What Sharper & Granite does

Sharper & Granite is an independent, fee-only registered investment adviser (RIA) operating as Sharper Granite LLC. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in El Segundo, California, the firm functions as a fiduciary advisor serving individuals, families, and business owners across the United States. The service stack spans investment management, retirement planning, tax and estate planning, education funding, Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), and ongoing client monitoring supported by behavioral coaching. The investment philosophy is grounded in academic, evidence-based finance research, drawing on Nobel Prize-winning work (Fama, Markowitz, Sharpe) and is publicly documented through the firm's branded process and "Pursuing a Better Investing Experience" materials.

Name

Sharper & Granite

Legal name

Sharper Granite LLC

Website

https://sharpergranite.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Independent fee-only fiduciary advisory firm founded in 2003 in El Segundo, California, offering evidence-based investment management, retirement planning, tax/estate guidance, and behavioral coaching to individuals, families, and business owners across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers) (FSAAACAE)

Keywords

• Fiduciary financial advisory
• Investment management services
• Retirement planning services
• Wealth management advisory
• Fee-only financial planning

Headquarters

HQ city

El Segundo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fee-Only Financial Advisory Services: The firm operates as a fiduciary, fee-only advisory firm. They do not sell products or take commissions. Revenue is generated through advisory fees for investment management, financial planning, and related services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sharper & Granite is a fee-only fiduciary registered investment adviser that provides personalized investment management, retirement planning, tax and estate planning, and behavioral coaching to individuals, families, and business owners. The firm applies Monte Carlo-based financial modeling and proprietary projection software to design and stress-test customized financial plans, including socially responsible investing portfolios. Advisory services are delivered on an ongoing, recurring basis with direct access to senior advisors.

Product overview

Sharper & Granite is an independent fiduciary financial advisory firm offering a unified suite of wealth management services built around evidence-based investment strategies. The core offerings include Investment Management (customized globally diversified portfolios), Financial Decision Modeling (Monte Carlo simulations and scenario analysis), Retirement Planning, Tax and Estate Planning Guidance, Socially Responsible Investing, Behavioral Coaching, and Education Funding Services. These services are designed to work together as an integrated financial planning approach, combining portfolio construction with planning tools and ongoing advisory support to help clients protect, grow, and preserve wealth across all life stages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Management

Quantifiable outcome

• Disciplined investing helps avoid emotional pitfalls that erode returns, according to the DALBAR QAIB Study (2023) which shows average equity investor significantly underperformed the market over 30 years due largely to behavioral missteps.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• Facet Wealth: Hybrid digital RIA combining human CFP-led advice with technology-enabled planning for mass-affluent clients. Comparable in fee-only planning focus but competes from a more scalable, tech-led model that pressures traditional small-team RIAs.
• Wealthfront: Leading robo-advisor offering automated, globally diversified, tax-efficient portfolios with financial planning tools. Competes with Sharper & Granite for the same mass-affluent segment but with a low-fee, fully digital model.
• Rebalance360: Fee-only RIA specializing in retirement income planning, evidence-based portfolios, and personalized advice for individuals approaching or in retirement. Direct overlap with Sharper & Granite's retirement planning core service.

Regional players

• Bailard: California-headquartered (Bay Area) independent RIA and wealth management firm offering evidence-based investing, retirement, and estate planning. Comparable in philosophy and U.S. West Coast client base, serving similar HNW individuals and families.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman Financial Engines: Large national RIA combining human advisors with proprietary technology for retirement planning, investment management, and tax-efficient strategies. Comparable service breadth but significantly larger scale and brand reach.
• Fisher Investments: Large incumbent RIA serving individuals, families, and institutions with portfolio management and retirement planning. Comparable offering space but significantly larger scale and broader marketing footprint than Sharper & Granite.
• Personal Capital (Empower Personal Dashboard): Hybrid RIA and digital wealth platform now part of Empower combining automated tools with human advisors. Overlaps with Sharper & Granite in retirement and investment management for mass-affluent and HNW clients, but with vastly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Buckingham Strategic Wealth: Large national fee-only RIA also built on academic evidence-based investing. Buckingham is a direct peer because it serves the same individual/family/HNW segments with a fiduciary, fee-only model and an emphasis on research-driven portfolio construction.
• Carson Wealth: Independent RIA platform providing comprehensive wealth planning, retirement, and tax/estate guidance to individuals and business owners. Comparable in offering breadth and fee-only fiduciary model.
• Ritholtz Wealth Management: Fee-only RIA serving individuals and families with evidence-based, low-cost globally diversified portfolios and behavioral coaching. Closely comparable to Sharper & Granite in philosophy, service mix, and target client.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Sharper & Granite