What malama wealth does

Malama Wealth is an independent financial advisory practice headquartered in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, founded by Chris Rine following his 23-year tenure as a Wealth Advisor and Branch Manager at Morgan Stanley. The firm operates as a concierge-style wealth management practice serving affluent individuals and families, pre-retirees and retirees, and business owners with personalized financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, estate and legacy planning, tax strategies, business planning, and insurance and protection planning services. The three-person team — Chris Rine (President, Wealth Advisor), Kimberly Hitchcock (Registered Sales Assistant), and Mary Anne Wilson (Client Service Associate) — delivers all client-facing advisory work through a single principal advisor model.

The firm's technology stack is built entirely on third-party platforms: LPL Financial serves as the registered investment advisor and broker-dealer/custodial platform, Riskalyze provides the embedded risk-tolerance assessment (Risk Number) used as a top-of-funnel conversion tool, and FMG Suite powers the website and content marketing resource center. There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, and no disclosed data assets. The firm holds securities and advisory registrations across 15 U.S. states (AL, AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, HI, ID, NH, NM, NY, OR, SC, WA, WI).

Revenue is generated through fee-based advisory services, likely structured as recurring AUM-based fees via the LPL Financial platform, though specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The business model is sales-led and relationship-driven, with no disclosed revenue, AUM, or client count figures. There are no funding rounds, no institutional investors, no M&A activity, and no parent company. The firm is privately held by its founder and operates as a single independent RIA with no disclosed expansion plans beyond its existing multi-state footprint and content marketing infrastructure.

Name

malama wealth

Legal name

Malama Wealth

Website

https://malamawealth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Malama Wealth is an independent, Hawaii-based financial advisory firm that provides personalized wealth management, retirement, estate, tax, and business planning services to affluent individuals, families, and business owners across 15 U.S. states via the LPL Financial platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wealth Management and Financial Advisory Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Planning–Led RIAs (FSAAACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) Wealth Management (FSAEABAA), Retirement & Distribution Planning RIAs (401(k)/IRA/Pension Rollovers) (FSAAACAE)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Lihue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Financial Advisory and Investment Management Fees: Fee-based financial advisory services through LPL Financial platform. The firm provides comprehensive financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, estate planning, tax strategies, and business planning services. Revenue is generated through advisory fees, likely based on assets under management (AUM) given the investment management focus and concierge service model.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Malama Wealth is an independent financial advisory practice that delivers personalized financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, estate and legacy planning, tax strategies, business planning, and insurance and protection planning services. The firm serves affluent individuals, families, pre-retirees, retirees, and business owners through a concierge-style model with President and Wealth Advisor Chris Rine as the primary advisor. Securities and advisory services are delivered through LPL Financial as the registered investment advisor and broker-dealer platform.

Product overview

Malama Wealth operates as a financial advisory firm offering a unified suite of personalized financial planning services. The core offering centers on comprehensive financial planning that encompasses Investment Strategy, Retirement Planning, Estate & Legacy Planning, Tax Strategies, Business Planning, and Insurance & Protection Planning. These services are delivered through a concierge-style service model by President/Wealth Advisor Chris Rine and supported by a small team including Registered Sales Assistant Kimberly Hitchcock and Client Service Associate Mary Anne Wilson. The firm is independent, allowing flexibility to choose products that fit individual client plans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Planning Comprehensive personalized financial planning service tailored to individual client goals, values, and circumstances. Chris Rine works with clients to identify priorities, risks, and opportunities while developing individualized plans.
• Investment Strategy Disciplined and proactive investment management service creating customized investment portfolios tailored to client needs and goals, with regular monitoring and adjustment to stay aligned with investment objectives.
• Retirement Planning Down-to-earth retirement planning designed to help clients find confidence in their golden years. Identifies lifestyle goals and develops plans aligned with values, aspirations, and wealth transition goals.
• Business Planning Strategic business planning services to help business owners navigate complexities and preserve wealth through tailored planning approaches.
• Estate & Legacy Planning Comprehensive estate and legacy planning services that take a personalized approach to identifying wealth transfer goals. Helps develop, update, and maintain comprehensive estate plans to minimize tax impact and ensure final wishes are carried out.
• Tax Strategies Comprehensive tax strategy services designed to minimize tax liability and optimize tax returns. Takes a personalized approach to identify unique tax situations and develop customized tax strategies that complement specific client circumstances.
• Insurance & Protection Planning Insurance and protection planning services that help shield wealth and families from the financial impact of life's more unfortunate events. As an independent firm, has flexibility to choose products with appropriate coverage to stay responsive to client needs.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LPL FinancialcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecurities and Advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor and member of FINRA & SIPC. LPL provides the broker-dealer and custodial platform for Malama Wealth, enabling the firm to offer independent advisory services with access to a wide range of investment products and institutional-level infrastructure.
• Morgan StanleyminorOthersChris Rine spent 23 years at Morgan Stanley as both a Wealth Advisor and Branch Manager before founding Malama Wealth Management. This represents prior industry experience rather than a current partnership.
• RiskalyzecoreTechnology or IntegrationRiskalyze provides the risk assessment platform used by Malama Wealth, including the Risk Number questionnaire that generates personalized risk assessments based on portfolio size, financial goals, and risk tolerance. The embedded tool is available on the firm's website for prospective clients.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Commonwealth Financial Network: Independent broker-dealer and RIA platform supporting independent financial advisors with custody, compliance, and practice management services — directly comparable LPL/independent-wealth model that Malama Wealth operates within.
• Cambridge Investment Research: Independent broker-dealer and RIA platform hosting thousands of independent financial advisors offering comprehensive financial planning — same independent-wealth channel and concierge financial planning positioning as Malama Wealth.
• Cetera Financial Group: Independent broker-dealer and RIA platform serving independent financial advisors and wealth management firms — directly competitive LPL-alternative platform serving small independent advisor practices like Malama Wealth.
• Creative Planning: Large independent RIA offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, retirement, estate and tax planning to HNW clients — comparable integrated, concierge-style wealth management model at greater scale.

Broad incumbents

• Hightower Advisors: Large RIA platform and partner firm network backing independent wealth advisory businesses — broader incumbent providing scale, M&A, and succession options relevant to a small LPL-affiliated practice considering growth or exit.
• Focus Financial Partners: National RIA aggregator and partnership firm for independent wealth managers — broad incumbent providing M&A roll-up, capital, and operational scale relevant to small independent RIA practices like Malama Wealth.
• Mariner Wealth Advisors: National independent RIA providing comprehensive financial planning, investment, tax, estate and retirement services to HNW clients — comparable integrated wealth offering with much broader team and geographic reach.
• Carson Group: Independent advisor platform supporting financial advisors with coaching, technology, and back-office services — broader incumbent serving similar independent advisor segment with deeper practice management resources.
• Edelman Financial Engines: Large national RIA providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services — broad incumbent competing for the same affluent, retirement-planning clientele at materially larger scale.

Others

• LPL Financial: Malama Wealth's registered broker-dealer, RIA, and custody platform partner — not a peer competitor but the core infrastructure provider enabling Malama's independent advisory operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/malama-wealth

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 malama wealth