FitzHugh Financial Group

What FitzHugh Financial Group does

First Financial Coaching, Inc. is a privately held, SEC-registered investment advisory firm that operates a coaching-first financial services practice rather than a traditional asset-management model. Founded circa 1980 with its principal office at 144 South Main Street, Mount Clemens, Michigan, the firm has grown to operate eight offices across seven U.S. states (Michigan, Texas (2), South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Illinois), serving what it characterizes as thousands of families over more than 45 years. The firm is led by CEO Michael N. Sarcheck, with the Furest family (Founder William F. Furest Jr., President/CCO Jeffrey C. Furest, and Director of Technology Jonathan C. Furest) occupying central leadership roles.

The core offering is one-on-one financial coaching grounded in academic, Nobel-Prize-cited investment science, structured around a 90-minute "Investor Inventory" assessment and delivered through in-person consultations or virtual Zoom sessions. Supporting products include financial planning tools (cash flow analysis, financial snapshot, educational platform), life insurance, individual retirement accounts (Traditional/Roth/SEP), HSAs, business retirement plans (401(k), 403(b), SIMPLE), and customizable investment accounts (Individual, Joint, Trust, Custodial, TOD, UTMA/UGMA). The firm licenses Matson Money's empirically tested investing framework and uses its investor platform for client portfolio management, while securities transactions are routed through Triad Advisors as broker-dealer.

The revenue model is recurring/subscription-based: SEC-registered investment advisory fees on managed assets, coaching engagement fees (annual cadence, not publicly disclosed), and life insurance commissions. Go-to-market is sales-led, leveraging a network of credentialed coaches (CFP, RFC, AIF, LUTCF, ChFC, CLU) across regional offices, with demand generation through content marketing (blog/Insights), recurring educational events (American Dream Experience, Dismantling Myths of Investing, Investor Coaching Series), community engagement (Macomb Chamber), and referrals. Target segments include individuals and families (primary), business owners and employers seeking workplace retirement plans, and a secondary professional referral channel of attorneys and tax advisors (notably a co-marketing relationship with Dreher Martin CPAs).

Name

FitzHugh Financial Group

Legal name

First Financial Coaching, Inc.

Website

https://fitzfi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Short description

First Financial Coaching is a privately held, SEC-registered investment advisory firm operating across eight U.S. offices, providing coaching-led financial planning, retirement accounts, life insurance, and investment advisory services to individuals, families, and small businesses using Matson Money's academic investment framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory and Coaching Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Coaching & Budgeting Advisory (FSAEAAAH), Fee-Based Advisory (FSAEAAAM), Financial Education & Coaching (Digital Programs, Tools) (FSAGADAH)

Keywords

• Financial coaching services
• Investment advisory services
• Retirement planning services
• Life insurance products
• Wealth management consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Southport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Coaching Services: Fee-based financial coaching engagements covering budgeting, retirement planning, life insurance, and investment education. Services are delivered through one-on-one coaching, seminars, and structured programs. The firm is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor.
2. Investment Advisory Fees: Advisory services offered through First Financial Coaching, Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisor, covering portfolio management, retirement plan design, and retirement accounts (401(k), IRA, HSA).
3. Life Insurance Products: Life insurance products tailored to individual and family needs, providing financial security and asset protection.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

First Financial Coaching provides fee-based financial coaching, investment advisory, retirement planning, and life insurance services to individuals, families, and business owners. Services are delivered through one-on-one coaching engagements, structured investing experience programs conducted in-person or via Zoom, and educational events. The firm operates as an SEC Registered Investment Advisor and partners with Matson Money for its investment platform and empirically tested portfolio methodology.

Product overview

First Financial Coaching operates as a coaching company providing financial education and advisory services rather than a software product company. The core offering is Financial Coaching, which includes 1:1 coaching, investing experience programs (conducted in-person or via Zoom), and the Investor Inventory session. Supporting this core are Financial Planning Tools (DIY tools for cash flow analysis), Life Insurance services, Retirement Planning (individual and business), and various account types including IRA, HSA, and Investment Accounts. The company also hosts educational events including the American Dream Experience, Investor Coaching Series, and Dismantling Myths of Investing workshops. A complementary financial assessment is offered after training programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• American Dream Experience: A two-day training and development course for investors to transform their investing experience for themselves and their families.
• Investor Inventory
• Investing Experience Programs

Products and services

• Financial Coaching
• Retirement Planning
• Business Retirement Plans
• Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA)
• Health Savings Accounts (HSA)
• Investment Accounts
• Life Insurance
• Professional Coordination Services

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Matson MoneycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMatson Money is the strategic partner hosting the American Dream Experience, Dismantling Myths of Investing series, and the Investor Coaching Series. The firm utilizes Matson Money's investment platform and technology for client portfolio management. First Financial Coaching licenses Matson Money's empirically tested investing framework and client-facing tools.
• Frank P. Orzel & AssociatesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA Chicago-based affiliated office operating under the First Financial Coaching umbrella, providing financial coaching services under the First Financial brand.
• Wealth Strategies Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA Buda, Texas-based affiliated office operating as Wealth Strategies Inc. under the First Financial Coaching umbrella. Led by CEO/President Jamie Smith and Partner Becky Walker.
• Dreher Martin Certified Public AccountantsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDreher Martin CPA logo appears on the First Financial Coaching website footer, indicating an existing professional referral relationship for integrated financial, tax, and legal planning.
• FINRAcoreOthersThe firm and its advisors are subject to FINRA regulation. Advisors have passed FINRA-sponsored examinations (Series 6, 7, 63, 65, 24) and are listed on FINRA's Broker Check.
• Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)coreOthersFirst Financial Coaching, Inc. is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Advisory services are regulated by the SEC, and advisor backgrounds can be verified through the SEC's Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD) website.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Ellevest: Digital wealth management and financial coaching platform targeting individuals with goal-based planning content. Overlaps with First Financial's coaching-led, education-driven approach to financial planning, though delivered via a primarily digital interface.
• Matson Money: Strategic platform partner that provides the investment philosophy, fund models, and event/training content (American Dream Experience, Dismantling Myths of Investing) used by First Financial Coaching. They are a peer in the financial-coaching/advisory space target market, though from a supplier-platform angle.

Broad incumbents

• Wealth Enhancement Group: National independent RIA offering financial planning, retirement planning, and investment advisory to individuals and businesses. Comparable services across retirement plan design, IRA/HSA, and family wealth management, with a multi-office regional-acquisition model.
• Fisher Investments: Large investment advisory firm serving individuals and institutions with discretionary portfolio management. Comparable core service of investment advisory under SEC registration, but a much larger global player with a different go-to-market model.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large-scale RIA offering financial planning, investment advisory, and retirement plan services to individuals and employer plans. Comparable business model (fee-based advice, retirement focus) to First Financial but at vastly greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• Carson Group: Wealth management firm and RIA support platform serving independent financial advisors and their clients. Comparable in offering financial coaching / planning services to individuals and families and supporting advisor-led offices, though at much greater scale.
• Creative Planning: Large multi-state RIA providing comprehensive financial planning, retirement plan design, and investment advisory. Operates in the same SEC-registered advisory space with similar services (retirement planning, IRA, employer plans) and shares a multi-office regional model.

Direct peers

• Facet Wealth: Digital-first financial planning and investment advisory firm offering flat-fee advice to individuals and families. Directly comparable coaching/financial-planning target market to First Financial, with a similar fee-based subscription model and emphasis on accessibility.
• Personal Capital: Hybrid digital wealth management firm combining dashboard-based financial planning tools with human advisors. Comparable technology-plus-coaching model and target market of individuals and families seeking integrated financial planning and investment advice.

Regional players

• Honkamp Krueger Financial Services: Midwest-based RIA and financial advisory firm offering comprehensive financial planning, retirement, tax, and business advisory services. Comparable in coaching/financial-planning focus and multi-state Midwest presence, though serves a primarily regional Midwest client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries2 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 FitzHugh Financial Group