Bowline Financial

What Bowline Financial does

Bowline Financial, LLC is a privately held, fee-only Registered Investment Adviser headquartered in Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan, founded in 2019. The firm delivers financial planning and investment management services to two primary segments: households/individuals (retirement planning, Roth IRAs, tax and estate planning, HSA optimization, college savings) and business owners (401(k) plan evaluation and design, non-qualified deferred compensation, and business continuity/succession planning). The practice operates under a fiduciary standard with no commissions or kickbacks and is led by Managing Partner John Herbert, who holds CFP, CPFA, CEPA, and FSP credentials; a second executive team member (Matthew) is referenced but undisclosed in detail.

The firm has no proprietary technology stack. Its service delivery is built on third-party platforms: Orion provides the client account portal, Charles Schwab serves as custodian, Right Capital delivers the financial planning dashboard, and Betterment is integrated for clients with automated investing accounts. A newer integration with BNY/Robinhood positions the firm to advise on Trump Accounts, the government-backed child investment accounts introduced in 2026. Client acquisition is sales-led, relying on referrals, a monthly newsletter, organic blog content, and social sharing; no paid advertising channels are in use.

Revenue is generated through recurring investment advisory fees (subscription/recurring model) typical of fee-only RIAs, supplemented by professional services fees for 401(k) plan advisory work. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is delivered via bespoke engagement rather than standardized tiers. Headcount is 1-10 employees, and the firm serves clients nationally with a Michigan-area concentration. No funding rounds, M&A activity, or external institutional investment are disclosed.

Name

Bowline Financial

Legal name

Bowline Financial, LLC

Website

https://bowlinefinancial.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bowline Financial is an independent fee-only Michigan-based Registered Investment Adviser providing financial planning, investment management, 401(k) advisory, and business succession services to households and business owners nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

Keywords

• Financial planning services
• Investment management advisory
• Retirement planning advisory
• Business succession planning
• Fiduciary wealth advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Southfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Advisory Fees: Fee-only advisory services with transparent pricing. No commissions or kickbacks. Acts as a Registered Investment Adviser (RIA) providing fiduciary financial planning and investment management to households and businesses.
2. 401(k) Plan Advisory Services: Business services including 401(k) plan evaluation and design, fiduciary liability mitigation, and Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation plan administration for business clients

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Bowline Financial is an independent fee-only Registered Investment Adviser that provides fiduciary financial planning and behavioral investment management services to households, and retirement plan advisory (401(k) and non-qualified deferred compensation) plus business continuity and succession planning services to business owners. The firm charges transparent fees with no commissions or kickbacks and supports clients through third-party fintech platforms (Orion, Right Capital, Charles Schwab, Betterment).

Product overview

Bowline Financial is an independent fee-only registered investment advisory firm offering a unified financial planning and investment management platform. The core offerings include Financial Planning and Investment Management services for households, complemented by Business Services covering Retirement & Deferred Compensation and Business Continuity & Succession Planning for business clients. All recommendations follow a fiduciary standard with full transparency on fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Planning Collaborative advisory process designed to maximize a client's potential for meeting life and business goals; covers retirement planning, tax strategies, and wealth building. Offered to households and business owners under a fiduciary standard.
• Investment Management Behavioral investment management service focused on helping clients build and maintain wealth through disciplined strategies and prudent planning processes, with the goal of staying wealthy by avoiding behavioral mistakes.
• Retirement & Deferred Compensation Business service covering 401(k) plan evaluation, retirement efficiency analysis, fiduciary liability mitigation, and non-qualified deferred compensation plans for highly compensated employees. Targeted at business owners and their HR/benefits stakeholders.
• Business Continuity & Succession Planning Strategic planning services for business owners addressing business continuity, exit strategies, and succession planning, leveraging the firm's CEPA credential for exit and succession advisory.
• Business Services Comprehensive advisory offering for business owners bundling Retirement & Deferred Compensation and Business Continuity & Succession Planning with ongoing fiduciary advice.
• Household Services Financial planning and investment management services package for individual households and families, delivered as a recurring advisory relationship.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients report confidence in retirement planning and financial decision-making

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OrioncoreTechnology or IntegrationOrion advisor platform provides client account portal access for Bowline Financial clients to view and manage their holistic financial plans. Orion is a leading portfolio management and client experience platform for RIAs.
• Charles SchwabcoreTechnology or IntegrationCharles Schwab serves as the custodian for client investment accounts. Clients access their Schwab accounts through the Bowline client portal for viewing and managing investment holdings.
• Right CapitalcoreTechnology or IntegrationRight Capital provides financial plan dashboard functionality allowing clients to track performance, view transactions, and upload documents securely.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carson Group: National network of fee-only financial advisors serving households and businesses with financial planning, 401(k) advisory, and succession planning. Direct analog to Bowline's service mix and fiduciary model.
• Creative Planning: Large independent fee-only RIA offering financial planning, investment management, and business owner services. Compares to Bowline in fiduciary model, fee-only structure, and dual household/business client focus, but at vastly greater scale.
• Moneta Group: Fee-only RIA delivering financial planning, investment management, and business owner advisory. Comparable to Bowline across service lines, fee structure, and retention-oriented relationship model.

Broad incumbents

• Fisher Investments: Large investment management firm serving high-net-worth individuals and institutions. Comparable to Bowline's investment management function, though with a more centralized portfolio management approach and less personal financial planning depth.
• Northwestern Mutual: Large financial services firm offering financial planning, investment management, retirement plans, and business succession planning. Overlaps with Bowline's full household and business service mix, though structurally different (traditional insurance-led model).
• Edelman Financial Engines: One of the largest independent RIAs in the U.S., offering financial planning and investment management to households and corporate plans. Overlaps with Bowline's household financial planning and 401(k) advisory services but at broad national scale.
• Vanguard Personal Advisor: Low-cost advisory service from Vanguard combining digital tools with human advisors. Direct competitor to Bowline on investment management, especially for cost-sensitive household clients and retirement savers.

Regional players

• Schwab Wealth Advisory: Charles Schwab's managed advisory offering covering financial planning and investment management. Bowline already uses Schwab as a custodian, making this a primary competitive substitute for the same client base.

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Digital-first fee-only financial planning firm providing comprehensive planning at accessible price points. Competes with Bowline for the same household financial planning demand, differentiated by virtual delivery model.
• Personal Capital (now Empower Personal Dashboard): Hybrid digital RIA combining financial planning software with human advisory services. Comparable to Bowline's financial planning and investment management services but with a tech-first acquisition model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BowlineFinancial

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Bowline Financial