Kuipers Insurance

What Kuipers Insurance does

Kuipers Insurance, operating as Kuipers Advisors, is an independent financial services firm headquartered at 268 East Kilgore Road in Portage, Michigan, founded in 1965 by Vern Kuipers. The firm serves individuals, families, and small-to-medium businesses across Southwest Michigan through three service lines: Personal Services (investment management, retirement planning, financial planning, college planning, and legacy planning), Business Services (business planning, succession planning, employee benefits, and 401(k) plan guidance), and Insurance Services (business insurance, Medicare planning, life insurance, and long-term care insurance). Client-facing technology is delivered through the AdviceWorks cloud-based platform with iOS and Android mobile apps, enabling account aggregation, document sharing, and goal tracking under a Cetera-provided infrastructure stack.

The firm operates as a privately held, fee- and commission-based advisory practice affiliated with Cetera Advisors LLC and Cetera Financial Group, which provide broker-dealer, compliance, technology, research, and back-office support. Ownership is concentrated among President Chad Schut (CFP, AIF) and partners W. Douglas Koning (part owner since 2015) and Mitchell Wassink (Partner since 2016), supported by account executives and client services staff, with total headcount reported at 1-10. Revenue mechanics combine professional services fees and product commissions across insurance, investment, and advisory engagements, with no publicly disclosed pricing tiers or revenue figures.

The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, relying on referrals, community presence, and an extensive content resource center covering retirement, investment, estate, tax, and personal finance topics to drive top-of-funnel engagement. Clients typically enter via a no-cost information-gathering meeting before progressing to ongoing advisory engagements. Distribution remains regional, with no indications of geographic expansion or enterprise-scale client acquisition beyond the Southwest Michigan footprint.

Name

Kuipers Insurance

Legal name

Kuipers Advisors

Website

https://kuipersadvisors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kuipers Advisors is an independent, Cetera-affiliated financial services firm in Portage, Michigan, offering personal financial planning, business advisory, and insurance services to individuals, families, and small-to-medium businesses in Southwest Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Financial Advisory and Insurance Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (5242)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Insurance-Integrated Wealth Managers (RIA + Insurance Solutions) (FSAAACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Retirement Plan Advisory RIAs (ERISA 401(k)/403(b)) (FSAAACAF), Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE), Annuity & Insurance-Based Retirement Solutions Advisory (FSAEABAH)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Portage

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory Services: Fee-based or commission-based financial planning and investment advisory services. Securities and advisory services offered through Cetera Advisors LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Kuipers Insurance (operating as Kuipers Advisors) is an independent financial services firm that provides comprehensive financial planning, investment advisory, and insurance solutions. The firm delivers three core service lines: Personal Services (investment management, retirement planning, financial planning, college planning, and legacy planning), Business Services (business planning, succession planning, employee benefits, and 401(k) plan guidance), and Insurance Services (business insurance, Medicare planning, life insurance, and long-term care insurance). Advisory and brokerage services are offered through its affiliation with Cetera Advisors LLC.

Product overview

Kuipers Advisors is an independent financial services firm offering a unified suite of advisory, investment, and insurance services. The firm provides Personal Services (investment management, retirement planning, financial planning, college planning, and legacy planning), Business Services (business planning, succession planning, employee benefits, and 401(k) plans), and Insurance Services (business insurance, Medicare planning, life insurance, and long-term care insurance). Clients access their accounts through the AdviceWorks cloud-based portal platform, which serves as the central hub for financial monitoring, goal tracking, and document management. The firm operates as a one-stop shop for comprehensive financial planning, investment advice, and insurance solutions, supported by its partnership with Cetera Financial Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Services Comprehensive financial planning services for individuals and families that integrate risk tolerance, lifestyle goals, and long-term objectives, including investment management, retirement planning, financial planning, college planning, and legacy/estate planning. Designed for individuals, families, and pre-retirees seeking a single integrated plan.
• Business Services Business financial solutions designed for business owners and their employees, including business planning, succession planning, employee benefits administration, and 401(k) plan guidance. Targeted at small-to-medium businesses in Southwest Michigan.
• Insurance Services Personalized insurance solutions covering business insurance, Medicare planning, life insurance, and long-term care insurance. Designed to protect families, finances, and future for individuals and business owners in Southwest Michigan.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cetera Advisors LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCetera Advisors LLC is a registered broker-dealer and investment adviser providing operational support, technology platforms, investment research, compliance oversight, and professional resources. This partnership enables Kuipers to maintain independence while accessing large-scale capabilities typically available to much larger firms.
• Cetera Financial GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCetera Financial Group is a premier national wealth hub supporting independent financial professionals across the country. They provide technology, operations, and infrastructure that enable Kuipers to operate efficiently while maintaining full independence.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cetera Financial Group: Kuipers' parent broker-dealer/investment adviser network serving thousands of independent advisors. Overlaps directly with Kuipers' advisory offering and provides the platform backbone, making it the most relevant incumbent comparison.
• Raymond James Financial Services: Large broker-dealer supporting independent financial advisors with investment, retirement, and wealth planning capabilities. Directly comparable to Kuipers in service mix, but operates at national scale via affiliated advisors.
• Ameriprise Financial: Large diversified wealth manager with a national advisor network offering investment, retirement, and insurance solutions. Targets the same affluent and pre-retiree households as Kuipers but with far greater scale and product breadth.
• LPL Financial: One of the largest independent broker-dealers supporting thousands of advisor-led practices with investment, retirement, and insurance offerings. Comparable in distribution model and product breadth to Kuipers.
• Hightower Advisors: National RIA roll-up platform acquiring small-to-mid-sized advisory firms and providing them with shared infrastructure. Mirrors Kuipers in advisor-led wealth management and represents a likely strategic acquirer and competitor for talent and clients.

Direct peers

• New York Life: Mutual insurer with a large career-agent channel offering life insurance, long-term care, annuities, and wealth management. Operates a multi-product, planning-led model closely resembling Kuipers' service portfolio and client-facing approach.
• Edward Jones: Large relationship-driven advisor franchise offering investment advisory, retirement, and insurance products through local offices across the U.S. Highly comparable to Kuipers in service mix and face-to-face advisory model, but operating at vastly greater scale.
• Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company: MassMutual operates an integrated life insurance and wealth management practice through affiliated advisors. Directly comparable to Kuipers' blending of insurance (life, disability, long-term care) with retirement and investment advisory.
• Northwestern Mutual: Mutual insurer combining life insurance and disability with wealth management and financial planning through a captive advisor network. Mirrors Kuipers' integrated insurance + advisory service model with an emphasis on holistic planning.

Emerging players

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer for small-to-mid-sized advisory practices, similar in scale and ethos to Cetera. Strong comparability for Kuipers in supporting an integrated advisory + insurance offering at a regional firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kuipers-insurance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Kuipers Insurance