Office address: 5454 W 110th St, Overland Park, KS 66211
Website: creativeplanning.com
Year established: 1983
Company type: financial services
Employees: 1,500+
Expertise: wealth management, investment management, financial planning, retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning and trusts, insurance and risk management, 401(k) and retirement services, business valuation, international wealth services
Parent company: N/A
Key people: Peter Mallouk (CEO), Jonathan Knapp (COO), Samuel Henson (chief legal officer), Nick Jacobson (chief marketing officer), Megan Schmitz (chief people officer), Lee Richardson (chief risk and compliance officer), Peter Sengelmann (director)
Financing status: private equity-backed
Creative Planning is an Overland Park-based independent registered investment advisor (RIA), with over 1,500 employees. The firm provides wealth management, tax, and estate planning services through in-house CPAs and attorneys. The company serves clients across all 50 states and in 90 countries.
Creative Planning traces its roots to 1983 as a small office in Kansas City. After working for the company in 1999, Peter Mallouk purchased the firm in 2004 and reregistered it as an independent RIA.
It was built on a simple idea: clients deserved a better way to grow their wealth. Creative Planning set out to create a people-first culture focused on serving clients through every financial stage.
In an industry where many firms grow through acquisitions, Creative Planning chose a different path. The company grew by earning trust and adding one client at a time. Its planning-led approach puts client goals first, then builds portfolios to match those needs. In-house attorneys and CPAs work alongside advisors to cover every part of a client’s financial picture.
By 2021, that client-focused approach had paid off in a major way. Creative Planning crossed the $100 billion mark in AUM that year.
The firm also became the first national RIA to offer family office services at scale. It eventually became a company that serves clients across all 50 states and in countries around the world.
In 2025, Creative Planning acquired Monterey Private Wealth, a California firm with over $1 billion in assets. The deal expanded the company’s presence along the West Coast, while Monterey’s existing team continues to serve clients from its original California office.
After announcing plans to acquire SageView Advisory Group, a leading retirement plan consultant, Creative Planning eyed a major expansion. The deal combines the firms which would manage over $640 billion in assets. Such a move displays its focus on growing its wealth and retirement services for years to come.
The company delivers all its services through in-house specialists under one roof. Creative Planning’s offerings include:
Advisors work directly with on-staff CPAs and attorneys to manage each part of a client’s financial needs. Creative Planning’s planning-led approach puts client goals first before building any investment strategy.
According to Creative Planning, it takes a team approach with over a thousand specialists on staff. The firm says its planning-led method starts by understanding what matters to each client. Its advisors then build plans based on those priorities. Its principles are:
Creative Planning also states that their team is made up of passionate professionals across various specialties. The firm says that daily drive to improve and empathy guides its workplace culture. They add that this mix leads to better client service and a positive work environment.
Peter Mallouk serves as Creative Planning’s president and CEO. Mallouk took ownership of the firm in 2004 and has led its growth across all 50 states. He is also a licensed attorney and a recognized speaker on wealth management topics.
Key executives and partners at Creative Planning include the following:
These executives lead a team of over 1,500 specialists across the company. Their shared goal is to help clients build, protect, and pass on their wealth.
Creative Planning made a big move in 2025, jumping from $390 billion to $640 billion in assets through its SageView deal. CEO Peter Mallouk believes RIA IPOs may soon be on the table for large firms like his. The company appears ready to explore new paths as it eyes long-term growth.
Alongside potential IPOs, the company is also looking overseas with Europe at the top of its list. CEO Peter Mallouk says strong demand from the UK, Switzerland, and EU could lead to new offices abroad. The firm already serves clients in 90 countries and sees global reach as its next chapter.
The firm's purchase of Reilly Financial Advisors is another in a string of recent deals.
Berno Financial Management was founded in 1993 and is based in Cincinnati.
There will likely be at least 70 deals for retirement adviser firms before the end of the year, according to Wise Rhino Group.
The start of the 2020s has been dominated by the three Cs — Covid, convergence and consolidation. Government mandates could cause the small and startup plan market to explode, and RPA consolidation has blown up.
The Oak Brook-based Dashboard Wealth Advisors was founded in 2013 by Scott Schuster, who has known Creative Planning CEO Peter Mallouk since their grade school days.
The transaction marks the first time a top-five RIA has acquired a top-five retirement plan adviser firm, which could send Creative Planning's rivals scrambling to find larger RPAs.
The deal expands Creative Planning’s presence in the retirement plan business by about $110 billion and gives it access to the large-plan segment of the 401(k) market.
The purchase of Sullivan Bruyette Speros & Blayney will add $5 billion in AUM to the $76 billion firm.
Castle Wealth Advisors, founded by Gary Pittsford, is the oldest fee-only adviser in Indiana.
Kansas-based registered investment advisory firm will give stakes to about 10% of its workforce.
The marketplace for RIA M&A networks is currently overrun with players — from brand-new entrants from outside the U.S. to well-established RIAs. Over the past 15 years, the RIA aggregator market has taken off.
Why a 64-year-old RIA doesn't worry about building scale and has no plans to retire, even though he could fetch about $5 million for his firm in today’s white-hot market.
The deal brings on board all 15 employees from Iron Financial's retirement business, and more than doubles Creative Planning’s retirement plan assets to approximately $10 billion.
Transactions during the quarter totaled 55, with many involving ‘professional’ buyers, Echelon reports
Executives from Carson Group, Creative Planning, Hightower, Sanctuary Wealth and Thrivent say M&A is here to stay
