# Northstar Financial Planning

Northstar Financial Planning is a Bank / Wealth / Trust based in Windham, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Bank / Wealth / Trust
- **Headquarters:** Windham, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Windham, NH, United States
- **Founded:** 1994
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** northstarfp.com
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/northstar-financial-planning

## Regulatory record

- **CRD number:** 117205
- **SEC file number:** 801-113219
- **Registration status:** Registered
- **Reports private funds:** No
- **IAPD record:** https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/117205

## About

William B. McAvoy established Northstar Financial Planning in 1994 in Windham, New Hampshire, structuring the practice as a registered investment advisor. The firm has operated from the same Southern New Hampshire location for over 30 years, building a client base of local individuals, families, trusts, estates, and small charitable organizations. Unlike the consolidator-backed RIAs that have swept the region, Northstar has remained independently owned and operated by its founder, reflecting a deliberate choice to preserve a direct, high-touch advisory relationship rather than scaling through acquisition or private equity partnership. The firm's investment approach centers on portfolio management and comprehensive financial planning delivered under a fiduciary standard. Northstar manages client assets through a mix of individual securities, mutual funds, and exchange-traded funds, tailoring allocations across equity, fixed income, and cash equivalents to each client's objectives. The firm serves a diverse local client base — from pre-retirees navigating Social Security and Medicare decisions to small business owners requiring entity-level planning and charitable organizations managing endowment assets. Its geographic focus remains concentrated in New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts, with client relationships built primarily through community presence and referrals rather than digital marketing or national platform listings. Team size and total assets under management are not publicly disclosed, consistent with a practice that does not market itself to institutional audiences or participate in industry rankings. The firm maintains its primary office in Windham and lists no additional locations. Philanthropic planning for local charitable organizations and estates forms a meaningful component of the practice, integrated into the broader financial planning and portfolio management offerings. In recent years, the firm has continued to operate under William McAvoy's leadership, maintaining the same core service model that has defined the practice since its founding. Northstar's structural differentiator is its resistance to the prevailing industry trend toward aggregation. While hundreds of independent RIAs have sold to consolidators or taken private equity capital to fund growth, Northstar has remained a single-location, founder-led practice. This architecture preserves decision-making authority entirely within the firm — no external capital partner, no platform economics, no national brand standards. For the local clients it serves, that means portfolio decisions, fee structures, and service levels are set in Windham, not in a regional headquarters. The succession question — whether the firm will transition internally or ultimately sell to a larger entity — remains the critical variable in its long-term trajectory.

## Sectors

- Wealth Management & Financial Planning

## People

- William B. McAvoy — Founder & President

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Northstar Financial Planning?

William B. McAvoy, the firm's founder and president, maintains direct responsibility for investment management and portfolio decisions. Northstar operates as a founder-led RIA without an external investment committee, meaning all allocation choices flow through McAvoy's oversight. The firm's ADV filings and public records consistently identify him as the key decision-maker for both investment advisory and financial planning services.

### Does Northstar Financial Planning participate in fund commitments or direct deals?

Northstar Financial Planning does not participate in private fund commitments, direct private investments, or alternative asset structures. The firm's investment program is concentrated in publicly traded securities, mutual funds, and ETFs. There is no public evidence of venture capital, private equity, hedge fund, or direct real estate investment activity within the firm's client portfolios.

### What is Northstar Financial Planning's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?

Northstar Financial Planning does not engage in co-investment activities alongside external general partners. The firm's investment framework is limited to publicly available securities and traditional portfolio management, with no public record of participating in private placement co-investments, special purpose vehicles, or syndicated direct deals. Its fiduciary model treats each client's portfolio individually, not as part of pooled institutional investment structures.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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