Western Financial

What Western Financial does

Western Financial, Inc. is a privately held financial advisory firm headquartered in Roseburg, Oregon, founded and owned by Sam Lee (Samuel W. Lee, III). The firm provides personalized investment, financial planning, and insurance services to individual clients and families, with emphasis on retirement, estate, tax, and college planning. Sam Lee obtained his securities registration in 2007 and serves as the sole financial advisor, supported by a small team of 2-5 personnel.

The firm's service offerings span three core categories: Investments (bonds, common stock, IRAs, brokerage accounts, Treasury securities, and variable annuities); Financial Planning (retirement, tax, 401(k)/403(b), college, estate, money purchase, and profit-sharing plans); and Insurance (disability income, life, and long-term-care). Western Financial does not use proprietary technology; it operates as a traditional advisory practice leveraging industry-standard planning tools and calculators, with website content and marketing materials delivered through FMG Suite. The firm holds multiple core Cetera affiliations: securities are offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC (a FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer), advisory services through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, and market research through Cetera Investment Management.

Western Financial generates revenue through three primary streams: transaction-based brokerage commissions via Cetera Wealth Services, fee-based investment advisory compensation tied to assets under management via Cetera Investment Advisers, and insurance commissions. The go-to-market motion is entirely relationship-led and sales-driven through direct advisory engagements, with content marketing via the firm's resource center serving as the top-of-funnel demand generation mechanism. The firm is geographically restricted to U.S. residents and operates from a single office location, serving a horizontal segment of individuals and families seeking comprehensive retirement and wealth preservation planning.

Name

Western Financial

Legal name

Western Financial, Inc.

Website

https://westernfinancialinc.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Western Financial is a privately held, single-office financial advisory firm in Roseburg, Oregon, providing retirement, estate, investment, and insurance planning services to individual clients and families through a relationship-based advisory model affiliated with Cetera.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Financial Advisory

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Other Insurance Funds (52519)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Coaching & Budgeting Advisory (FSAEAAAH)

Keywords

• Financial advisory services
• Retirement planning
• Estate planning
• Investment management
• Insurance products

Headquarters

HQ city

Roseburg

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Brokerage Services: Securities offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, a FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer. Registered Representatives receive transaction-based compensation (commissions) on securities transactions.
2. Investment Advisory Services: Advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. Investment Adviser Representatives receive fees based on assets under management.
3. Insurance Products: Insurance products including disability income, life insurance, and long-term-care insurance offered through the firm.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Western Financial is a small, independent financial advisory firm that sells personalized investment, financial planning, and insurance services to individuals and families. Its core offerings span Investments (bonds, common stock, IRAs, brokerage accounts, Treasury securities, variable annuities), Financial Planning (retirement, tax, 401(k)/403(b), college, estate, money purchase, and profit-sharing plans), and Insurance (disability income, life, and long-term-care insurance), delivered through a relationship-based advisory model affiliated with Cetera Wealth Services and Cetera Investment Advisers.

Product overview

Western Financial is a financial advisory firm offering a unified suite of investment management, financial planning, and insurance services. The core offerings consist of Investments (bonds, stocks, IRAs, brokerage accounts, government securities, variable annuities), Financial Planning (retirement, tax, 401(k), 403(b), college, estate, and business retirement plans), and Insurance products (disability, life, and long-term-care). The firm focuses on personalized service combining investment strategies with principal preservation for retirement preparation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investments Investment services including bonds, common stock, IRAs (Traditional, Roth, SEP, Simple, Educational), brokerage accounts, Treasury bills, government securities, Treasury notes, and variable annuities, offered to individuals and families preparing for retirement or seeking investment management.
• Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning services covering retirement plans, tax plans, 401(k) and 403(b) planning, college plans, estate plans, money purchasing plans, and profit sharing plans, tailored to individual clients' needs and goals.
• Insurance Insurance products including disability income insurance, life insurance, and long-term-care insurance designed to protect families from the financial consequences of unexpected events.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Cetera Wealth Services, LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecurities are offered through Cetera Wealth Services, LLC, a FINRA/SIPC member broker-dealer. This partnership allows the firm to offer brokerage services and securities products to clients through registered representatives.
• Cetera Investment Advisers LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationInvestment advisory services are offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC, a registered investment adviser. This partnership enables the firm to provide fee-based investment advisory services with access to Cetera's investment research and platform.
• Cetera Investment ManagementsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides quarterly, midyear and annual market outlooks and macroeconomic analysis. The firm partners with Cetera Investment Management to access independent research and guidance for client portfolio strategies.
• FMG SuitesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerFMG Suite provides the website platform and content development for the firm's resource center, including articles, calculators, videos, and educational materials on financial topics.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• LPL Financial: Largest independent broker-dealer in the US, supporting a network of financial advisors with brokerage, advisory, and research infrastructure. Comparable operating model to a Cetera-affiliated practice, just at massively larger scale.
• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer and RIA supporting financial advisors serving individuals and small businesses. Comparable as a Cetera/LPL-style platform firm providing the back-office infrastructure that small advisory practices depend on.
• Cetera Advisor Networks: Larger affiliate network within the same Cetera ecosystem that Western Financial operates in. Provides similar broker-dealer and RIA infrastructure to thousands of independent advisors serving mass-affluent households.
• Waddell & Reed (Macquarie Asset Management): Retail-focused wealth management franchise historically anchored by a large network of financial advisors serving mass-affluent households with planning, investment, and insurance. Comparable in advisor-led mass-affluent distribution.
• Schwab Advisor Services: Custodian and platform provider serving independent RIAs and advisors. Comparable as the back-office ecosystem that small independent advisory firms rely on for custody, brokerage, and technology.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Large independent broker-dealer supporting thousands of financial advisors with planning, investment, and insurance solutions. Same platform-based operating model as Cetera, enabling individual advisors to operate independent practices.

Direct peers

• Ameriprise Financial: Diversified financial services firm whose core franchise is a network of independent financial advisors serving mass-affluent households with planning, investment, and insurance solutions. Directly comparable in target customer, product mix, and distribution model.
• Northwestern Mutual: Mutual company combining financial planning, investments, and insurance (life, disability, long-term care) through a network of career financial advisors. Closely comparable in product breadth, planning-led model, and insurance/wealth integration.
• Raymond James Financial Services: Diversified financial services firm with a large traditional independent-advisor channel serving individuals and families. Comparable in advisor-led wealth management, commission + AUM revenue mix, and reliance on branch-level relationships.
• Edward Jones: National mass-market financial advisory firm with thousands of branch offices in small and mid-sized US communities. Operates on the same relationship-based, single-advisor-per-office model serving individuals and families with retirement and investment planning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Western Financial