The Planning Center

The Planning Center is neither. It operates as an independent registered investment adviser serving individual and family clients across multiple states, with no minimum wealth threshold publicly stated. The firm does not market itself as a family office, though the depth of tax and estate coordination it provides overlaps with services typical of smaller multi-family offices.

President Daniel S. Kresh, a CFP® professional, leads the firm's advisory operations. Investment strategy is implemented by the firm's planning team using model portfolios built from institutional mutual funds, ETFs and individual bonds. The firm does not employ a separate chief investment officer; portfolio decisions flow from the financial plans developed for each client.

The Planning Center is a fee-only firm, meaning it does not accept commissions, referral fees or product-based compensation. Client fees are typically calculated as a percentage of assets under management, with the financial planning relationship serving as the core engagement. The firm has been structured this way since its 1999 founding, predating the broader industry shift toward fee-only models.

The firm's investment approach centers on publicly traded securities — mutual funds, ETFs and individual bonds — rather than private equity, venture capital or direct co-investments. Its client base and fiduciary structure point toward liquid, transparent portfolios. There is no public record of the firm marketing alternative investment access to clients.

Daniel Kresh, son of founder Michael Kresh, serves as President and has assumed increasing operational control over time, suggesting a deliberate family succession path. The firm has not announced external ownership transactions, remaining privately held and internally governed while many mid-sized RIAs have sold to consolidators.