Hightower Signature Wealth

What Hightower Signature Wealth does

Hightower Signature Wealth (HTSW) is the W-2 employment-model wealth management division of Hightower Advisors, LLC, a Chicago-based, SEC-registered investment adviser. HTSW delivers comprehensive wealth management services — financial planning, investment management, insurance and risk management, banking services, and wealth management essentials — to high-net-worth individuals and families across five marketed segments: Families, Women, Business Owners, Professionals, and Retirees. The firm is relationship-led and team-based, with each client served by multiple advisors in defined roles, and it coordinates multi-generational planning, tax-efficient strategies, estate planning, and retirement income planning as a bundled offering rather than as discrete products. There is no proprietary technology platform; HTSW operates on standard RIA infrastructure, integrating third-party wealth portals (eMoney, Tamarac, MyWealthPortal) and brokerage custodians (Charles Schwab, Fidelity) for client reporting, planning, and custody.

The business model is the standard registered investment advisor AUM-fee structure, charging percentage-based fees on client assets under recurring subscription-style arrangements; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is direct-to-client through a W-2 advisor network rather than through independent contractors. Following a 2024 formalization of the division and a series of acquisitions — including Frontier (2019), Fairport Wealth (2018), Journey Strategic Wealth (March 2026, ~$5B AUM), Lexington Wealth Management (April 2026, ~$3.2B AUM), and a July 2026 "hat trick" of Private Vista, Hightower Great Lakes, and The McGuirk & De Nevi Group (collectively ~$5B AUM, 6 locations, 40+ new team members) — HTSW manages approximately $35 billion in AUM across more than 40 US locations with 140+ advisors, against a stated growth target of $50 billion in AUM. The Hightower parent platform manages approximately $352 billion nationally, providing brand, technology, and back-office leverage, while CEO Larry Restieri has publicly described the W-2 model as "largely the future of Hightower."

Name

Hightower Signature Wealth

Legal name

Hightower Advisors, LLC

Website

https://hightowersignature.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hightower Signature Wealth is the W-2 advisor division of Hightower Advisors, providing financial planning, investment management, and wealth management services to high-net-worth families, women, business owners, professionals, and retirees, managing approximately $35 billion in AUM across 40+ US locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management

NAICS

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

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Client/High-Net-Worth Advisory (FSAEAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Estate Planning, Trust Structuring & Governance (FSAAADAF), Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

Keywords

• Wealth management services
• Financial planning advisory
• Investment management
• Estate and tax planning
• Insurance risk management

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices31 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wealth Management and Advisory Fees: The firm generates revenue through assets under management (AUM) fees, charging percentage-based fees on client assets managed. This is the standard revenue model for registered investment advisors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hightower Signature Wealth is a wealth management advisory platform that provides personalized financial planning, investment management, insurance and risk management, banking services, and wealth management essentials to high-net-worth individuals and families. Services are delivered by W-2 employee advisors across 40+ US office locations and are tailored to five client segments: families, women, business owners, professionals, and retirees. The firm charges AUM-based advisory fees and supports clients through team-based advice covering retirement, estate, tax, and multi-generational wealth strategies.

Product overview

Hightower Signature Wealth (HTSW) is a Chicago-based registered investment advisor operating as a unified wealth management platform under the Hightower Advisors umbrella. The platform delivers a coordinated suite of financial services anchored by Financial Planning and Investment Management, supplemented by Insurance & Risk Management, Banking Services, and Wealth Management Essentials. These services are organized around five distinct client segments: Families, Women, Business Owners, Professionals, and Retirees. The firm also publishes Stephanie Link's Weekly Wisdom, a market commentary newsletter. HTSW operates as a W-2 employment-based advisory model and has pursued rapid growth through acquisitions, having completed multiple transactions including Journey Strategic Wealth ($5B AUM), Lexington Wealth Management ($3.2B AUM), and three additional practices (Private Vista, Hightower Great Lakes, The McGuirk & De Nevi Group, collectively ~$5B AUM), growing to approximately $35 billion in AUM across more than 40 locations nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Planning
• Investment Management
• Insurance & Risk Management
• Banking Services
• Wealth Management Essentials
• Services for Families
• Services for Women
• Services for Business Owners
• Services

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Private VistacoreOthers · 7 July 2026One of three advisory practices added to HTSW platform, adding approximately $5 billion in AUM combined with Hightower Great Lakes and The McGuik & De Nevi Group.
• Hightower Great LakescoreOthers · 7 July 2026One of three advisory practices added to HTSW platform, adding approximately $5 billion in AUM combined with Private Vista and The McGuik & De Nevi Group.
• The McGuik & De Nevi GroupcoreOthers · 7 July 2026One of three advisory practices added to HTSW platform, adding approximately $5 billion in AUM combined with Private Vista and Hightower Great Lakes.
• Lexington Wealth ManagementcoreOthers · 7 April 2026Lexington Wealth Management, a $3.2 billion ensemble based in Massachusetts, joined Hightower Signature Wealth. The acquisition expanded HTSW's AUM to over $29 billion across more than 25 locations.
• Journey Strategic WealthcoreOthers · 4 March 2026Journey Strategic Wealth, a $5 billion registered investment advisor, was acquired as HTSW's first external acquisition, part of its push toward the W-2 model.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Carson Group: RIA platform supporting financial advisors with a W-2-friendly model, coaching, and back-office infrastructure. Comparable to HTSW in advisor-support approach and HNW client orientation.
• Corient: UHNW-focused national wealth manager built via acquisition of multiple boutique RIAs. Highly comparable on acquisition strategy, ultra-HNW target market, and multi-family-office style service set.
• Focus Financial Partners: Pioneer RIA aggregator (now taken private by Clayton, Dubilier & Rice) partnering with hundreds of advisory firms. Direct comparable on the partnership/roll-up model and HNW client focus, though structurally a partnership rather than a W-2 employer.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: Large national RIA serving HNW and UHNW clients with a team-based advisory model and a W-2/ensemble structure. Most directly comparable to HTSW on size, model, and acquisition-led growth strategy.
• Creative Planning: One of the largest independent RIAs in the U.S. with a multi-billion-dollar AUM base and a similar suite of wealth, tax, and estate services for HNW clients. Comparable on service breadth and target segment.
• Wealth Enhancement Group: PE-backed RIA aggregator that has scaled to $80B+ AUM through a roll-up of advisory practices. Closely comparable on acquisition cadence, target client (HNW), and ensemble/team-based delivery.
• Sanctuary Wealth: Independent RIA platform partnering with high-performing advisors and wealth teams. Comparable on the platform-for-advisors model and HNW/UHNW client focus.

Emerging players

• Empower (Personal Capital): Hybrid digital wealth manager with a strong HNW dashboard, retirement, and advisory offering. Comparable on investment-management services; differentiated by a tech-led, lower-fee go-to-market.
• Facet Wealth: Digital-first RIA providing flat-fee financial planning and investment management to HNW clients nationwide. Comparable on the HNW target segment; differentiated by a fee structure that competes directly with HTSW's AUM-based model.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman Financial Engines: Largest independent RIA in the U.S. offering planning, investment, and retirement advice to mass-affluent and HNW households. Comparable on full-service wealth offering; broader in client base than HTSW.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hightower-signature-wealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A7 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hightower Signature Wealth