The Planners Network

What The Planners Network does

The Planners Network (TPN), legally The Planners Network, Inc., is a private, for-profit membership organization incorporated in 1999 and headquartered in Temecula, California. It operates as a production group of Registered Representatives licensed with LPL Financial, functioning as a community-led association for independent financial advisors — not a software, brokerage, or advisory firm itself. The Planners Network runs on a small administrative team (1–10 employees) and a management structure headed by a Chairman (Tom Vander Zwaag), President (Bobby Garcia), Director (Derek Johnson), and COO (Kären Locklin).

TPN's core offering is the TPN Membership Network, a credentialed community for top-producing financial advisors that delivers five named benefits: (1) collective benefit negotiations with broker-dealer LPL Financial, (2) amplified broker-dealer relations via top-producer status, (3) cross-discipline collaboration among FAs, CPAs, EAs, and CFPs, (4) LPL-approved Knowledge-Sharing Conferences and Continuing Education, and (5) intra-group succession planning. Adjunct services include succession planning support (enabling in-network practice acquisitions/transitions) and LPL-aligned broker-dealer services accessed through the member relationship. The technology footprint is not disclosed and the company explicitly is not positioned as a technology business.

The business model is a low-fee subscription plus sponsor-supported events. Members pay a $500 annual membership fee, paid up front by check and non-refundable upon acceptance, which materially underwrites overhead. Production-side economics flow through LPL Financial: TPN's 75+ advisors collectively manage, administer, or advise on more than $4.3 billion in assets through LPL, but those assets are not TPN company revenue. Conferences are co-funded by an ecosystem of 15+ named sponsors (including PIMCO, Vanguard, Allianz Global Investors, Allianz Life, American Beacon Funds, SEI, Salient Partners, Resolute, Counterpoint, Icon Advisers, Bancorp, CPS Insurance, National Western Life, Sammons Retirement, Sierra Mutual Funds, and Westland Financial). Go-to-market is community- and event-led: prospective members apply through the TPN website, must hold Series 7/6/66 or CFP credentials, are reviewed against business and reference criteria, and are onboarded into the LPL/TPN dual-platform. Marketing channels are limited to LinkedIn, member testimonials, conferences, and earned media such as Investment News.

Name

The Planners Network

Legal name

The Planners Network, Inc.

Website

https://theplannersnetwork.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Planners Network is a 1999-founded, Temecula-based private membership association for top-producing independent financial advisors licensed with LPL Financial, offering collective broker-dealer negotiation, peer knowledge sharing through conferences, and intra-group succession planning across roughly 75+ advisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Financial Advisor Network

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

SECONDARYTHAHACAK

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

Keywords

• Financial advisor network
• Broker-dealer services
• Registered representatives
• Succession planning services
• Continuing education conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Temecula

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The Planners Network generates revenue through annual membership fees. According to the membership application, members pay $500 per calendar year, paid up front by check. These fees help cover the overhead costs of running the organization. The network is a production group of Registered Representatives licensed with LPL Financial.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Planners Network is a membership-based production group of Registered Representatives licensed with LPL Financial, uniting accomplished independent financial advisors into a network for collective benefit negotiations with their broker-dealer, peer collaboration, continuing education conferences, and succession planning. Members pay an annual membership fee ($500 per calendar year) and gain access to knowledge-sharing conferences, sponsor resources, and succession opportunities within the group.

Product overview

The Planners Network is a unified membership-based platform offering financial services professionals a network for collaboration, education, and practice growth. The core offering is the TPN Membership Network, which connects Registered Representatives licensed with LPL Financial to collectively negotiate benefits, access succession planning services, and participate in TPN Educational Conferences. The company operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a modular product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TPN Membership Network A production group network of Registered Representatives licensed with LPL Financial, offering financial advisors collective benefit negotiations with the broker-dealer, amplified broker-dealer relations, expert collaboration across FAs/CPAs/EAs/CFPs, and succession planning opportunities. Members pay an annual fee to join.
• TPN Educational Conferences Knowledge-sharing continuing education conferences and networking events for TPN members and approved sponsors, designed to foster meaningful exchanges among financial services professionals, share best practices, and discuss cutting-edge industry trends.
• Succession Planning Services Future-ready succession planning opportunities within the TPN group, enabling financial advisor members to acquire or transition advisory practices and grow their business through internal succession.

Quantifiable outcome

• $4.3+ billion in assets under management across 75+ advisors

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LPL FinancialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLPL Financial is the full-service Broker-Dealer that supports The Planners Network. TPN is a production group of Registered Representatives licensed with LPL Financial. The relationship is fundamental to TPN's existence as advisors must be licensed with LPL to participate. TPN collectively manages over $4.3 billion in assets with LPL.
• Allianz Global InvestorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner of The Planners Network, contributing expertise and resources to enhance members' experiences.
• Allianz LifeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner providing insurance and financial products expertise to network members.
• American Beacon FundsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner contributing investment management solutions and resources.
• BancorpminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner providing banking services to network members.
• CounterpointminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner providing asset management services.
• CPS InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner providing insurance solutions to network members.
• Icon AdvisersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner contributing advisory expertise and resources.
• National Western LifeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner providing insurance and financial products.
• PIMCOminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor partner providing global investment management solutions and resources.
• Resolute Investment ManagersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner contributing investment management services.
• Salient PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner providing investment management solutions.
• Sammons RetirementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner providing retirement solutions and services.
• SEIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner providing investment processing and management services.
• Sierra Mutual FundsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner contributing mutual fund investment options.
• VanguardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor sponsor partner providing low-cost investment management and index funds.
• Westland FinancialminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor partner providing financial services and products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• XY Planning Network: Membership-based network for independent financial advisors offering peer support, continuing education, and practice-building resources — the closest direct analog to TPN's model, though focused on fee-only advisors.
• Garrett Planning Network: Membership organization for hourly, fee-only financial advisors providing networking, collaboration, and educational resources to independent practitioners — directly comparable membership-network model.
• Independent Advisor Alliance: Group of independent financial advisors offering peer collaboration, succession planning, and practice support — comparable membership-style structure for advisors seeking collective benefits.

Broad incumbents

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer with affiliated advisor groups and practice-management resources — comparable as an IBD-anchored platform that supports independent financial advisors.
• National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA): Professional association for fee-only financial advisors providing member services, conferences, and practice support — a broader, more established analog to TPN's professional-body model.
• Financial Planning Association (FPA): National professional membership association for CFP professionals offering networking, continuing education, and practice resources — broader-scale analog to TPN's membership-and-conference model.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer supporting affiliated advisor groups and practice structures similar to TPN's relationship with LPL — comparable in that it hosts advisor networks and production groups.

Others

• LPL Financial: Core broker-dealer partner of TPN — not a peer in the membership-network sense, but the institutional platform on which TPN is built and without which the network cannot exist.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-planners-network

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 The Planners Network