What CoreFirst Investment Services does

CoreFirst Investment Services is a Kansas-based financial advisory practice that operates as a marketing name for Cetera Investment Services LLC, a registered broker-dealer and investment adviser (member SIPC/FINRA). The firm delivers personalized financial planning, retirement planning, brokerage services, and insurance solutions through a team of licensed Financial Advisors and a Program Manager based in Topeka, with a second office in Shawnee serving the Kansas City metropolitan area. Product offerings span annuities (fixed, indexed, variable), life insurance (term, universal, whole, variable), long-term care insurance, full-service brokerage (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, IRAs, SEPs, TSAs), education funding (529 plans, custodial accounts), retirement plan rollover and income distribution planning, and business succession planning. Client access is supported by the AdviceWorks online portal and a Resource Center with articles, videos, and financial calculators.

The business model is sales-led and relationship-driven: revenue is generated through three streams — transaction-based commissions on brokerage and insurance product sales, recurring fee-based compensation on assets under management for advisory clients, and commissions on insurance products including annuities and long-term care. Pricing is individualized and not publicly disclosed; it varies by service complexity, asset levels, and product mix. Distribution is concentrated through dedicated advisor relationships at two physical offices, phone-based advisory support, the self-serve AdviceWorks portal, and the CoreFirst Bank & Trust referral channel, which functions as the primary mid-funnel lead source. Target customer segments are individuals and families in Kansas focused on retirement, education funding, and wealth preservation, with a secondary segment of business owners seeking succession and qualified plan services.

Operationally, CoreFirst Investment Services is not an independent firm: securities and insurance products are provided through Cetera Investment Services LLC, advisory services through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, and the practice is not in ownership affiliated with CoreFirst Bank & Trust beyond a marketing and referral arrangement. Technology dependence is limited to third-party platforms (FMG Suite for marketing/content, AdviceWorks for account access), and there is no disclosed proprietary technology, mobile application, API integration, or AI capability. Headcount is reported at 101-250, consistent with a small-to-mid regional practice that includes advisors, operations, and compliance staff supporting the Cetera program.

Name

CoreFirst Investment Services

Legal name

Cetera Investment Services LLC

Website

https://corefirstinvest.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CoreFirst Investment Services is a Kansas-based financial advisory practice (marketing name for Cetera Investment Services LLC) offering retirement planning, brokerage, annuities, life and long-term care insurance, education funding, and business succession planning to individuals, families, and business owners in Topeka and the Kansas City metro through licensed Financial Advisors and bank referrals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Topeka

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brokerage Services: Transaction-based compensation (commissions) received through securities brokerage services including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and annuities. Registered Representatives receive transaction-based compensation.
2. Investment Advisory Services: Fee-based investment advisory services where Investment Adviser Representatives receive fees based on assets under management.
3. Insurance Products: Commission revenue from sale of insurance products including life insurance, long-term care insurance, and annuities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CoreFirst Investment Services is a financial advisory and brokerage firm that sells annuities, life and long-term care insurance, retirement planning, brokerage (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, IRAs), education funding (529 plans), and business succession planning to individuals, families, and business owners in Kansas. Services are delivered by licensed Financial Advisors through Cetera Investment Services LLC, with brokerage, insurance, and fee-based advisory compensation models.

Product overview

CoreFirst Investment Services is a financial services marketing name of Cetera Investment Services LLC, offering a comprehensive suite of investment and advisory services through licensed financial advisors. The core offering consists of financial planning and brokerage services complemented by insurance products including annuities (Fixed, Indexed, and Variable), life insurance (term, universal, whole, and variable), and long-term care insurance. Additional services include retirement planning, education funding through 529 plans, and business succession planning. Clients access accounts through an online portal powered by AdviceWorks, supported by financial calculators and educational resources covering topics from retirement to taxes to estate planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annuities Retirement savings vehicles providing monthly income after retirement, available in Fixed, Indexed, and Variable options with tax-deferred growth and beneficiary designation. Designed for individuals planning retirement income.
• Life Insurance Financial protection products including term, universal life, whole life, and variable life insurance to provide income replacement and estate planning benefits for individuals and families.
• Long-Term Care Insurance Insurance coverage for chronic illness or disability, covering skilled, intermediate, or adult day care facilities and home health care expenses. Designed for individuals planning for potential long-term care needs.
• Retirement Planning Comprehensive retirement income planning including projections, income-generating strategies, and distribution planning for annuities, IRAs, and employer-sponsored plans. Targeted at pre-retirees and retirees.
• Brokerage Service Full-service brokerage offering investments including money markets, treasury securities, stocks, mutual funds, IRAs, SEPs, and TSAs with tailored financial solutions for individual investors.
• Education Funding Education savings solutions including 529 College Savings Plans and Custodial Accounts with tax-deferred growth and tax-free withdrawals for qualified expenses. Designed for families planning for education costs.
• Business Succession Planning Business continuation planning services to help business owners prepare for unexpected events through buy/sell agreements and succession strategies. Targeted at small and mid-sized business owners.
• Financial Planning Personalized financial planning services integrating investment strategies with Social Security, pensions, tax minimization, and wealth accumulation and protection for individuals and families.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• CoreFirst Bank & TrustcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoreFirst Investment Services operates as a marketing name associated with CoreFirst Bank & Trust, leveraging the bank's branch network and customer relationships for referrals. The bank location at 3701 SW Wanamaker Road serves as the primary headquarters, and the bank's brand recognition in Kansas supports client acquisition. Neither firm is directly affiliated in ownership.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Edward Jones: Large U.S. retail broker-dealer with a regional branch-based advisor model focused on Main Street individuals and families for retirement and financial planning. Closest analog to CoreFirst's personal, in-person, relationship-driven advisory approach.
• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the U.S., supporting thousands of financial advisors across retail wealth management, retirement planning, and insurance. Closest pure-play comparable to a Cetera-affiliated advisor program like CoreFirst.
• Stifel Financial: Mid-size full-service broker-dealer with strong presence in the Midwest U.S., offering investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement/wealth planning to individuals and business owners. Geographically and operationally similar to a Kansas-anchored advisor program.
• Raymond James Financial: Diversified financial services firm with a strong regional advisor force delivering investment, retirement, insurance, and estate planning. Comparable advisor-led GTM and product breadth to CoreFirst's offering.
• Ameriprise Financial: Diversified financial services firm combining investment advisory, brokerage, insurance, annuities, and retirement planning through a national advisor force. Directly comparable product mix and planning-led GTM to CoreFirst's offering.
• Cetera Investment Services LLC: CoreFirst's parent/operating entity—a registered broker-dealer and investment adviser that supports multiple bank-channel investment programs across the U.S. Direct parent and structural twin, serving similar bank-affiliated financial advisor programs.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Investments: Diversified financial services incumbent offering brokerage, advisory, retirement products, annuities, and life insurance. Benchmarks the technology-driven incumbent model against which regional bank-channel advisors must compete.
• Charles Schwab: National incumbent offering retail brokerage, investment advisory, retirement planning, and insurance at scale. Represents the broader incumbent peer category competing with regional bank-channel advisors for mass-affluent and HNW clients.
• Merrill Lynch Wealth Management: Bank of America's wealth management arm delivering investment advisory, retirement planning, and lending to affluent and HNW clients nationwide. Broader incumbent with overlapping capabilities to CoreFirst but operating at vastly larger scale with proprietary technology.

Regional players

• Northwest Financial: Regional bank-affiliated investment program serving Midwestern U.S. markets with retirement planning, brokerage, and insurance through bank branches. Highly comparable structure to CoreFirst's bank-channel model but in different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/corefirst-investment-services

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 CoreFirst Investment Services