Comparable in fee-only model, planning-led approach, and target client demographic.
• Wealth Enhancement Group: Independent RIA platform providing investment management and financial planning to HNW clients, built substantially through advisor acquisitions. Comparable in fee-based RIA model and HNW focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oarsman-capital-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Oarsman Capital