Transitions Financial Strategies

What Transitions Financial Strategies does

Transitions Financial Strategies, doing business as Confidence Financial Group, is a privately held financial advisory practice headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 2014, the firm is a small, single-agent practice (1-10 employees) led by Thomas Schaffer, who is licensed to sell insurance through New York Life Insurance Company, holds Registered Representative status with NYLIFE Securities LLC (Member FINRA/SIPC), and serves as a Financial Adviser with Eagle Strategies LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser. The firm's product suite spans financial planning, accumulation planning, investment strategies, distribution planning, child gifting/college saving, protection planning, estate planning, and employee benefits, augmented by specialized modules targeting high-net-worth clients (Advanced Planning Group), business owners (Business Solutions), and professional advisors (attorneys, accountants) for referral partnerships.

The underlying technology is not proprietary; the firm delivers services through New York Life's platform infrastructure, including NYL Online Account, NYLIFE Securities investor portal, and NYL Investments (formerly Mainstay Funds). No AI, automation, or differentiated technology assets are disclosed. Marketing is conducted through a content-driven website (confidencefg.com), a resource library of articles, videos, calculators, and tax resources, and a referral channel built around professional advisors. The firm's go-to-market is direct field sales via face-to-face consultations conducted by licensed agents, supported by educational content and professional networks.

The revenue model is built on three streams: insurance commissions on policies sold through New York Life, securities commissions and advisory fees on investment products offered through NYLIFE Securities LLC, and fee-based financial advisory services delivered through Eagle Strategies LLC. The firm serves two primary segments: individual investors and high-net-worth clients (primary) and business owners and professionals (secondary). The firm operates within the New York Life distribution network under contractual affiliations rather than corporate ownership, with the legal entity (CONFIDENCE FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC) explicitly independent of NYLIFE Securities LLC and its affiliates. Insurance services are licensed across 14 states and securities/advisory services across 7 states.

Name

Transitions Financial Strategies

Legal name

CONFIDENCE FINANCIAL GROUP, LLC

Website

https://transitionsfs.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Transitions Financial Strategies (dba Confidence Financial Group) is a Raleigh-based, single-agent financial advisory practice offering financial planning, insurance, securities, and retirement services to individual investors, high-net-worth clients, and business owners through its affiliation with New York Life Insurance Company.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Insurance Agencies and Brokerages (52421), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Investment Advice (6282), Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Financial Planning (FSAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Retirement & Pension Planning (401(k)/IRA) (FSAEAAAD), Retirement Plan Participant Advice & Managed Accounts (FSAEABAF)

Keywords

• Financial planning services
• Life insurance products
• Investment advisory services
• Retirement planning solutions
• Estate planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

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. Insurance Products: Thomas Schaffer is an insurance agent licensed to sell insurance products through New York Life Insurance Company. Revenue is generated through insurance premiums and commissions on policies sold.
2. Securities Products & Services: As a Registered Representative of NYLIFE Securities LLC, the firm offers securities products and services, generating revenue through commissions on investment products and advisory fees.
3. Financial Advisory Services: As a Financial Adviser with Eagle Strategies LLC (a Registered Investment Adviser), the firm provides fee-based financial advisory services to clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Transitions Financial Strategies (operating through Confidence Financial Group, LLC) provides personalized financial planning and advisory services to individuals and business owners. Core offerings include life insurance, long-term care insurance, group health insurance, retirement planning, estate planning, investment advisory, and employee benefits, delivered through contractual affiliations with New York Life Insurance Company, NYLIFE Securities LLC, and Eagle Strategies LLC.

Product overview

Confidence Financial Group offers a comprehensive suite of financial planning services delivered through a unified advisory practice model. The core offerings include Financial Planning, Accumulation Planning, Investment Strategies, Distribution Planning, Child Gifting/College Saving, Protection Planning, Estate Planning, and Employee Benefits. These services are enhanced by specialized modules including Business Solutions for business owner planning, Advanced Planning Group for complex high-net-worth situations, and Professional Advisors Services for collaborative advisor relationships. All services are built on a customized, collaborative approach rather than a one-size-fits-all methodology, with the firm operating as an agent of New York Life Insurance Company and offering securities through NYLIFE Securities LLC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Life Insurance

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.

• New York Life Insurance CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConfidence Financial Group operates as an agency force for New York Life Insurance Company. Thomas Schaffer is a licensed insurance agent authorized to sell products through New York Life. The firm is also associated with NYLIFE Securities LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of New York Life. This partnership provides access to New York Life's full suite of insurance and investment products, financial strength, and institutional resources.
• NYLIFE Securities LLCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNYLIFE Securities LLC is a registered broker-dealer and wholly-owned subsidiary of New York Life. Thomas Schaffer is a Registered Representative offering securities products and services through NYLIFE Securities. The firm provides investment products, advisory services, and access to wealth management platforms including the NYL Investments (formerly Mainstay Funds) platform.
• Eagle Strategies LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEagle Strategies LLC is a Registered Investment Adviser and wholly-owned subsidiary of New York Life Insurance Company. Thomas Schaffer is a Financial Adviser with Eagle Strategies, providing fee-based advisory services. Eagle Strategies offers investment management and financial planning services, expanding the firm's capabilities beyond commission-based insurance and securities products.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• MassMutual: Mutual life insurer with a captive financial advisor network providing insurance, retirement, and wealth management. Comparable as a competing carrier-affiliated advisory practice model with similar products, licensing structure, and HNW focus.
• Cetera Financial Group: Independent broker-dealer and RIA supporting a network of financial advisors with wealth management and insurance solutions. Comparable as the type of independent advisor-support platform that competing practices use to deliver the same mix of services.
• Edward Jones: National financial-services firm operating a large branch-based advisor network providing investment, retirement, and insurance planning. Comparable as a scaled version of the carrier-affiliated personal-advisor model the practice operates.
• Eagle Strategies LLC: A wholly-owned New York Life subsidiary and Registered Investment Adviser providing fee-based advisory services. Directly comparable as the RIA platform the practice uses to deliver managed-account and financial-advisory services to clients.
• Ameriprise Financial: Diversified financial services company with a large independent advisor franchise offering financial planning, investments, and insurance. Comparable as an established advisor-network model targeting HNW households with comprehensive planning.
• NYLIFE Securities LLC: A FINRA-member broker-dealer and wholly-owned NYL subsidiary through which the practice offers securities products. Comparable as the regulated broker-dealer infrastructure underlying the firm's securities revenue stream.
• New York Life Insurance Company: The parent-affiliated mutual insurer whose distribution network the practice operates within. Comparable as the carrier and platform provider behind the firm's insurance, securities, and advisory offerings; not a direct competitor but the incumbent whose product set and brand anchor the practice.
• Northwestern Mutual: Large mutual insurer operating a captive-agent financial-planning network offering life insurance, investment, and retirement planning. Comparable as a similarly structured carrier-affiliated practice model targeting HNW individuals and business owners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/transition-financial-strategies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Transitions Financial Strategies