Boardwalk Financial Group LLC

What Boardwalk Financial Group LLC does

Boardwalk Financial Group LLC is a privately held, founder-owned wealth management and financial advisory firm headquartered at 3025 Boardwalk, Suite 165, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The firm operates as a Registered Representative and Investment Advisor through LPL Financial, the largest independent broker-dealer in the United States, which provides the open-architecture investment platform, research, compliance, and back-office infrastructure. Owner and Private Wealth Advisor Mark Foster leads the practice with over 30 years of industry experience and 20+ years in financial planning, supported by a team of approximately five including a registered administrative assistant, an LPL CFO Solutions analyst, an LPL Registered Principal for compliance, and a para planner.

The firm's product set spans four core service lines: Investment Management, Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, and Insurance Planning, delivered through personalized one-on-one advisory engagements. Underlying technology includes LPL's Account View 2.0 client portal, Riskalyze for risk tolerance assessment, eMoney for financial planning case design, and Morningstar Workstation for investment analysis. Investment vehicles offered include bonds, common stock, multiple IRA variants, brokerage accounts, Treasury securities, and variable annuities; planning services extend to 401(k), 403(b), college, and profit-sharing plans. Recent platform additions (LPL Worksite Financial Solutions, LPL Retirement Plan Tools) extend the firm into employer-sponsored retirement plan territory.

The business model is fee-based advisory revenue derived from a client base of individual investors across nine U.S. states, segmented into retirees and pre-retirees, small business owners, working professionals, and women. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with no public fee schedule; the firm relies on community involvement across multiple Ann Arbor organizations, content marketing, and LPL Research publications for top-of-funnel activity. There is no external investment, no disclosed AUM or revenue, and no AI capability; the firm is structured as an independent practice operating under LPL's umbrella rather than a scalable platform.

Name

Boardwalk Financial Group LLC

Legal name

Boardwalk Financial Group LLC

Website

https://boardwalkfinancialgroup.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Boardwalk Financial Group LLC is a privately held wealth management firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan, providing investment management, retirement, estate, and insurance planning to individual investors across nine U.S. states through an LPL Financial affiliation.

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)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Fee-Based Advisory (FSAEAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Broker-Dealer Affiliated Wealth Advisory (FSAEABAB), Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD), Financial Planning & Goals-Based Advice (Mass Affluent) (FSAAAAAF)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory Fees: The firm generates revenue through fee-based financial advisory services. As an LPL Financial registered representative and investment advisor, revenue is derived from advisory fees for financial planning and investment management services provided to individual clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Boardwalk Financial Group LLC provides fee-based wealth management and financial advisory services to individual investors and small business owners. Its core offerings include investment management with portfolio construction and monitoring, retirement planning, estate planning, and insurance planning, delivered through LPL Financial's open-architecture platform with access to securities, mutual funds, ETFs, and variable annuities. Services are delivered via personalized one-on-one advisory relationships supported by tools such as Riskalyze, eMoney, Morningstar Workstation, and the Account View client portal.

Product overview

Boardwalk Financial Group LLC is a wealth management firm offering financial advisory services through a multi-product, platform-assisted model. Core services include Investment Management (portfolio construction and risk management), Retirement Planning, Estate Planning, and Insurance Planning. The firm provides access to a range of investment vehicles (bonds, stocks, IRAs, brokerage accounts, variable annuities) and financial planning services (401(k), 403(b), college planning, profit sharing plans). Services are delivered via LPL Financial's independent platform with open architecture access to research, along with integrated tools including Riskalyze for risk assessment, eMoney and Morningstar Workstation for financial planning analysis, and the Account View client portal. Additional offerings include financial calculators, the LPL Research resource center with market commentary and outlook publications, and the LPL Worksite Financial Solutions platform for employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Investment Management Professional oversight of client portfolios and assets with disciplined, research-driven investment strategies. Focuses on building diversified portfolios, monitoring performance, and making thoughtful adjustments aligned with client financial goals; targeted at individual investors and families.
• Retirement Planning Comprehensive retirement planning services covering savings strategies, investment management, employer-sponsored retirement plans, pensions, and Social Security benefits. Serves both individuals and businesses approaching or in retirement.
• Estate Planning Estate planning services including wealth preservation, asset management, charitable giving strategies, insurance planning, and tax strategies designed to ensure assets are distributed according to client wishes; for individuals, families, and small business owners.
• Insurance Planning Insurance review and risk management services evaluating existing coverage, identifying gaps, and assessing suitability as life circumstances change; for individuals and small business owners.
• LPL Worksite Financial Solutions Employer-focused retirement solution providing employee engagement, education, advice, and transition services to help employees pursue retirement goals; offered to businesses seeking workplace retirement plan support.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LPL FinancialcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBoardwalk Financial Group operates as a Registered Representative and Investment Advisor through LPL Financial, the largest independent broker-dealer in the nation. LPL provides securities oversight, financial planning technology, research support, and compliance infrastructure. Mark Foster holds Series 7, 63, 65 registrations through LPL Financial, and the firm accesses LPL's independent platform offering objective research on securities, mutual funds, ETFs, and asset managers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Vanguard Personal Advisor: Hybrid robo-plus-advisor service from Vanguard targeting the mass-affluent segment Boardwalk also pursues, with substantially lower fees. A key competitive threat that pressures advisory fees across the segment.
• Fisher Investments: Large private RIA focused on portfolio management for HNW and pre-retiree households. Comparable target market and investment-led value proposition, although at much larger scale and more concentrated in discretionary management.
• Kestra Financial: Independent wealth platform supporting financial advisors with back-office, technology, and custody through LPL's competitor custodian network. Directly comparable in serving independent RIAs offering open-architecture planning and investment management.

Broad incumbents

• Cetera Financial Group: Independent broker-dealer and RIA support platform serving independent financial advisors — a direct competitor to LPL Financial for the very partnership slot Boardwalk occupies. Comparable in that affiliated RIAs deliver financial planning, retirement, and estate services to retail clients.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer network supporting thousands of financial advisors with similar open-architecture investment and planning offerings. Directly comparable as an alternative affiliation platform to LPL Financial.
• Raymond James Financial Services: Large wealth management and investment services firm with an independent advisor channel serving HNW individuals with retirement and estate planning. Similar advisor-led model delivering personalized financial planning.
• Ameriprise Financial: Large incumbent financial advisory firm with a captive advisor channel serving mass-affluent and HNW clients with comprehensive financial planning and investment management. Directly comparable business model to Boardwalk's holistic retirement/estate/insurance planning approach, but at vastly greater scale.
• Charles Schwab Wealth Advisory: Schwab-affiliated advisory and wealth management services competing for the same mass-affluent and HNW clients Boardwalk serves. Comparable on portfolio management, retirement planning, and digital-first client engagement.
• Fidelity Wealth Services: Established wealth management franchise offering goal-based financial planning, retirement income, and portfolio management to retail and HNW investors. Comparable offering across investment management, retirement, and estate planning.

Direct peers

• Edward Jones: National network of independent financial advisors delivering face-to-face wealth management and retirement planning to individuals. Closest comparable in terms of branch-level personal advisor model, HNW/mass-affluent targeting, and community-rooted relationship-based GTM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boardwalkfinancialgroup

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 Boardwalk Financial Group LLC