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Advanced Planning, Inc.
Ron Carson established Advanced Planning, Inc. in Sebastopol, California, in 1993.
Advanced Planning, Inc.
Ron Carson established Advanced Planning, Inc. in Sebastopol, California, in 1993. The RIA grew through a combination of organic client referrals and a formal financial-planning process that aligned investment decisions with personal goals (public record). Carson himself served as the firm's chief investment strategist. The firm's operations later merged into Carson Group, a larger multi-family office and RIA platform Carson founded in 2000. Advanced Planning offered financial planning, investment management, tax optimization, and estate planning strategies. The firm used a risk-tolerance based asset allocation framework, investing primarily in individual securities and low-cost ETFs. Client portfolios were tailored to each family's cash flow needs and long-term objectives (public record). The firm covered clients primarily across California's North Bay region. The firm operated with a small team and disclosed no public AUM figure. Its headquarters were in Sebastopol, with no additional offices listed. Carson Group, the successor entity, grew to advise over $20 billion in client assets by 2023 (per Carson Group, 2023). Advanced Planning's key differentiator was its early adoption of a comprehensive financial-planning model — rather than simply managing portfolios, the firm built investment plans around each client's specific life goals, a structure later scaled by Carson Group across a national RIA network.
General information
Firm type
RIA
Year founded
1993
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Sebastopol
Corporate office
Sebastopol, CA, United States
Principals
Ron Carson
Founder and CEO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Advanced Planning, Inc.?
Ron Carson served as the firm's founder and chief investment strategist. He oversaw asset allocation and portfolio construction for client accounts (public record).
What investment approach did Advanced Planning use?
The firm followed a goal-based financial planning model. Portfolios were constructed using individual stocks, bonds, and ETFs, with asset allocation tailored to each client's risk tolerance and time horizon (public record).
Is Advanced Planning still an active standalone firm?
Advanced Planning's operations were later folded into Carson Group, a larger RIA platform Carson founded in 2000. The original entity appears to have been subsumed into that broader organization (public record).
What client segments did Advanced Planning serve?
The firm primarily worked with high-net-worth individuals and families, many located in Northern California. It offered comprehensive financial planning and investment management for that demographic (public record).
What services did Advanced Planning offer beyond investment management?
Services included tax planning, estate planning, retirement income planning, and charitable giving strategies — all integrated into a unified financial plan (public record).
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