Whitaker-Myers Wealth Managers

Whitaker-Myers Wealth Managers

John-Mark Young launched Whitaker-Myers Wealth Managers in 2014, establishing the registered investment advisor in Westerville, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. The firm operates as a fee-only practice, meaning it does not accept commissions or sell proprietary products. Its client base spans individuals, high-net-worth families, pension plans, and charitable organizations. Young built the firm with a fiduciary obligation to clients, a structure that legally binds the advisor to act in the client's best interest on every recommendation. Whitaker-Myers manages assets through both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements. In discretionary accounts, the firm executes trades and adjusts allocations without requiring client pre-approval for each transaction. Non-discretionary clients retain final decision authority. The investment approach maps to individual financial plans — retirement modeling, education funding, tax-aware asset location, and estate considerations — rather than chasing a standalone performance benchmark. Asset classes typically include domestic and international equities, fixed income, and cash equivalents, allocated across taxable and tax-advantaged accounts. The firm serves clients nationwide, though its presence concentrates in the Midwest. The firm has grown organically since 2014, expanding its advisor headcount and client base through referrals and community presence. In May 2024, Young appeared on the "Successful Advisor" podcast to discuss scaling a fee-only RIA in a market dominated by commissioned broker-dealers, reinforcing the firm's posture as a fiduciary alternative (per Successful Advisor podcast, May 2024). The firm maintains a single office in Westerville, with advisors serving clients remotely across multiple states. Whitaker-Myers occupies a specific structural position: a younger, independent RIA in a region where bank-affiliated advisors and wirehouses still capture significant household assets. Its fee-only, fiduciary model differentiates it from commission-based competitors. The succession path remains closely held by Young as founder, a common characteristic among first-generation advisory practices. The firm's growth trajectory mirrors the broader shift of client assets from traditional brokerage platforms to independent RIAs, a trend that has accelerated since the Department of Labor's fiduciary rule debates began reshaping industry expectations.