What Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions does

Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions is a private wealth management firm headquartered in Addison, Texas, founded in 1990 by Frances Gardner and now operating through Osaic Wealth, Inc. following its March 2026 transition from Kestra to Osaic's Advisory Resource Group. The firm serves individual clients, business owners, and institutional clients (corporations, municipalities, universities, and school districts) across approximately 30 U.S. states, managing $464 million in client assets with a team of roughly eight professionals. Core offerings are organized around four pillars: Lifecycle Financial Planning (retirement, education, estate, insurance), Strategic Business Planning (succession, exit, valuation, key employee retention), Worksite Financial Education (employer-based financial wellness), and Wealth Management (asset management, risk management, tax and cash flow planning).

The practice operates a technology-enabled advisory model built on a suite of third-party integrated platforms — OneView for consolidated account access, eMoney for holistic financial planning, Albridge for performance reporting, Wealthscape Investor for NFS account management, and eQuipt for tax document handling — supplemented by proprietary Value Builder Score assessment and dedicated business valuation technology used in exit planning engagements. Securities are offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., a FINRA/SIPC member, providing the regulatory and operational chassis for the advisory practice.

Commercially, Gardner Wallace is sales-led, distributing services through direct advisor-to-client relationships and leveraging approximately 50 worksite financial education engagements per year as a top-of-funnel demand generation channel. Revenue is generated through fee-based and commission-based advisory services, with a transactional business valuation module priced from $1,950 inclusive of coaching. Ownership is transitioning from founders Frances and Robert Gardner to next-generation partners Andrew Gardner and Patrick Wallace as part of a formal succession plan, and the firm has accumulated regional recognition including D Magazine Best Financial Planners, Five Star Wealth Manager, D CEO Dallas 500, and Frances Gardner's MDRT Top of the Table distinction.

Name

Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions

Legal name

Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions

Website

https://gardnerwallace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions is a Texas-based wealth management firm providing lifecycle financial planning, business succession advisory, and worksite financial education to individual and institutional clients across 30+ U.S. states, managing $464 million in client assets through the Osaic platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Addison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Planning and Advisory Services: Fee-based or commission-based financial planning and investment advisory services provided to individual clients and business owners

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions is a Texas-based wealth management firm that delivers comprehensive financial planning services to individuals and business owners. Core offerings include Lifecycle Financial Planning (retirement, education, estate, and disability planning), Strategic Business Planning (succession, exit, business valuation, key employee retention, executive benefits, and transition planning), and Worksite Financial Education programs delivered to corporate, municipal, university, and school district clients. Securities are offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc.

Product overview

Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions is a wealth management firm offering a holistic, proactive suite of financial planning services organized around five core pillars: Lifecycle Financial Planning (comprehensive individual planning), Strategic Business Planning (succession and exit planning), Wealth Management (asset management, risk management, tax and estate planning), Worksite Financial Education (corporate financial wellness programs), and Technology-Enabled Client Access. The core offering is anchored by Lifecycle Financial Planning and Strategic Business Planning, supplemented by specialized modules including Business Valuation & Advisory Services (using the Value Builder Score system, starting at $1,950), Executive Benefits advisory, Transition Planning, and Retirement Planning for Business Owners. Client-facing technology access is provided through a suite of five integrated digital platforms: OneView (consolidated account dashboard), eQuipt (tax document and paperless management), eMoney (personal financial hub), Albridge (investment performance reporting), and Wealthscape Investor (NFS account access). The firm also provides a Resource Center with financial calculators and educational content. The firm manages approximately $464 million in client assets and operates as a partner of Osaic Wealth, Inc.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lifecycle Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning service tailored to individual client lifecycles, covering retirement readiness, education funding, estate planning, disability planning, and business exit strategy. Designed for individuals and families seeking holistic, proactive financial guidance.
• Strategic Business Planning Business planning service focused on succession planning, exit strategy, employee retention, business valuation, and protecting business owners against disability, disagreement, divorce, and death. Targeted at business owners and entrepreneurs.
• Areas of Expertise (Wealth Management) Full suite of wealth management services including asset management, asset allocation, behavior management, risk management, cash flow planning, tax planning, and estate planning.
• Worksite Financial Education Financial education programs delivered at corporate, municipal, university, and school district workplaces through seminars, workshops, and discussions, targeting employee financial wellness.
• Business Valuation & Advisory Services Business valuation services using the Value Builder Score assessment to help business owners understand company value, industry benchmarks, and readiness for exit or transition. Starting at $1,950 with 4-6 hours of coaching included.
• Executive Benefits Specialized advisory for executive compensation including executive bonus plans, deferred compensation plans, supplemental executive retirement plans, and split dollar plans.
• Transition Planning Business transition and continuity planning services covering succession planning, buy-sell planning, key person protection, retention strategies, and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).
• Retirement Planning for Business Owners Retirement planning advisory specifically for business owners, addressing wealth extraction from businesses before retirement, diversification strategies, and planning for business succession or sale.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provided approximately 50 worksite financial education opportunities per year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OsaiccoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 March 2026Osaic acquired Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions for $464 million through its Advisory Resource Group (ARG). The partnership supports firm growth, advisor team expansion, and succession planning with focus on infrastructure, technology, and operational efficiency. The firm transitioned from Kestra to Osaic as part of a leadership evolution that will transition ownership to Andrew Gardner and Patrick Wallace.
• Kestra FinancialminorOthersPreviously operated with Kestra before joining Osaic platform in March 2026

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Commonwealth is an independent wealth management firm supporting advisor teams with planning, technology, and back-office infrastructure. It is comparable to Gardner Wallace's operational model of advisor teams delivering comprehensive planning while leveraging a larger platform's infrastructure.
• Creative Planning: Creative Planning is one of the largest independent RIAs in the U.S., offering comprehensive financial planning, wealth management, and business owner advisory. It is comparable to Gardner Wallace in service breadth (lifecycle planning, business succession, tax/estate) but at national scale with hundreds of advisors.
• Mercer Advisors: Mercer Advisors is a national RIA specializing in holistic financial planning for households and business owners, including exit planning and executive benefits. It is comparable to Gardner Wallace in target client (business owners, HNW individuals) and service mix (lifecycle planning, succession, tax coordination).
• Edelman Financial Engines: Edelman Financial Engines is a large national RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, wealth management, and workplace financial education. It is comparable to Gardner Wallace's mix of personal financial planning services and worksite financial education programs delivered to corporate clients.
• Cetera Financial Group: Cetera is a leading wealth management platform supporting independent advisors with technology, compliance, and practice management resources. It is comparable to Osaic (Gardner Wallace's new platform) and to Gardner Wallace's affiliated model of independent advisor teams operating under a parent broker-dealer.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Mariner Wealth Advisors is a large national RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, tax, estate, and business owner advisory services. It is comparable to Gardner Wallace as a similarly full-service wealth advisory firm with a strong business owner / exit planning focus, though at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Carson Group: Carson Group is a wealth advisory platform that partners with independent advisors, providing technology, coaching, and succession support. It is directly comparable to Gardner Wallace's model of an independent advisory team operating within a larger partner platform (Osaic) and offering comprehensive planning services.
• Sanctuary Wealth: Sanctuary Wealth is a wealth platform partnering with high-performing independent advisor teams, providing capital, technology, and succession support. It is directly comparable to Gardner Wallace as a small advisory practice that has affiliated with a wealth platform (Osaic) for succession and growth enablement.

Others

• Kestra Financial: Kestra Financial is a wealth management platform that previously supported Gardner Wallace before the firm's 2026 transition to Osaic. It is relevant as a directly comparable former platform partner with similar independent-advisor-aggregation model.

Regional players

• Lifeway Financial Planning: Lifeway Financial Planning is a Texas-based independent financial planning practice offering retirement, tax, and estate planning services to individuals and small business owners. It is comparable to Gardner Wallace as a similarly-sized Texas RIA with a lifecycle planning focus, though without the same business owner exit specialization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Gardner Wallace Financial Solutions