What Barber Financial does

Barber Financial Co., Inc. is a privately held, family-owned regional wealth advisory firm founded by Larry Barber in 1981 and headquartered in DuBois, Pennsylvania. The firm delivers comprehensive financial planning organized around five pillars — Tax Planning, Insurance, Investment, Retirement Planning, and Estate Planning — to individual consumers and business clients across the United States. The 8-person team includes three CFP®-credentialed professionals (Larry Barber as Chairman, Scott Barber as President, and Alex Micknis as CFP® since 2025), supported by licensed insurance and tax preparers, client relationship, and administrative staff. Engagements begin with needs-based planning and risk-tolerance assessment, leading to personalized investment strategies and integrated multi-pillar plans.

The firm's underlying technology is conventional for a small RIA: third-party financial planning software, a CRM, the FMG Suite content and website platform (including 35+ educational calculators, a video library, glossary, and tax resources), and the CIRstatements client portal for statements access. There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capabilities, and no digital self-service onboarding; all client engagement is delivered through licensed advisors. Securities are offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. (a FINRA/SIPC broker-dealer), and advisory services are provided through The AmeriFlex Group (a Registered Investment Adviser in which Cambridge holds a minority ownership interest).

Commercially, Barber Financial operates a fee-based and commission-based advisory model under multi-year contracts, with pricing customized per engagement and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is direct advisory sales to mass-affluent and middle-market households and small business owners, supplemented by content marketing, community referrals, and a minor partnership with Foradori Insurance for Medicare/health/auto/home coverage outside the firm's core life and annuity products. The firm is single-office, family-controlled, and pursues organic rather than acquisitive growth; founder Larry Barber entered semi-retirement in 2025, with Scott Barber leading day-to-day operations, making leadership succession the central strategic variable.

Name

Barber Financial

Legal name

Barber Financial Co., Inc.

Website

https://barberfinancialco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Portfolio Construction & Asset Allocation Advisory (FSAEAAAC), Insurance-Integrated Wealth Managers (RIA + Insurance Solutions) (FSAAACAI), Business Owner & Executive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAO)

Keywords

• Wealth advisory services
• Financial planning
• Retirement planning
• Estate planning
• Tax planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Du Bois

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory Services: Fee-based and/or commission-based financial planning and advisory services covering tax planning, insurance, investments, retirement planning, and estate planning. Services provided through affiliated Registered Investment Adviser (The AmeriFlex Group) and broker-dealer (Cambridge Investment Research).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Barber Financial provides personalized wealth advisory and comprehensive financial planning services built around five pillars: Tax Planning, Insurance, Investment Management, Retirement Planning, and Estate Planning. Licensed advisors engage clients through needs-based planning and risk tolerance assessments to create integrated financial strategies, while securities are executed through Cambridge Investment Research and advisory services are delivered under The AmeriFlex Group RIA. The firm serves both individual consumers and business clients across the United States.

Product overview

Barber Financial is a regional wealth advisory firm offering comprehensive financial planning services built around five core pillars: Tax Planning, Insurance, Investment Services, Retirement Planning, and Estate Planning. The firm provides personalized financial advice to consumer and business clients across the US. In addition to core advisory services, the firm offers digital tools including financial calculators (covering retirement, investment, insurance, estate, tax, and lifestyle scenarios), a financial glossary, and tax resources. The company was founded in 1981 and has grown from an accounting and tax practice into a full-service financial services company. Securities are offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., and advisory services are provided through The AmeriFlex Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tax Planning

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities offered through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a broker-dealer, member FINRA/SIPC. This partnership allows Barber Financial to offer securities products to clients through a registered broker-dealer.
• The AmeriFlex GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvisory services provided through The AmeriFlex Group, a Registered Investment Adviser. Cambridge Investment Research is a minority owner of The AmeriFlex Group. This affiliation enables Barber Financial to provide advisory services under an RIA framework.
• Foradori InsuranceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMedicare Supplements/Health, Auto, Home Insurance partner referenced in Useful Links section for additional insurance products beyond core life insurance and annuity offerings.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Edelman Financial Engines: Large national RIA offering integrated financial planning and investment advisory services across all five pillars (tax, insurance, investment, retirement, estate). Comparable service model and target clientele, but operating at vastly greater scale.
• Mercer Advisors: National RIA specializing in comprehensive financial planning for households and business owners, with active small-firm acquisition strategy. Directly comparable to Barber Financial's integrated planning offering and a likely buyer profile for succession transactions.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National RIA offering comprehensive financial planning across tax, investment, retirement, and estate services — a scaled-up version of Barber Financial's five-pillar model. Serves as both a comparable peer and a potential acquirer of succession-ready small RIAs.
• Creative Planning: One of the largest independent RIAs in the US, providing comprehensive wealth management, tax, and estate planning. Comparable business model (fiduciary RIA with integrated tax and investment services) but operating at vastly greater scale; a relevant benchmark and aggregator peer.
• Carson Group: Large hybrid wealth advisory and coaching platform serving independent advisors across the US. Operates a similar partnership-based model in which small advisory firms plug into Carson's technology, coaching, and back-office stack — directly comparable to how Barber Financial uses Cambridge and AmeriFlex, but at materially greater scale.
• Focus Financial Partners: Leading RIA partnership platform that acquires and supports high-quality independent wealth advisory firms including small five-pillar planning practices. Comparable as both an acquirer of succession-ready firms and a structural peer in the consolidator ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Large independent broker-dealer / RIA network supporting independent financial advisors with back-office infrastructure similar to what Cambridge provides to Barber Financial. Comparable as a peer platform serving many similar small five-pillar advisory firms.
• The AmeriFlex Group: Registered Investment Adviser under which Barber Financial delivers advisory services. Cambridge is a minority owner of AmeriFlex, and the two firms share compliance and operational infrastructure. Directly comparable as a small-to-mid RIA platform serving independent advisors.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC) through which Barber Financial offers securities. One of the largest independent broker-dealer networks in the US, supporting thousands of similar small-advisor practices with back-office infrastructure.
• Cetera Financial Group: Independent broker-dealer and RIA network supporting thousands of independent advisors with practice management, technology, and compliance support — the same role Cambridge plays for Barber Financial. Directly comparable infrastructure peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Barber Financial