Aquino Financial Group

Wealth Management and Financial Advisoryaquinofg.com

Aquino Financial Group, LLC is a Westminster, Maryland-based wealth management firm providing financial planning, investment management, insurance, and legacy protection services primarily to individuals planning for retirement and small-to-mid-sized business owners in the Carroll County region.

Company typePrivate
Founded1994
HeadquartersWestminster, United States
Headcount1–10
GTM typeB2B and B2C
OfferingServices

What Aquino Financial Group does

Aquino Financial Group, LLC is a privately held wealth management firm headquartered at 63 East Main Street in Westminster, Maryland, operating for approximately 30 years. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of services centered on financial planning, wealth management, insurance solutions, and legacy/estate protection for individuals planning for retirement and business owners. It also provides group benefits consulting and employer-sponsored retirement plan services through the Freedom Independence Plan. The practice is led by President Steven A. Aquino (RFC, CSA) with a small core team of three (Bobbi Koppenhaver, VP of Operations; Deanna Rouse, Client Operations Manager) and strategic partners in investment management (Peter Murphy, CFA, at Freedom Capital Management Strategies), insurance (Benjamin Yingling at Crawford-Yingling Insurance), estate planning attorneys, and CPAs.

The firm operates a relationship-driven, sales-led go-to-market model built on referrals, educational seminars, community engagement (including Steve Aquino's prior six-year run hosting the 'Carroll County Buzz' radio show), and complimentary consultations. Its technology stack consists of a client portal aggregating account access to ten major carriers (Jackson National Life, Corebridge, Equitable, Pacific Life, Lincoln Financial, American Funds, Charles Schwab, Principal 401k, John Hancock, Pershing), Riskalyze for portfolio risk analysis, digital onboarding, and dynamic performance reporting. Investment management is delivered through the FCMS platform with Freedom Strategies (Foundation, Dynamic, Alternative), Liberty Portfolios, Custom Portfolio Solutions, and Private Wealth Management. Securities and investment advisory services are offered through the firm's affiliation with Founders Financial Securities, LLC (FINRA/SIPC member).

Revenue derives from four streams: financial advisory and planning fees, asset management fees (AUM-based), insurance product commissions, and group benefits consulting fees. All pricing is private, with complimentary initial consultations serving as the lead-generation entry point. The firm is recognized through regional industry awards including the 2014 NAIFA-MD Hall of Fame induction, the Paul J. Murphy Award, the 2009 Carroll County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year, and a NAIFA Carroll/Howard Member of the Year recognition.

Aquino Financial Group firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Aquino Financial Group
Legal name: Aquino Financial Group, LLC
Website: https://aquinofg.com
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1994
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 1–10 employees
Short description: Aquino Financial Group, LLC is a Westminster, Maryland-based wealth management firm providing financial planning, investment management, insurance, and legacy protection services primarily to individuals planning for retirement and small-to-mid-sized business owners in the Carroll County region.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Aquino Financial Group industry classification

Industry

Product category: Wealth Management and Financial Advisory
NAICS: Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
SIC: Investment Advice (6282)
akta.pro primary industry: Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)
akta.pro secondary industry: Insurance-Integrated Wealth Managers (RIA + Insurance Solutions) (FSAAACAI)

Keywords

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

Where Aquino Financial Group is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Westminster
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Aquino Financial Group business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B and B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Financial Advisory & Planning Fees: Fee-based advisory services for comprehensive financial planning, including retirement planning, estate planning, and investment management. Services are customized to individual client needs.
Asset Management Fees: Management fees for investment portfolios through the FCMS platform, including Freedom Strategies (Foundation, Dynamic, Alternative), Liberty Portfolios, and Custom Portfolio Solutions.
Insurance Products Commission: Commissions from insurance products including life insurance, long-term care insurance, and related protection products offered to clients.
Group Benefits Consulting: Fees for helping businesses design and implement employee benefit packages including retirement plans.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Freemium	Monthly	Complimentary Consultation

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Aquino Financial Group product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Aquino Financial Group, LLC is a wealth management firm that delivers comprehensive financial planning, wealth management, insurance, and legacy/estate protection services to individuals and businesses. The firm coordinates advice across multiple specialists (CPAs, estate attorneys, insurance partners) and operates the FCMS (Freedom Capital Management Strategies) investment platform with curated strategies including Freedom Foundation, Freedom Dynamic, Freedom Alternative, Liberty Portfolios, Custom Portfolio Solutions, and Private Wealth Management. It also offers the Freedom Independence Plan turnkey retirement plan platform and group benefits consulting for employer clients.

Product overview

Aquino Financial Group is a wealth management firm offering a comprehensive suite of financial services centered around financial planning, wealth management, and insurance solutions. The core offering includes Comprehensive Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Insurance Services, and Legacy Protection. The firm operates through its investment management subsidiary FCMS (Freedom Capital Management Strategies), which provides a structured investment platform including Freedom Strategies (Freedom Foundation, Freedom Dynamic, and Freedom Alternative), Liberty Portfolios, Custom Portfolio Solutions, and Private Wealth Management. Additional offerings include managed investments, alternative investments, principle protection strategies, group benefits for businesses, and the Freedom Independence Plan for company retirement plans. The products range from basic financial planning to sophisticated wealth management and alternative investment strategies, serving both individuals at various life stages and business clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Comprehensive Financial Planning
Wealth Management
Insurance Services Protection solutions including life insurance and long-term care insurance policies delivered in coordination with Crawford-Yingling Insurance, designed to surround clients and their families with comprehensive coverage and protect against wealth destruction from death, disability, or long-term care needs.
Protecting Your Legacy (Estate and Legacy Planning) Estate planning and legacy protection services that help solidify tomorrow by planning today, including protecting heirs from estate taxes and ensuring retention of family land or business for future generations, coordinated with strategic estate-planning attorney partners.
FCMS Investment Management Investment management offering through Freedom Capital Management Strategies (FCMS), providing innovative investment management with active oversight, modern diversification, and risk management. Encompasses the Freedom Strategies suite (Freedom Foundation, Freedom Dynamic, Freedom Alternative), Liberty Portfolios, Custom Portfolio Solutions, and Private Wealth Management.
Freedom Independence Plan Turnkey retirement plan platform serving businesses, owners, and employees. Includes professional leadership, fiduciary oversight, and comprehensive investment solutions for company retirement plans under a single coordinated program.
Group Benefits Consulting Employee benefit packages designed for businesses to recruit and retain employees, with potential tax benefits for employers providing cost-efficient benefit packages, including group insurance and retirement plan support.
Private Wealth Management Comprehensive offering delivering highly customized portfolio design and private client service with a dedicated financial advisor and portfolio management team, part of the FCMS investment platform.

Companies that use Aquino Financial Group

Customer profile

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Aquino Financial Group technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature5 records

Aquino Financial Group partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

Jackson National LifecoreTechnology or IntegrationJackson National Life provides annuity products accessible through the firm's client portal. Clients can access their Jackson National Life accounts directly through the Aquino Financial Group website.
Corebridge FinancialcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorebridge Financial (formerly AIG) provides annuity products integrated through the firm's account access platform.
Equitable FinancialcoreTechnology or IntegrationEquitable Financial provides retirement and investment products accessible through the firm's client portal.
Pacific LifecoreTechnology or IntegrationPacific Life provides annuity products accessible through the firm's account access platform.
Lincoln FinancialcoreTechnology or IntegrationLincoln Financial provides retirement and annuity products integrated through the firm's client portal.
American FundscoreTechnology or IntegrationAmerican Funds (Capital Group) provides mutual fund investments accessible through the firm's account access.
Charles SchwabcoreTechnology or IntegrationCharles Schwab provides brokerage services and account management accessible through the firm's client portal.
Principal 401kcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrincipal Financial provides 401k plan management accessible through the firm's account access platform.
John Hancock 401kcoreTechnology or IntegrationJohn Hancock provides 401k retirement plans accessible through the firm's client portal.
Pershing BrokeragecoreTechnology or IntegrationPershing provides brokerage platform services accessible through NetXInvestor for client account management.
Founders Financial Securities, LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities and Investment Advisory services offered through Founders Financial Securities, LLC, a registered broker-dealer (Member FINRA/SIPC) and Registered Investment Advisor. This is the firm's primary securities and advisory services partner.
Freedom Capital Management Strategies (FCMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCMS provides the investment platform including Freedom Strategies, Liberty Portfolios, Custom Portfolio Solutions, and Private Wealth Management. Peter Murphy, CFA serves as President & CIO of FCMS as a strategic partner.
Crawford-Yingling InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBenjamin Yingling, CIC, CRM, CLCS, CRIS serves as VP of Crawford-Yingling Insurance, providing insurance product expertise and solutions for clients.
Estate Planning AttorneysstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partners providing detailed estate planning recommendations during the financial planning process.
CPAs (Certified Public Accountants)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partners providing tax expertise and recommendations during the comprehensive financial planning process.
RiskalyzecoreTechnology or IntegrationRiskalyze provides the portfolio risk analysis platform used by the firm for interactive risk assessment and investment alignment.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Aquino Financial Group competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Northwestern Mutual: Large insurance-integrated financial services firm combining life/disability insurance with wealth management and advisory services. Highly comparable insurance-plus-wealth distribution model, but operating nationally with thousands of financial representatives.
MassMutual: Mutual insurance and financial services company offering life insurance, retirement plans, and wealth management. Matches Aquino's integration of insurance and investment advisory under one umbrella, but at national scale with institutional capabilities.
Raymond James Financial: Large diversified financial services firm offering wealth management, investment banking, and asset management. Comparable in offering advisor-led financial planning with insurance and annuity products, but at much larger scale with both independent and employee advisor channels.

Direct peers

Edward Jones: Advisor-led wealth management firm focused on individual investors and small-business retirement plans with a strong local-branch distribution model. Highly comparable in target clientele (retirement-age individuals and small business owners), local-relationship GTM, and broad product platform including insurance.
Edelman Financial Services: Independent financial planning and wealth management firm offering fee-based advisory, retirement planning, and insurance services to individuals. Comparable in its holistic planning-led model and similar mix of AUM fees and insurance commissions, though operating at materially larger scale.
Ameriprise Financial: Advisor-led financial planning firm serving individuals and small businesses with comprehensive wealth management and insurance solutions. Closely comparable planning-led model and target customer base, though operating at significantly larger national scale.

Others

LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S., supporting over 20,000 financial advisors with compliance, technology, and product access. Represents the largest-scale analog of the type of broker-dealer/clearing infrastructure on which Aquino depends.
Commonwealth Financial Network: Large independent broker-dealer supporting RIAs and financial advisors with practice management, technology, and product access. Directly comparable infrastructure peer to the Founders Financial Securities relationship Aquino relies upon.
Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer supporting thousands of financial advisors with practice management and product access. Comparable as an infrastructure peer to Founders Financial Securities, the platform through which Aquino delivers its advisory and brokerage services.
Cetera Financial Group: Independent broker-dealer and RIA support platform serving thousands of independent financial advisors. Comparable as the type of broker-dealer/parent ecosystem that hosts small advisory practices like Aquino (which operates through Founders Financial Securities).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Aquino Financial Group financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Aquino Financial Group leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Aquino Financial Group funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Aquino Financial Group M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aquino Financial Group

What does Aquino Financial Group do?

Is Aquino Financial Group a public or private company?

Aquino Financial Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.

When was Aquino Financial Group founded?

Aquino Financial Group was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.

Where is Aquino Financial Group based?

Aquino Financial Group is headquartered in Westminster, United States, in the North America region.

How does Aquino Financial Group make money?

Four revenue lines are on record. Financial Advisory & Planning Fees are the primary driver. The others are asset Management Fees, insurance Products Commission and group Benefits Consulting.

Who are Aquino Financial Group's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are Northwestern Mutual, MassMutual and Raymond James Financial. Direct peers are Edward Jones, Edelman Financial Services and Ameriprise Financial. Others are LPL Financial, Commonwealth Financial Network, Cambridge Investment Research and Cetera Financial Group.

Does Aquino Financial Group have an API?

No public API is recorded for Aquino Financial Group.

What industry is Aquino Financial Group in?

Aquino Financial Group's product category is Wealth Management and Financial Advisory. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAACAB, Financial Planning–Led RIAs, with a secondary code of FSAAACAI, Insurance-Integrated Wealth Managers (RIA + Insurance Solutions). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.