Benefits Consulting

What Benefits Consulting does

Benefits Consulting, Inc. is a privately-held independent broker-dealer and financial advisory firm headquartered in Tampa, Florida, founded in 1995 and led by Henry Alava, CFP. The firm operates as a Registered Representative affiliated with Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, with securities trading executed through Cetera and Pershing LLC (a Bank of New York Mellon subsidiary) providing custody, and with investment advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Revenues are generated through insurance product commissions (medical, dental, life, disability), securities brokerage commissions, and recurring investment advisory fees on assets under management, with compensation structures spanning both transaction and fee-based models.

The firm serves three horizontal customer segments: small-to-mid-sized companies with 5 to 500 employees, closely held corporations needing business retirement plans and succession planning, and individual consumers seeking insurance, retirement, and estate planning. Its core advisory methodology is a seven-step financial planning process covering relationship definition, goal-setting, data gathering, analysis, alternative recommendation, implementation, and ongoing monitoring. Supporting technology is limited to standard broker-dealer infrastructure (Cetera platform, Pershing custody) and an FMG Suite-powered website resource center with calculators, videos, and a 200+ term glossary used for content marketing and client education.

Customer acquisition is predominantly sales-led through direct advisory relationships led by the president, supplemented by content marketing and self-service online resources. The firm does not disclose headcount, revenue, AUM, or client count, and shows no documented M&A, funding, leadership changes, or material expansion over the past several years.

Name

Benefits Consulting

Legal name

Benefits Consulting, Inc.

Website

https://www.benefitsconsultinginc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Benefits Consulting, Inc. is a Tampa, Florida-based independent broker-dealer affiliated with Cetera Financial Specialists, providing insurance, investment, retirement, tax, and estate planning services to individuals, small-to-mid-sized companies, and closely held corporations using a seven-step financial planning methodology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Financial Advisory and Insurance Brokerage Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940)

SIC

Insurance Agents, Brokers & Service (6411), Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Employee Benefits Brokerage & Consulting (FSAEADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employer Retirement Plan Advisory (401(k)/Pension) (FSAEABAE), Benefits Administration & Enrollment Support (BPAAAIAB), Compensation, Benefits & Rewards Consulting (BPAHAGAF)

Keywords

• Employee benefits consulting
• Financial advisory services
• Retirement planning
• Insurance brokerage
• Estate planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Brokerage Commissions: Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. As a Registered Representative, the firm earns transaction-based compensation (commissions) on securities trades and insurance product sales.
2. Investment Advisory Fees: Advisory services offered through Cetera Investment Advisers LLC. Investment Adviser Representatives offer investment advisory services and receive fees based on assets under management.
3. Insurance Product Commissions: As an independent insurance broker, the firm earns commissions on medical, dental, life, and disability insurance products placed with various insurance carriers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Benefits Consulting, Inc. is an independent financial advisory and insurance brokerage firm that places medical, dental, life, and disability insurance products and delivers investment, retirement, tax, and estate conservation planning services. The firm serves individuals and small-to-mid-sized businesses (5 to 500 employees) using a proprietary seven-step financial planning process and operates as a Registered Representative affiliated with Cetera Financial Specialists and Cetera Investment Advisers for securities and advisory execution.

Product overview

Benefits Consulting, Inc. is a financial consulting firm offering a suite of advisory services rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include Insurance Services (medical, dental, life, disability), Investment Planning, Tax Planning, Retirement Planning, Estate Conservation Planning, Financial Consulting (using a seven-step process), and Business Retirement Planning. These services work together to provide comprehensive financial advisory to individuals and businesses, with the firm acting as an independent broker with access to thousands of product options from leading providers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Insurance Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Groups of 5 to 500 employees can receive maximum benefits through strategically designed and implemented plans

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Cetera Financial SpecialistscoreTechnology or IntegrationBroker-dealer responsible for executing trades and supervising trading activity. Undergoes regular auditing and meets specific net capital requirements. Provides independence to offer financial solutions that best suit client needs without sales quotas or proprietary product requirements.
• Cetera Financial GroupcoreOthersParent company of Cetera Financial Specialists. Manages over $110 billion in client assets for 30+ years. Delivers award-winning advisory products and solutions, sophisticated trading and technology platforms across all 50 states. Provides the network of people and resources supporting the advisor.
• Pershing LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationSubsidiary of Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (nation's oldest continuously operating bank). Custodian for brokerage accounts including brokerage accounts within IRAs. Subject to regular audits to ensure appropriate handling, segregation, and protection of investor assets.
• Cetera Investment Services LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationAffiliate of Cetera Financial Specialists providing brokerage and other services. Custodies individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Subject to net capital requirements and regular audits for asset protection.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cetera Financial Group: Parent company of Benefits Consulting's broker-dealer affiliate, Cetera Financial Group is a large independent advisor network managing over $110B in client assets. Directly comparable as the umbrella organization under which BCI operates and competes within.
• Northwestern Mutual: Major U.S. insurer and financial services company combining life insurance, disability income, retirement planning, and investment advisory through a captive advisor force. Competes with BCI for the same SMB/individual benefits and retirement planning dollars, though with proprietary products rather than BCI's open-architecture model.
• MassMutual Financial Group: Mutual insurance and financial services company providing life, disability, retirement, and investment planning to individuals and SMBs. Comparable in product breadth (insurance + wealth + retirement) and SMB target segment, but operates with captive agents rather than independent brokerage.
• New York Life Insurance Company: Major U.S. mutual insurer offering life insurance, long-term care, annuities, and retirement/investment planning through a captive agent force. Comparable in bundling insurance with retirement and wealth advisory for the same individual/SMB segment that BCI serves.

Direct peers

• Edward Jones: Large U.S. independent financial advisory firm serving individuals and small businesses with insurance, retirement, and investment planning through a national branch network. Closely comparable model to BCI: independent advisor, CFP-led, focus on mass-affluent and SMB clients with bundled insurance/wealth services.
• Primerica: Large independent distributor of term life insurance, mutual funds, and retirement products to middle-income households and small businesses via a sales-force model. Directly comparable target customer (middle-market individuals, small employers) and product bundle.
• OneDigital: Leading U.S. employee benefits and financial services broker focused on SMB and mid-market employers, combining group benefits brokerage with retirement and wealth advisory. Comparable business model (independent benefits broker + advisory) but operating at much larger scale than BCI.
• USI Insurance Services: Large national insurance brokerage and benefits consulting firm serving mid-market employers with property/casualty, employee benefits, retirement plan consulting, and personal lines. Comparable employee benefits brokerage and SMB/mid-market focus; relevant as a potential roll-up acquirer for practices like BCI.

Emerging players

• Schwab Personal Advisor Services: Hybrid robo-advisor from Charles Schwab combining automated investment management with access to CFP advisors for individuals and small retirement plans. Comparable wealth/retirement advisory offering at a much larger, technology-led scale; competes for the same retail/SMB investment dollars.

Peers

• Vanguard Personal Advisor:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 Benefits Consulting