Savant

Office address: 190 Buckley Dr, Rockford, IL 61107
Website: savantwealth.com
Year established: 1986
Company type: financial services
Employees: 500+
Expertise: investment management, financial planning, estate planning and wealth transfer, tax advisory and preparation, trust services, accounting and consulting, company retirement plans, family office support, divorce and life transition planning, evidence-based investing
Parent company: N/A
Key people: Brent Brodeski (CEO), Ahmed Hassanein (CFO), Zach Ivey (CIO), Nicole Prouty (chief of staff), Margaret Baer (chief compliance officer), LaVonne Brown (chief marketing officer), Matthew Lane (chief people officer)
Financing status: private equity-backed

Savant Wealth Management is an independent, fee-only wealth management company headquartered in Rockford. It provides financial planning, investment management, tax preparation, estate planning, and retirement plan services. The majority employee-owned firm operates 47 offices and oversees $39.6 billion+ in client assets as of February 2026.

History of Savant

The company started in 1986 as Savant Planning Group in Rockford, IL. Thomas Muldowney founded the firm, and Brent Brodeski later joined as co-founder.

The firm was built on one idea: investors deserve honest, evidence-based advice. Most advisory firms at the time ran on high-cost, commission-driven models, so Savant took a different path. It became an early pioneer of the independent advisory movement.

A new name for a broader mission

The firm went through a few name changes over the years. It operated as Savant Capital Management for several years, then rebranded to Savant Wealth Management in 2020 to reflect its growth into a full-service advisory firm. The rebrand came with a new logo, a fresh color palette, and a tagline called "Wise Counsel."

That same year, it merged with Huber Financial Advisors in Lincolnshire to expand its Chicago-area presence. It also launched tax preparation, payroll, and consulting services through Savant Tax & Consulting, its affiliate.

Recognition on a national stage

The company's growth has not gone unnoticed across the wealth management industry. InvestmentNews named the firm a Top Independent High-Net Worth Advisor for 2025 in the Midwest region. The award recognized that it stood out with its strong service to high-net-worth clients after a strict vetting process.

The firm also earned spots on the InvestmentNews 5-Star Wealth Management Teams 2025 list. Savant teams in Alabama, Atlanta, Lincolnshire, Middleton, and Rockford all received the honor. The recognition highlights its ability to grow and keep clients at a national level.

Savant's products and services

Savant Wealth Management provides a full range of fee-only, fiduciary services through its in-house team of specialists:

Wealth management and planning

• financial planning: goal-based plans built around each client's needs
• investment management: evidence-based portfolios grounded in academic research
• comprehensive wealth management: coordinated guidance across all financial areas

Tax and accounting

• tax advisory and preparation: year-round tax planning and filing services
• accounting and consulting: bookkeeping, payroll, and business consulting support

Estate and trust services

• estate planning and wealth transfer: strategies to move wealth to the next generation
• trust services: in-house private trust administration for clients
• family office support: dedicated oversight for high-net-worth families

Retirement and life transitions

• company retirement plans: plan design and management for employers
• life transition planning: guidance through divorce, spouse loss, and elder care

Savant also uses a proprietary tool called the Ideal Futures Financial Health Assessment, which reviews 10 key planning areas to spot risks and opportunities. The firm's team-based model connects each client with a dedicated advisor backed by in-house specialists in tax, estate, and investment strategy.

Culture and corporate values

Savant says lifelong learning drives its firm culture. It backs this through its employee-owned, team-based advisory model. Its six core values are:

• excellence
• integrity
• lifelong learning
• respect
• growth
• servant leadership

Savant Wealth Management says it promotes collaboration, servant leadership, and work-life balance. The firm supports this with competitive pay and day-one benefit access. Its benefits package includes:

• health coverage: two medical plans, two dental options, vision, and HSA/FSA accounts
• company-paid insurance: AD&D, life, and short and long-term disability coverage
• retirement and incentives: 401(k) with company match, team incentive plans, and monetary awards
• paid time off: PTO that grows with tenure, 11+ holidays, summer hours, and Savantiversary day (work anniversary)
• leave programs: parental, personal, and bereavement leave, plus professional development time
• wellness and perks: gym and warehouse club reimbursements, discount programs, and branded merchandise
• workplace flexibility: Dress for Your Day policy and employee assistance program

The company also offers student internships across departments like financial planning, tax preparation, marketing, and investment research. Each role provides supervised, hands-on training to build entry-level professional skills.

About CEO Brent Brodeski and key people

Brent Brodeski is co-founder and CEO of Savant Wealth Management and co-founder of the Alliance for RIAs (aRIA). He also co-founded Zero Alpha Group (ZAG) and served as its president. Brodeski holds a finance and economics degree and an MBA in accounting from Northern Illinois University.

Brodeski leads Savant with the support of several senior executives:

• Ahmed Hassanein serves as CFO, managing the company's financial strategy and reporting
• Zach Ivey is chief investment officer, leading Savant's investment research and portfolio strategy
• Nicole Prouty is chief of staff, coordinating firm strategy and daily operations
• Margaret Baer is chief compliance officer, overseeing regulatory standards and operations
• LaVonne Brown is chief marketing officer, directing the company's brand strategy and client communications
• Matthew Lane is chief people officer, guiding talent development and workplace culture

Savant's leadership team states that it takes a practical, Main Street approach over Wall Street rhetoric. They do this by combining expertise in investments, tax, estate, and retirement planning through the firm's Wise Counsel model.

The future at Savant Wealth Management

In 2025, Savant hired Mattew Lane as chief people officer to sharpen its talent strategy. Lane brings over 25 years of human capital experience from the private equity industry. Brodeski said the move would help the company maintain its culture while attracting top talent as the firm grows.

On top of its leadership moves, Savant Wealth Management also expanded through acquisition in that same year. The company acquired APC Financial Planning, a Knoxville-based advisory firm. The deal brought Savant's footprint to 47 offices across 21 states before its 40th anniversary in 2026.

The latest Savant news