The Planning Center provides financial planning, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for institutions, pension consulting, divorce planning, estate planning, insurance, tax planning, and tax preparation. Financial planning was provided to 1,000 clients last fiscal year.
The Planning Center reports 912 clients. They include 570 individual clients, 325 high-net-worth individuals, and 10 pension and profit-sharing plans. Of its assets, 98.2% ($1.35B across 2,940 accounts) are managed with discretion; $24.5M across 92 accounts are not. It advised 34 clients without assets under management last fiscal year.
| Client type | Clients | Assets |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals (other than HNW) | 63% | 24% |
| High-net-worth individuals | 36% | 72% |
| Pension and profit-sharing plans | 1% | 3% |
| Corporations and other businesses | <1% | <1% |
Client breakdown and activity details
| Client type | Clients | Regulatory AUM | AUM share | Avg. per client |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals (other than HNW) | 570 | $332M | 24.2% | $582K |
| High-net-worth individuals | 325 | $984M | 71.7% | $3.03M |
| Pension and profit-sharing plans | 10 | $46.4M | 3.4% | $4.64M |
| Corporations and other businesses | 7 | $9.53M | 0.7% | $1.36M |
| Total | 912 | $1.37B | 100% | $1.5M |
- Clients
- 570
- Regulatory AUM
- $332M
- AUM share
- 24.2%
- Avg. per client
- $582K
- Clients
- 325
- Regulatory AUM
- $984M
- AUM share
- 71.7%
- Avg. per client
- $3.03M
- Clients
- 10
- Regulatory AUM
- $46.4M
- AUM share
- 3.4%
- Avg. per client
- $4.64M
- Clients
- 7
- Regulatory AUM
- $9.53M
- AUM share
- 0.7%
- Avg. per client
- $1.36M
Total
- Clients
- 912
- Regulatory AUM
- $1.37B
- AUM share
- 100%
- Avg. per client
- $1.5M
- Clients outside the U.S.
- 0%
- Clients advised without assets under management last fiscal year
- 34
- Private funds advised
- 0
- Financial planning clients last fiscal year
- 1000
The Planning Center is paid through a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges, fixed fees (other than subscription fees) and other compensation. The reviewed brochures do not disclose an asset-based fee rate. Read the SEC-filed brochure. The brochure also prices 2 other services, listed under fee details.
Fee details and sources
Other fees
- Financial planning and consulting
- Stand-alone planning generally ranges from $1,500 to $12,000 for a comprehensive plan, or $500 an hour for licensed professionals and $75 for unlicensed staff; non-negotiable.
- Tax planning and preparation
- Tax planning is billed hourly, rounded to the nearest $10; preparation of federal and up to two state returns is typically $1,200 or less.
The leadership team of The Planning Center includes President Eric Kies, Chief Financial Officer Amy Tessmer and Chief Compliance Officer Brett Lee. It has 28 employees, 12 of them in advisory roles.
Leadership
- Eric KiesCEO, President, Shareholder
- Matthew SivertsenVice President, Shareholder
- Amy TessmerChief Financial Officer, Shareholder
- Brett LeeChief Compliance
- Michelle MatonTreasurer, Shareholder
- Andrew SivertsenSecretary, Shareholder
- Joseph SessionsShareholder
- Hank BoudreauxShareholder
- Michael BranhamShareholder
- Matthew MercerOperations Manager, Shareholder
- Matthew KnollShareholder
- Robert BanerShareholder
Investment adviser representatives
10 representatives listed in the SEC register as of 9 October 2026.
- Hank Jude Boudreaux
- Michael Anthony Branham
- Eric Hamilton Kies
- Matthew Thomas Knoll
- Michelle Louise Maton
- Joseph Jeffry Sessions
- Andrew Charles Sivertsen
- Matthew Allen Sivertsen
- Caraline Maureen Stenslik
- Sarah Rebecca Stoddard
Staff
- 28 employees
- 12 in advisory functions
- 9 state-registered reps
- Owns 10% to 25% of The Planning Center, Inc.
Eric Kies
Control person · since June 2008
- Owns 10% to 25% of The Planning Center, Inc.
Matthew Sivertsen
Control person · since June 2008
- Owns 10% to 25% of The Planning Center, Inc.
Andrew Sivertsen
since December 2013
- Owns 10% to 25% of The Planning Center, Inc.
Joseph Sessions
since January 2014
- Owns 10% to 25% of The Planning Center, Inc.
Michelle Maton
Control person · since September 2015
- Owns 10% to 25% of The Planning Center, Inc.
Hank Boudreaux
since September 2017
- Owns 10% to 25% of The Planning Center, Inc.
Michael Branham
since September 2017
- Owns 5% to 10% of The Planning Center, Inc.
Matthew Mercer
since January 2022
- Owns 5% to 10% of The Planning Center, Inc.
Matthew Knoll
since January 2021
- Owns 5% to 10% of The Planning Center, Inc.
Robert Baner
since January 2021
The Planning Center’s regulatory assets grew 1.6× from $843M (April 2021) to $1.37B (March 2026); clients were 912 in both filings and employees rose from 26 to 28. Between 2015 and 2017, 2 advisory firms joined it. The most recent was Upperline Financial Planning, in 2017.
Figures from each annual filing
| Filed | Regulatory AUM | Clients | Employees | Offices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 | $1.37B | 912 | 28 | 7 |
| March 2025 | $1.19B | 923 | 26 | 7 |
| January 2024 | $1.09B | 928 | 27 | 8 |
| May 2023 | $947M | 941 | 25 | 8 |
| July 2022 | $996M | 927 | 28 | 9 |
| April 2021 | $843M | 939 | 26 | 7 |
Firms that joined
20171 joined
- Upperline Financial PlanningNo filed AUM
20151 joined
- Aequus Wealth Management ResourcesNo filed AUM
Firms whose SEC withdrawal reports a sale to this firm, and deals reported in the press. Teams that moved without selling a registered firm may not appear.
Besides its headquarters, The Planning Center has 6 offices, with 7 listed addresses across 6 states.
Illinois · 2 listed addresses
- 1615 5th Avenue, MolineHQ
- 303 W Erie St, Ste 311, Chicago
Alaska · 1 listed address
- 310 K St., Anchorage
California · 1 listed address
- 7055 N Maple, Fresno
Iowa · 1 listed address
- 136 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City
Louisiana · 1 listed address
- 1521 Washington Ave, New Orleans
Minnesota · 1 listed address
- 1650 West End Boulevard, St. Louis Park
Contact and registration details
- Legal name
- The Planning Center, Inc.
- Headquarters
- 1615 5th Avenue, Moline, IL 61265
- Website
- theplanningcenter.com
- Phone
- 309-797-4030
- SEC file
- 801-61051
- Structure
- Illinois corporation
- Fiscal year end
- December
The Planning Center uses Charles Schwab ($633M, 50%) and Axos Clearing ($633M, 50%) as custodians for its separately managed accounts. The Planning Center has custody of $13.4M in client assets for 35 clients.
- Axos ClearingAxos Clearing LLC · Omaha, NE · $633M50%
- Charles SchwabCharles Schwab & Co., Inc. · Westlake, TX · $633M50%
At year end, The Planning Center’s separately managed accounts were mostly in stocks (52%) and funds (42%). Its reported 13F holdings for the quarter ended 30 June 2026 total $1.06B across 84 positions; the largest are Dimensional ETF Trust (17.6%), Dimensional ETF Trust (13.1%) and Dimensional ETF Trust (8.3%).
What the accounts hold
- Stocks52%
- Funds42%
- Bonds2%
- U.S. government and agency bonds1%
- State and local bonds1%
- Cash4%
Reported 13F holdings
- $1.06B
- Reported 13F value
- 84
- Positions
- 78.8%
- In the 10 largest
- +7.4%
- Value vs. prior quarter
- Dimensional ETF Trust · Ultr Fix Inc. ETF17.6%
- Dimensional ETF Trust · Shor Dur Fix ETF13.1%
- Dimensional ETF Trust · World EX US Core8.3%
- Dimensional ETF Trust · Intl Cor Fix ETF8.1%
- Dimensional ETF Trust · US Cor Equ 2 ETF7.8%
- Dimensional ETF Trust · US High Prof ETF6.6%
- Dimensional ETF Trust · Intl High Profit6.0%
- Dimensional ETF Trust · Inflation Prote4.2%
- Dimensional ETF Trust · US Mktwide Value3.6%
- Dimensional ETF Trust · Internatnal Val3.4%
Together, the ten largest are 78.8% of reported value.
How many clients does The Planning Center have?
The Planning Center has 912 clients and manages $1.37 billion for them, as of March 2026. They include 570 individual clients, 325 high-net-worth individuals, and 10 pension and profit-sharing plans.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.D and 5.F, filed 17 March 2026
What services does The Planning Center offer?
The Planning Center provides financial planning, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for institutions, pension consulting, divorce planning, estate planning, insurance, tax planning, and tax preparation.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Item 5.G, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file; Part 2A brochure, Item 4
Which custodians does The Planning Center use?
The Planning Center’s separately managed account assets are held at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (Westlake, TX), with $633M and Axos Clearing LLC (Omaha, NE), with $633M. Only custodians holding at least a tenth of those assets are named.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Schedule D, Section 5.K.(3), filed 17 March 2026
How many financial advisors does The Planning Center have?
The Planning Center has 9 investment adviser representatives registered with state securities authorities, out of 28 employees, and 12 perform investment advisory functions. None are registered representatives of a broker-dealer or licensed insurance agents.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.A and 5.B, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file
What does The Planning Center invest in?
At the end of its last fiscal year, The Planning Center’s separately managed accounts held 52% exchange-traded equities, 42% registered funds (mutual funds, ETFs, BDCs), 4% cash and equivalents, 1% U.S. government and agency bonds and 1% state and local bonds.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.K.(1) and 7.B, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file
Who owns The Planning Center?
The Planning Center’s direct owners are Eric Kies, Matthew Sivertsen, Andrew Sivertsen, Joseph Sessions, Michelle Maton, Hank Boudreaux, Michael Branham, Matthew Mercer, Matthew Knoll and Robert Baner, each holding 25% or less.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Schedules A and B, filed 17 March 2026
How does The Planning Center get paid?
The Planning Center is paid through a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges, fixed fees and other compensation. Its Form ADV lists no commissions or performance-based fees among how it is paid.
Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Item 5.E, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file
How do I contact The Planning Center?
The Planning Center’s main office is at 1615 5th Avenue, Moline, IL 61265. Its phone number is 309-797-4030. Its website is theplanningcenter.com.