CLF Asset Management

What CLF Asset Management does

CLF Asset Management, Inc. is a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor (SEC File 284060) headquartered at 999 Fourier Dr. #301, Madison, Wisconsin, providing investment management and comprehensive financial planning services to individuals, families, business owners, executives, and public employees in the Wisconsin regional market. The firm operates under a fiduciary standard with no commission-based compensation, generating revenue through asset management fees, flat fees, and hourly rates, with a complimentary non-binding discovery meeting serving as the entry point into a structured five-step engagement process.

The core product set comprises Investment Management (custom-built portfolios using low-cost mutual funds, ETFs, and stocks, with ongoing monitoring, re-balancing, tax-loss harvesting, and Roth conversion planning) and Financial Planning (cash flow, tax, college, risk management, and estate planning delivered holistically with periodic reviews). Supporting service lines include 401(k) plan management for employers, a discounted module-by-module Public Employees Planning offering for Wisconsin public sector workers and elected officials, long-term care insurance guidance through a Transamerica partnership, and tax/accounting services delivered through a separate legal entity (Capitol Lakes Financial, LLP dba CLF Tax & Accounting). The firm's go-to-market is direct advisory with content marketing via its blog and educational video content; client account access is delivered through an Orion Advisor Solutions-powered portal integrated with Charles Schwab and Equity Trust Company custodial relationships.

The business is privately held with no external investors or parent company, led by Managing Partner Simon M. Liegel alongside four CFP-designated financial advisors, and is actively hiring additional experienced Fee-Only planners. Underlying technology is entirely third-party: no proprietary platforms, patents, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed, and the firm's competitive positioning rests on its fiduciary fee-only model, certified planner bench, and long-term relationship approach rather than technological differentiation.

Name

CLF Asset Management

Legal name

CLF Asset Management, Inc.

Website

https://clfasset.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CLF Asset Management is a fee-only SEC-registered investment advisory firm in Madison, Wisconsin, providing investment management, financial planning, tax, and 401(k) services to individuals, families, business owners, and public employees in the Wisconsin region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Wealth Management (FSAEABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fee-Only Advisory (FSAEAAAL)

Keywords

• Fee-only financial planning
• Investment management services
• Retirement plan administration
• Wealth management advisory
• Tax and accounting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Investment Management Fees: Fee-only compensation model where the firm does not accept commissions from specific firms. Revenue is derived from asset management fees, flat fees, or hourly rates for investment management services. This model ensures unbiased advice as the firm researches all options without commission-based product recommendations.
2. Financial Planning Fees: Comprehensive financial planning services billed through fee-only model. Services include financial goals analysis, cash flow analysis, investment planning, tax planning, college planning, risk management, and estate planning.
3. 401(k) Plan Management: Employer-sponsored retirement plan management services for businesses, helping employees save for the future while providing employers with tax-deferred growth benefits.
4. Tax & Accounting Services: Separate legal entity (Capitol Lakes Financial, LLP dba CLF Tax & Accounting) provides tax preparation and accounting services including personal tax preparation, small business tax preparation, trust and estate tax preparation, tax loss harvesting, bookkeeping, payroll, forecasting, and financial reporting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

CLF Asset Management is a fee-only registered investment advisor that delivers custom-built investment portfolios and comprehensive financial planning to individuals, families, business owners, executives, and public employees. The firm also provides 401(k) plan management for employers, tax and accounting services through its CLF Tax & Accounting sub-brand, and long-term care insurance planning through a Transamerica partnership, all under a fiduciary, commission-free model.

Product overview

CLF Asset Management is a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company operates as a unified platform offering investment management services (custom-built portfolios, asset allocation, re-balancing, tax-efficient investing) and comprehensive financial planning services (cash flow, tax, estate, college, risk management). Supporting service lines include Tax & Accounting Services (provided via Capitol Lakes Financial, LLP), Long-Term Insurance Services, Public Employees Planning with discounted module-based offerings, and 401(k) Management for Employers. The firm emphasizes fiduciary standards, fee-only compensation (no commissions), and independent advice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Management Services Custom-built investment portfolios tailored to clients' specific financial needs, time horizon, risk tolerance, and tax situations. Includes ongoing portfolio monitoring with consideration of inflation, deflation, market valuations, and investment styles, plus rebalancing, capital preservation strategies, cost-efficient investing through low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, tax minimization via tax-loss harvesting and Roth conversions, and periodic portfolio reviews.
• Financial Planning Services Comprehensive financial planning covering financial goals analysis, cash flow analysis, investment planning, tax planning, college planning, risk management, and estate planning. Delivered through a holistic process with periodic reviews and adjustments, integrating interrelated financial decisions for short- and long-term goal achievement.
• Tax & Accounting Services Tax preparation and accounting services for individuals, families, business owners, and executives, including personal tax preparation, small business tax preparation, trust and estate tax preparation, tax loss harvesting, bookkeeping, payroll, forecasting, and financial reporting. Provided through the affiliated legal entity Capitol Lakes Financial, LLP doing business as CLF Tax & Accounting.
• Long-Term Care Insurance Services Long-term care insurance planning and education services, including guidance on policy options, coverage types (skilled, intermediate, custodial care), Wisconsin Long-Term Care Insurance Partnership Program information, and client connection to Transamerica Long-Term Care Insurance products.
• Public Employees Planning Fee-only financial planning services tailored for public employees and elected officials, offered at a discounted rate on a module-by-module basis. Covers financial independence, investment allocation analysis, retirement income projection, pension projection, Social Security projection, long-term care analysis, and healthcare cost planning for retirement.
• 401(k) Management for Employers Employer-sponsored retirement plan services including 401(k) plan setup, management, and administration guidance for businesses seeking to offer retirement benefits. Provides employees with tax-deferred growth on earnings, current tax savings on individual contributions, and comprehensive retirement plan design and ongoing administration.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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 supporting.

• TransamericasupportingOthersTransamerica Long-Term Care Insurance is offered as a coverage option for clients. The partnership provides long-term care insurance policies through Transamerica Life Insurance Company, which has over 25 years of experience specifically focused on long-term care insurance and over a century of protecting families.
• Equity Trust CompanysupportingTechnology or IntegrationEquity Trust Company provides custodial/account services for client accounts. Clients access Equity Trust through the CLF Asset Management client login portal.
• Charles SchwabsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCharles Schwab provides custodial/account services for client accounts. Clients access their Charles Schwab accounts through the CLF Asset Management client login portal.
• Orion Advisor SolutionssupportingTechnology or IntegrationOrion Advisor Solutions provides the technology platform for client account access. Clients access their accounts through Orion's advisor portal linked from CLF Asset Management's website.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Edelman Financial Engines: One of the largest independent RIAs in the U.S., offering investment management, financial planning, and 401(k) plan services nationally. Comparable product set but vastly larger scale and broader geographic footprint than CLF.
• Fisher Investments: Large independent investment management firm serving individuals, families, and institutional clients. Overlaps with CLF on discretionary investment management for individuals but with proprietary institutional-scale investment processes rather than CLF's fund/ETF-based portfolios.
• Edward Jones: Large broker-dealer/advisor firm with deep presence in Wisconsin and the broader Midwest serving individuals, families, and small-business retirement plans. Overlaps CLF's client segments but uses a primarily commission-based advisor model rather than CLF's fee-only fiduciary approach.
• Cetera Advisor Networks: Large IBD supporting independent financial professionals with investment, planning, retirement-plan, and tax-adjacent offerings. Comparable in supporting independent advisors serving individuals, families, and employer plans, though with a broker-dealer model rather than CLF's pure fee-only RIA structure.

Emerging players

• Betterment: Leading robo-advisor offering automated portfolio management and limited financial planning at low fees. Competes with CLF on the low-cost investment-management layer, especially for younger or lower-AUM clients, but lacks CLF's in-person comprehensive planning and tax services.
• Facet Wealth: Tech-enabled fee-only RIA delivering financial planning and investment management virtually to clients nationwide. Comparable fiduciary fee-only positioning to CLF but with a remote, scalable delivery model that bypasses CLF's regional office footprint.

Direct peers

• Wipfli Financial Advisors: Wisconsin-based fee-only advisory firm affiliated with accounting firm Wipfli, offering investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan services to individuals and businesses — overlapping CLF's full service stack including the tax/accounting adjacency.
• Moneta Group: Fee-only RIA serving high-net-worth individuals, families, and corporate retirement plans across multiple U.S. offices. Comparable service stack including 401(k) plan management and comprehensive planning, with broader geographic reach than CLF.
• Capstone Financial Advisors: A fee-only RIA in Madison, WI providing investment management and financial planning. Most directly comparable as a same-geography, same-model competitor targeting individuals, families, and small-business retirement plans.
• Steward Partners: Multi-office fee-based RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and corporate 401(k) services. Comparable to CLF in service mix and target segments (individuals, families, employers), though operating at larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/clfasset
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clf-asset

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 CLF Asset Management