Safe Harbor Retirement Group

What Safe Harbor Retirement Group does

Safe Harbor Retirement Group is a Dublin, Ohio-based independent Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) firm founded in 2000 that serves individual retirees and pre-retirees across Ohio with a bundled retirement and wealth management offering. The firm operates from four Ohio offices covering the Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati metropolitan markets (Dublin, Easton, Beavercreek/Dayton, West Chester) and is led by Managing Partner Cory Sickles, with a headcount of 1–10 employees and an A+ BBB rating.

The service stack spans IRA accounts, annuities, life insurance, investment management, estate planning, tax support, Social Security maximization, and Medicare advisory, supported by Charles Schwab as custodian and Orion Advisor for portfolio management. A proprietary technology layer — the Generational Vault, a 2048-bit SSL-encrypted document storage portal — is used to secure client estate and financial records. Operations are organized across three affiliated LLCs (Safe Harbor Wealth Advisors LLC, Safe Harbor Financial Group LLC, and Safe Harbor Wealth Management LLC) to separate advisory fee revenue from insurance commission revenue.

The firm pursues a community-marketing-led go-to-market via owned media: the Financially Fit radio show, recurring Columbus Living TV appearances, a YouTube channel, an active blog, and ongoing press releases. The firm is founder-owned, has not raised external capital, operates exclusively within Ohio, and discloses no revenue, AUM, or headcount growth metrics.

Name

Safe Harbor Retirement Group

Legal name

Safe Harbor Wealth Advisors, LLC

Website

https://safeharboroh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Safe Harbor Retirement Group is a Dublin, Ohio-based independent RIA founded in 2000 that serves Ohio retirees and pre-retirees with retirement planning, wealth management, annuities, life insurance, estate planning, and Medicare advisory across four Ohio offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retirement Planning Services

NAICS

Direct Life, Health, and Medical Insurance Carriers (52411)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Employee Benefit & Retirement Plan Trust Services (FSAAANAC)

Keywords

• Retirement planning services
• Wealth management advisory
• Investment management
• Annuity income planning
• Life insurance solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory Services: Provides comprehensive wealth management and retirement planning advisory services as a registered investment advisor. Revenue is generated through advisory fees for investment management and planning services.
2. Insurance Products: Offers various insurance products including annuities, life insurance, and long-term care coverage through affiliated company Safe Harbor Financial Group, LLC. Generates commissions on insurance product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Safe Harbor Retirement Group is an independent Registered Investment Advisor firm that delivers comprehensive retirement planning, wealth management, and investment advisory services to individuals and small business owners. Its offerings span IRA/retirement accounts, annuities, life insurance, and personalized planning services (income, estate, tax, Social Security, Medicare, long-term care), supported by a proprietary secure document portal (Generational Vault) and partner custodial platforms (Charles Schwab, Orion Advisor).

Product overview

Safe Harbor Retirement Group is a full-service independent financial advisory firm offering a comprehensive suite of retirement planning services through multiple product categories. Their core offerings include IRA and retirement accounts (Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, Rollover IRA, Inherited IRA, Simple IRA, SEP-IRA, Solo 401(k)), various annuity products (Immediate Annuities, Fixed Index Annuities, Fixed/Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuities), life insurance policies (Term Life, Indexed Universal Life, Whole Life, Hybrid Life Insurance with LTC riders), and investment management services. They provide additional planning services including income planning, estate planning, tax support, Social Security maximization, Medicare guidance, and long-term care planning. Their proprietary Generational Vault platform offers secure digital document storage for clients. The firm operates multiple Ohio offices and provides educational content through Columbus Living TV and Financially Fit Radio programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Management (Customized Managed Portfolio) Customized managed portfolio service for clients seeking to identify better ways to allocate resources with the goal of increasing investment performance, supported by Orion Advisor and Charles Schwab custodial platforms.
• Traditional IRA Pre-tax retirement account with tax-deductible contributions, tax-deferred growth, and penalty-free withdrawals after age 59½, offered to individual clients planning for retirement.
• Roth IRA After-tax retirement account allowing tax-free growth and penalty-free withdrawals after age 59½, with no required minimum distributions and tax-free inheritance for beneficiaries.
• Rollover IRA Account enabling tax-deferred transfer of funds from employer-sponsored retirement plans (401(k), 403(b), 457, pension, ESOP), preserving tax-advantaged status.
• Inherited (Beneficiary) IRA Account for beneficiaries inheriting an IRA or employer-sponsored retirement account, allowing 10-year tax-deferred liquidation and distribution spreading.
• Simple IRA Retirement plan for small businesses with up to 100 employees featuring salary deferrals, mandatory employer matching, and instant vesting.
• SEP-IRA Simplified Employee Pension IRA allowing business owners to contribute up to 25% of compensation or $70,000 (2025) with tax-deductible contributions.
• Solo 401(k) Individual 401(k) for self-employed individuals and business owners with no employees, allowing combined employee/employer contributions up to $69,000 (2025) plus $7,500 catch-up for those 50+.
• Immediate Annuities Annuity converting a lump sum into guaranteed ongoing income payments starting within months, for a set period or lifetime, with potential tax-deferred growth.
• Fixed Index Annuities Annuity with returns linked to an external market index (S&P 500) offering principal protection, tax-deferred growth, and guaranteed minimum rate of return.
• Fixed or Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuities Fixed-rate annuity with guaranteed minimum rate of return, principal protection from market downturns, and potential higher returns than bank products.
• Term Life Insurance Life insurance providing death benefit coverage for a specified period (10, 15, 20, or 30 years) at lower cost than permanent insurance with no cash value.
• Indexed Universal Life Insurance Permanent life insurance with cash value credited based on equity index performance (S&P 500), offering growth potential without market loss risk, tax-free loans, and critical/chronic illness riders.
• Whole Life Insurance Permanent life insurance providing lifetime coverage with fixed premiums, accumulating cash value with fixed returns, potential dividends, and tax-free death benefit.
• Hybrid Life Insurance with Long-Term Care Permanent life insurance combining long-term care coverage with death benefit, providing qualified LTC services (home care, assisted living, nursing home) with tax-free reimbursements and premium flexibility.
• Income Planning Retirement income planning service converting part of retirement funds into a stream of guaranteed lifetime income payments for clients approaching or in retirement.
• Estate Planning Estate planning service delivered in partnership with estate planning professionals to ensure client estates are protected and distributed according to client wishes.
• Tax Support and Preparation Tax planning, preparation, and filing services delivered with CPA partners to minimize tax liability and generate tax-free income for clients.
• Social Security Maximization Advisory service designed to increase Social Security benefits by potentially thousands of dollars over a client's lifetime through optimal claiming strategies.
• Medicare Planning Medicare advisory service covering Medicare Supplement, Medicare Advantage, and Part D Prescription Drug Plans delivered via licensed agents.
• Long-Term Care Planning Long-term care planning service helping clients understand coverage options and integrate LTC protection with retirement and legacy planning.
• Generational Vault Proprietary virtual secure document storage portal enabling clients to upload, store, and access important financial documents (trusts, wills, powers of attorney, insurance policies, investment records) 24/7 with SSL-secured 2048-bit encryption, plus daily investment value monitoring and financial asset/expense snapshots.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, proprietary and strategic.

• Charles SchwabcoreTechnology or IntegrationCharles Schwab serves as the custodial platform for client investment accounts. Clients access their accounts through Schwab's client portal.
• Orion AdvisorcoreTechnology or IntegrationOrion Advisor platform used for portfolio management and client account administration.
• Generational VaultproprietaryTechnology or IntegrationProprietary secure client portal for document storage, investment monitoring, and financial asset tracking. Available to clients 24/7 with SSL encryption.
• Estate Planning ProfessionalsstrategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with estate planning professionals who work with clients to ensure estates are protected and distributed according to client wishes.
• Certified Public AccountantsstrategicImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorks with CPAs to provide comprehensive tax planning, preparation, and filing services for clients.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Buckingham Strategic Wealth is an independent RIA focused on evidence-based retirement and wealth management. Similar fiduciary model serving retirees and pre-retirees with comprehensive financial planning services.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Mariner Wealth Advisors is an independent RIA platform providing retirement, estate, tax, and investment planning for individuals. Similar comprehensive service suite and independent fiduciary positioning.
• Carson Group: Carson Group is an independent RIA and advisor support platform serving financial advisors with retirement and wealth management services. Comparable business model serving similar retiree and pre-retiree clients with retirement planning, insurance, and wealth advisory offerings.
• Hightower Advisors: Hightower Advisors is an RIA platform supporting independent advisors with retirement and wealth management services. Similar independent advisor model with retirement planning as a core offering.
• Creative Planning: Creative Planning is a large independent RIA offering comprehensive retirement, tax, estate planning, and investment management for individuals and families. Similar independent fiduciary positioning and full-service retirement focus make it a direct comparable.

Broad incumbents

• Cambridge Investment Research: Cambridge Investment Research is an independent broker-dealer supporting RIAs with retirement planning and wealth management services. Similar advisor support infrastructure and overlapping financial planning offerings.
• Fisher Investments: Fisher Investments is a large global investment management firm focused on private wealth management for high-net-worth and retail clients. Broader scale and national footprint, but overlapping retirement and wealth advisory offerings.
• Cetera Financial Group: Cetera Financial Group is a large financial services firm supporting independent RIAs and advisors with retirement, wealth, and insurance solutions. Overlapping service categories including retirement, insurance, and investment management.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Commonwealth Financial Network is an independent broker-dealer and RIA support platform serving financial advisors with retirement planning and wealth management services. Comparable advisor support model and client offerings.
• LPL Financial: LPL Financial is the largest independent broker-dealer in the US, supporting RIAs and financial advisors with retirement, investment, and insurance solutions. Overlapping technology and custody-style relationships and similar retiree client segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCs6fXNjoZeDKKhfpyuPWaOA

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Safe Harbor Retirement Group