Planning Group

Planning Group was established in Northfield, Illinois in 2018 as a registered investment advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth families,...

Planning Group

Planning Group was established in Northfield, Illinois in 2018 as a registered investment advisory firm serving individuals, high-net-worth families, corporations, and charitable entities. The firm's founding team deliberately chose an RIA structure over a broker-dealer model, binding the firm legally to a fiduciary standard that requires it to place client interests ahead of its own revenue — a structural distinction from many wealth-management practices that operate under a less-stringent suitability standard. The firm deploys client capital through a mix of asset classes selected for specific financial-planning outcomes. Its advisory work spans equity and fixed-income portfolio construction, retirement-income modeling, tax-aware withdrawal strategies, and estate-integration planning. For its high-net-worth clientele, the firm also advises on direct holdings in private businesses and real estate, though it does not publicly disclose commingled fund commitments or co-investment activity. Operating from a single office, Planning Group provides services to clients across the United States. The firm does not publish total regulatory assets under management, total deployment, or professional headcount. In September 2023, the firm updated its public Form ADV filing to reflect an expanded set of advisory services, formalizing its wealth-planning and tax-strategy offerings alongside its standing portfolio-management mandate (per the firm’s regulatory filings, 2023). Planning Group's structural differentiator lies in its decision to remain institutionally lightweight while accepting full fiduciary responsibility. By avoiding a sales force and declining commission-based product placement, the firm eliminates the compensation conflict that typically arises when an advisor sells proprietary mutual funds or annuities. Clients instead pay a disclosed advisory fee calculated on assets under management. That fee-only, fiduciary architecture aligns the firm's revenue growth directly with portfolio performance rather than transaction volume — a governance choice that mirrors the incentive model of professional family offices more closely than that of a conventional retail brokerage.

Website

planning-group.com

linkedin.com/company/planning-group

General information

Firm type

Bank / Wealth / Trust

Year founded

2001

AUM

Undisclosed

Location

Region

North America

Country

United States

City

Binghamton

Corporate office

Northfield, IL, United States

Is Planning Group a fiduciary?

Yes. The firm operates as a registered investment advisor (RIA), which legally obligates it to act as a fiduciary for every client. This means it must place client interests ahead of its own and fully disclose any material conflicts of interest — a higher standard than the suitability rule applied to broker-dealers.

How does Planning Group charge for its services?

The firm operates on a fee-only basis, charging clients a disclosed percentage of assets under management rather than earning commissions on product sales. That compensation model eliminates the incentive to churn portfolios or recommend high-commission investment products. The precise fee schedule is detailed in the firm's Form ADV Part 2, which it must provide to prospective clients under SEC rules.

Does Planning Group accept institutional clients?

Yes. In addition to high-net-worth individuals and families, the firm's regulatory filings list corporations and charitable organizations as eligible client types. It provides portfolio management and advisory services to institutional entities, though it does not publicly disclose specific institutional-client names or mandates.

How does Planning Group differ from a private bank?

Unlike a private bank, which typically employs a broker-dealer structure earning revenue from product placement, lending margins, and transaction fees, Planning Group is an independent RIA that charges only advisory fees. It does not distribute proprietary mutual funds, sell structured products, or require custody with a parent bank, giving clients full discretion over where their assets are held.

What asset classes does Planning Group manage?

The firm constructs portfolios across public equities, fixed-income instruments, and — for appropriate clients — private-business and real-estate holdings. Asset-allocation decisions are driven by each client's financial plan rather than a model portfolio imposed uniformly. Specific portfolio-company names, fund commitments, and performance figures are not disclosed publicly.

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