Members 1st Investment Services

What Members 1st Investment Services does

Members 1st Investment Services & Wealth Management is a financial advisory practice that operates as a branded wealth management group affiliated with Members 1st Federal Credit Union and hosted on the LPL Financial LLC platform. The firm serves retail individual investors across Central Pennsylvania from offices in Mechanicsburg, Enola, Boiling Springs, and Lehigh Valley, with active coverage extending into Cumberland, Lancaster, Berks, and Dauphin counties. Its core offerings span financial planning, retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning, insurance planning, and discretionary investment management, delivered through a team of approximately 20 advisors under long-tenured leadership (Andy Steele has been with the practice since 1996).

The business model is a fee-based advisory practice that monetizes via asset-under-management fees on advised portfolios and product commissions/spread made available through the LPL shelf, with revenue directly tied to the credit union's member cross-sell effectiveness and the regional wealth accumulation of its member base. Customer acquisition is largely driven by warm referrals and trust signals from the parent credit union rather than paid marketing, which lowers client acquisition cost but ties growth to the credit union's own footprint expansion and member engagement. In parallel, the practice has extended its product surface downward through LPL's Guided Wealth Portfolios digital solution, which accepts a $5,000 minimum and targets younger and lower-balance credit-union members who would not typically meet the threshold for full advised relationships.

There is no evidence of proprietary technology, AI/ML, or unique intellectual property developed in-house; all platform, custody, compliance, and digital tooling is sourced from LPL Financial. Strategic differentiation therefore rests on the credit-union distribution channel, local brand trust, and advisor relationships, not on technology leadership.

Name

Members 1st Investment Services

Legal name

Members 1st Investment Services & Wealth Management

Website

https://members1stinvestments.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Members 1st Investment Services & Wealth Management is a Central Pennsylvania financial advisory practice affiliated with Members 1st Federal Credit Union, operating on the LPL Financial platform to deliver financial planning, retirement, tax, estate, and investment management services to retail members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523), Other Insurance Funds (52519)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Banking & UHNW Wealth Advisory (FSAEABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affluent / Mass-Affluent Private Banking (FSABADAC), Private Banking Business Owners & Entrepreneur Solutions (Liquidity Events, Pre-IPO) (FSABADAK)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Financial planning advisory
• Retirement planning
• Investment management advisory
• Estate planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Enola

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. Securities and Advisory Services: Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Registered representatives of LPL offer products and services using Members 1st Investment Services branding, generating revenue through advisory fees and commissions on investment products.
2. Insurance Products: Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates, generating commission revenue from life insurance, long-term care insurance, and related risk management products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Members 1st Investment Services delivers personalized wealth management and financial advisory services to individuals, families, and small businesses in Central Pennsylvania through registered representatives of LPL Financial. Core offerings include financial planning, retirement planning, investment management (advisory and brokerage accounts, 529 college savings, fixed annuities), tax planning, estate planning, insurance planning, and the Guided Wealth Portfolios (GWP) digital investment platform that combines algorithmic model portfolios with advisor guidance.

Product overview

Members 1st Investment Services & Wealth Management is a financial advisory firm offering an integrated suite of wealth management services through their partnership with LPL Financial LLC. Their core offerings include Financial Planning, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning, Investment Management, Insurance Planning, and Estate Planning. Their flagship digital offering is Guided Wealth Portfolios (GWP), a technology-driven investment platform that combines algorithmic portfolio management with personalized advisor guidance, requiring a $5,000 minimum initial investment. Investment Management services encompass advisory accounts, brokerage services (mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds, structured products, UITs, CDs), 529 college savings plans, and fixed annuities. The firm operates as a referral-based wealth management arm of Members 1st Federal Credit Union, serving clients in Central Pennsylvania communities including Mechanicsburg, Enola, and Boiling Springs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Guided Wealth Portfolios (GWP): A digital investment platform that combines intuitive technology with personalized guidance from a dedicated financial advisor, requiring a $5,000 initial investment.

Products and services

• Financial Planning Comprehensive financial planning service that helps clients see their finances holistically, create integrated strategies, identify long-term goals, and track progress.
• Retirement Planning Retirement planning service helping clients build roadmaps, choose appropriate accounts (401(k), IRA, Roth IRA), and create savings and investment plans for retirement.
• Tax Planning Proactive tax planning strategy that aligns the tax approach with investments, retirement plans, and long-term financial vision to legally minimize tax burden.
• Guided Wealth Portfolios (GWP) Digital Investment Platform Digital investment platform combining intuitive technology with personalized guidance from a dedicated financial advisor. Generates investment recommendations based on model portfolios constructed by LPL Financial. Requires a $5,000 initial investment.
• Investment Management Personalized investment management including advisory accounts, brokerage services (mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds, structured products, UITs, CDs), 529 college savings plans, and fixed annuities.
• Insurance Planning Insurance and risk management services including life insurance (term and permanent) and long-term care insurance to protect families and assets.
• Estate Planning Estate planning services that protect family and values, ensuring assets are distributed as wished, appointing guardians, minimizing taxes, and avoiding probate.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LPL Financial LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationSecurities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor and broker-dealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Members 1st Investment Services operates as a branded practice under LPL, with registered representatives offering products and services using the Members 1st Investment Services name. LPL is described as the No. 1 Independent Broker-Dealer in the U.S., supporting more than 29,000 financial advisors, 1,100 institution-based investment programs, and 570 independent RIA firms. The partnership also includes technology platforms such as Guided Wealth Portfolios (GWP) for digital investment management.

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Commonwealth is an independent broker-dealer/RIA supporting advisor practices with a hybrid wealth management service offering. Comparable to M1IS in business model (advisor-led practice under broker-dealer platform), service mix (financial planning, retirement, investment management), and advisor-supported delivery.
• Cetera Financial Group: Cetera operates an institution-based wealth management program model similar to LPL's, hosting advisor practices affiliated with banks and credit unions. Direct comparable in product breadth, advisor recruiting model, and hybrid digital-plus-advisor service architecture.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Edelman Financial Engines is a hybrid digital-plus-advisor RIA combining automated portfolio management with personalized advisor service — the closest direct analog to Members 1st's Guided Wealth Portfolios hybrid offering in target client, fee structure, and delivery model.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Cambridge is a large independent broker-dealer supporting thousands of financial advisors with hybrid advisory and brokerage platforms. Comparable to M1IS's LPL-hosted practice structure — independent advisors using a third-party broker-dealer/RIA platform for execution, custody, and compliance.
• CUSO Financial Services, L.P. CUSO Financial Services is a credit-union-owned CUSO that provides investment and insurance programs to credit unions, structurally mirroring Members 1st Investment Services' credit-union-affiliated wealth management delivery model. Same distribution channel (credit union referrals), same advisor-led model, same compliance footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Charles Schwab Wealth Advisory: Schwab provides wealth advisory and Schwab Intelligent Portfolios (hybrid robo-advisor) competing across the mass-affluent segment M1IS targets, plus Schwab Advisor Services for advisors. Broad incumbent with overlapping client base and digital platform comparable to GWP.
• LPL Financial: LPL Financial is the registered broker-dealer and RIA platform that hosts Members 1st Investment Services as a branded institution-based program. Directly comparable as the underlying platform of record providing execution, custody, model portfolios, and the Guided Wealth Portfolios digital infrastructure for M1IS.
• Northwestern Mutual: Northwestern Mutual is a traditional insurance-and-wealth advisory firm with a captive advisor model delivering financial planning, retirement, and estate services — overlapping with M1IS's planning-led, advisor-driven model and use of insurance products within wealth plans.
• Fidelity Wealth Management: Fidelity offers a broad wealth management suite including Fidelity Wealth Services and Fidelity Go, competing for the same Central Pennsylvania mass-affluent and high-net-worth households with integrated planning, investment management, and digital tools at national scale.
• Vanguard Personal Advisor Services: Vanguard Personal Advisor Services is a direct competitor to the Guided Wealth Portfolios digital-advisor hybrid offering, combining algorithmic portfolio management with dedicated advisor support at low fees. Same target segment (mass-affluent), same hybrid delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/1stMembers
• Facebookfacebook.com/Members1stInvestmentServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/members-1st-investment-services

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Members 1st Investment Services