Smart Investor
Edelman Financial Engines is a U.S. fiduciary wealth management firm serving 1.24 million individual clients and employer workplace plans across 146 locations, offering integrated financial planning, investment management, retirement, tax, insurance, and estate services on $326 billion in client assets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersRoseville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Smart Investor does
Edelman Financial Engines, LLC is a privately held U.S. wealth management and registered investment advisory firm that delivers holistic financial planning and investment management services to individual consumers and to employer-sponsored workplace retirement plans. Formed by the November 2018 combination of Edelman Financial Services, LLC with Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C. (a federally registered investment advisor), the firm operates from 146 locations across the United States as of December 31, 2025, supplemented by virtual planning meetings and a client mobile application, and serves 1.24 million clients with $326 billion in assets under management.
The firm's offering is structured around six integrated core services — financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, tax planning, insurance guidance, and estate planning — delivered under a fiduciary standard of care, alongside a separate Employer Services channel that provides managed-account solutions for defined contribution retirement plans. The technological foundation for investment management is a proprietary 'Innovative Optimization Engine' that performs advanced securities modeling and data-driven portfolio construction; human planners then overlay personalized advice, ongoing reviews, tax-loss harvesting, charitable giving guidance, and estate tax mitigation strategies.
The business model is recurring advisory revenue, likely assessed on a percentage of assets under management or via flat planning fees typical of registered investment advisors, with a free initial financial planning session used as a top-of-funnel conversion mechanism. Distribution is omnichannel — direct advisor offices, virtual meetings, employer-sponsored plans, an educational content hub, organic social, and the Money on Your Mind podcast — and the firm has held Barron's Top Independent Financial Advisory Firm recognition for eight consecutive years (2018–2025) and was ranked by Cerulli Associates as the largest managed account provider for workplace retirement plans by DC assets and market share as of December 31, 2025.
Smart Investor firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smart Investor
- Legal name
- Edelman Financial Engines, LLC
- Website
- https://smart-investor.cc
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Edelman Financial Engines is a U.S. fiduciary wealth management firm serving 1.24 million individual clients and employer workplace plans across 146 locations, offering integrated financial planning, investment management, retirement, tax, insurance, and estate services on $326 billion in client assets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Smart Investor industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wealth Management Services
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA), Model Portfolio & Portfolio Construction Engines (FSAGAEAD)
Keywords
Where Smart Investor is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Roseville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Smart Investor business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Advisory and Wealth Management Services: The firm generates revenue through advisory fees for financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, tax planning, insurance guidance, and estate planning services. Operating as a federally registered investment advisor (Financial Engines Advisors L.L.C.), fees are likely assessed as a percentage of assets under management or flat-rate planning fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free initial financial planning session |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Smart Investor product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Edelman Financial Engines (operating under the Smart Investor redirect) delivers holistic financial planning and investment management services through fiduciary advisors located across 146+ U.S. offices and virtual meeting channels. The integrated offering combines financial planning, retirement planning, investment management, tax planning, insurance guidance, and estate planning under a single advisory relationship, supported by a proprietary Innovative Optimization Engine for portfolio construction. Services are also delivered to employers as managed account offerings within defined contribution workplace retirement plans.
Product overview
Smart Investor (operated by Edelman Financial Engines) is a comprehensive wealth management platform offering an integrated suite of six core financial services: Financial Planning, Investment Management, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Insurance Guidance, and Estate Planning. The platform is accessible through a client portal and mobile app. Services are designed for both individual wealth clients and employer-sponsored retirement plan participants, with the Innovative Optimization Engine serving as the technological foundation for investment management. The offering provides both advisory services through federally registered investment advisors and educational guidance content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Financial Planning
- Investment Management
- Retirement Planning
- Tax Planning
- Insurance Guidance
- Estate Planning
- Employer Services
- Client Mobile App
Quantifiable outcome
- 94% client satisfaction rating
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Smart Investor
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Smart Investor technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Smart Investor partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Smart Investor competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Betterment: Betterment is a leading robo-advisor and hybrid digital wealth platform serving mass-affluent clients with goal-based planning and portfolio management. Competes with EFE for the same mass-affluent segment via a structurally cheaper, technology-led model.
- Wealthfront: Wealthfront is a digital-first automated investing and financial planning platform targeting younger mass-affluent clients with low fees and AI-driven planning. A relevant emerging competitor to EFE's mass-affluent acquisition funnel.
Direct peers
- Empower Retirement (Personal Capital): Empower, formed from the merger of Empower Retirement and Personal Capital, is one of the largest U.S. DC recordkeepers and managed-account providers and also serves retail wealth clients via Personal Capital's digital-first hybrid advisory model. A direct competitor to EFE across both the workplace and mass-affluent retail channels.
- Northwestern Mutual: Northwestern Mutual is a hybrid financial advisor with a large network of financial representatives offering integrated financial planning, investments, insurance, and retirement services. Comparable to EFE in combining human-led advice with insurance and tax planning across the full wealth lifecycle.
- Fisher Investments: Fisher Investments is a large independent RIA managing discretionary portfolios primarily for high-net-worth clients. It competes directly with EFE in the independent RIA segment with a similar fee-based, advisory-led value proposition.
Broad incumbents
- Charles Schwab (Schwab Wealth Advisory): Schwab is a leading U.S. retail wealth and workplace retirement provider, operating both self-directed platforms and fee-based advisory services (Schwab Wealth Advisory, Schwab Personalized Portfolios). Comparable to EFE in combining scale RIA services with workplace DC capabilities.
- Merrill Lynch Wealth Management: Merrill is a top-three U.S. wirehouse wealth manager with integrated financial planning, investment management, and workplace retirement services. Closely mirrors EFE's holistic, advisor-led, planning-centric model for mass-affluent and HNW households.
- Fidelity Investments (Fidelity Wealth Management): Fidelity is one of the largest U.S. asset managers and recordkeepers, offering both self-directed and advisor-led wealth management alongside a major workplace DC plan business. Like EFE, it combines proprietary investment products with fiduciary advisory services at scale, making it a direct comparator across both retail and workplace channels.
- Morgan Stanley Wealth Management: Morgan Stanley operates one of the largest U.S. financial advisor networks serving high-net-worth and mass-affluent clients with holistic planning and investment management. Comparable to EFE in scale, advisor-led delivery, and integrated financial planning offerings.
- Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Vanguard offers low-cost hybrid advisory services combining digital portfolio management with human advisor access, alongside a major workplace DC franchise. A direct competitor in the fee-based RIA space, with structurally lower cost basis that pressures EFE's pricing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Smart Investor social profiles
Digital presenceSmart Investor financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smart Investor leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Smart Investor funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smart Investor M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Smart Investor
What does Smart Investor do?
Edelman Financial Engines (operating under the Smart Investor redirect) delivers holistic financial planning and investment management services through fiduciary advisors located across 146+ U.S. offices and virtual meeting channels. The integrated offering combines financial planning, retirement planning, investment management, tax planning, insurance guidance, and estate planning under a single advisory relationship, supported by a proprietary Innovative Optimization Engine for portfolio construction. Services are also delivered to employers as managed account offerings within defined contribution workplace retirement plans.
Is Smart Investor a public or private company?
Smart Investor is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Smart Investor founded?
Smart Investor was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Smart Investor based?
Smart Investor is headquartered in Roseville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Smart Investor make money?
One revenue line is on record: advisory and Wealth Management Services.
Who are Smart Investor's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Betterment and Wealthfront. Direct peers are Empower Retirement (Personal Capital), Northwestern Mutual and Fisher Investments. Broad incumbents are Charles Schwab (Schwab Wealth Advisory), Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Fidelity Investments (Fidelity Wealth Management), Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and Vanguard Personal Advisor Services.
Does Smart Investor have an API?
No public API is recorded for Smart Investor.
What industry is Smart Investor in?
Smart Investor's product category is Wealth Management Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAACAB, Financial Planning–Led RIAs, with a secondary code of FSAEAAAA, Comprehensive Financial Planning. Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.