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The Retirement Planning Group

Wealth managementRIA

Leawood, KSCRD 129625Updated

The Retirement Planning Group is an investment adviser based in Leawood, KS, registered with the SEC since 2004. It provides financial planning and investment management. Its clients include high-net-worth individuals, individual clients, and pension and profit-sharing plans. Its regulatory assets under management total $4.16 billion, as filed on 22 September 2026.

$4.16B
AUM
4,849
Clients
$848K
AUM per individual client
33
Advisory staff
12
Offices
1.65%
Fee
Up to

From Form ADV filed 22 September 2026SEC record

Services and clients

The Retirement Planning Group provides financial planning, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, pension consulting, publishing newsletters, and educational seminars. Financial planning was provided to 4,500 clients last fiscal year.

The Retirement Planning Group reports 4,849 clients. They include 3,260 individual clients, 1,488 high-net-worth individuals, and 86 corporations and other businesses. Of its assets, 97.2% ($4.05B across 13,465 accounts) are managed with discretion; $119M across 642 accounts are not.

Clients and assets by client type
Clients4,849 clients
Assets$4.16B
Share of clients and assets by client type
Client typeClientsAssets
Individuals (other than HNW)67%16%
High-net-worth individuals31%80%
Pension and profit-sharing plans<1%2%
Corporations and other businesses2%2%
Client breakdown and activity details
Individuals (other than HNW)
Clients
3,260
Regulatory AUM
$687M
AUM share
16.5%
Avg. per client
$211K
High-net-worth individuals
Clients
1,488
Regulatory AUM
$3.34B
AUM share
80.2%
Avg. per client
$2.25M
Pension and profit-sharing plans
Clients
15
Regulatory AUM
$72.9M
AUM share
1.8%
Avg. per client
$4.86M
Corporations and other businesses
Clients
86
Regulatory AUM
$64M
AUM share
1.5%
Avg. per client
$745K

Total

Clients
4,849
Regulatory AUM
$4.16B
AUM share
100%
Avg. per client
$859K
Clients outside the U.S.
0%
Clients advised without assets under management last fiscal year
0
Private funds advised
0
Financial planning clients last fiscal year
4500

Fees and minimums

The Retirement Planning Group charges up to 1.65% for its Advisor Fee. The brochure does not state whether the rate is annual. The brochure also prices 2 other services, listed under fee details.

Fee details and sources

Other fees

Estate planning services
Estate planning services through an independent provider are charged under a separate written agreement, apart from investment management fees.
Optional services fee
Optional services, such as custom indexing, carry a fee of up to 0.40% applied to all assets in the account.

Ownership and people

Aretec Group, Inc owns 75% or more of The Retirement Planning Group. Kevin Conard is CEO; the leadership team includes President Ryan Costello, Chief Investment Officer Christopher Bouffard and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Jaegers. It has 78 employees, 33 of them in advisory roles.

Leadership

  • Kevin Conard
    Chief Executive Officer
  • Ryan Costello
    President
  • Kevin Jaegers
    Chief Operating Officer
  • Alexis Barling
    Chief Compliance Officer
  • Christopher Bouffard
    Chief Investment Officer
  • Michelle Burchard
    Director of HR & Client Services
  • Luke Crowther
    Director of Tax
  • Matthew Striegel
    Director of Finance & Accounting

Investment adviser representatives

321 representatives listed in the SEC register as of 9 October 2026.

  • Blake Charles Adams
  • Kelly E Adams
  • Andrea Lynn Addo
  • Daniyal I Ahmed
  • Erica Jean Aitken
  • Wendy Sue Albers
  • Bart Patrick Allard
  • Angela Atkins Ambrose
  • Samuel James Angelo JR
  • Aliina Marie Anton-Erik
  • Loretta A Aquino
  • John Peter Armato

Staff

  • 78 employees
  • 33 in advisory functions
  • 51 state-registered reps
  • 3 soliciting firms
Who owns the firm
The Retirement Planning Group, LLC· the adviser

  • Aretec Group, Inc

    Control person · since May 2023

    Owns 75% or more of The Retirement Planning Group, LLC

Growth and acquisitions

The Retirement Planning Group’s regulatory assets grew 3.2× from $1.31B (June 2021) to $4.16B (September 2026); clients rose from 1,305 to 4,849 and employees from 19 to 78. Between 2024 and 2026, 4 advisory firms joined it. The largest by last filed assets were First Financial Advisors ($297M, August 2025) and Marmo Financial Group ($249M, May 2026, the most recent).

By annual filing
Measure
Figures from each annual filing
The Retirement Planning Group figures from each annual Form ADV filing
FiledRegulatory AUMClientsEmployeesOffices
September 2026$4.16B4,8497812
July 2025$3.02B3,0975810
July 2024$2.01B2,070295
August 2023$1.55B1,844242
May 2022$1.43B1,589243
June 2021$1.31B1,305193

Firms that joined

  1. 20261 joined

    1. Marmo Financial Group
      Form ADV-W, CRD 143816
      Last filed AUM $249M

  2. 20251 joined

    1. First Financial Advisors
      Form ADV-W, CRD 106040
      Last filed AUM $297M

  3. 20242 joined

    1. Parrott Wealth Management
      Form ADV-W, CRD 277121
      Last filed AUM $184M
    2. Watters Financial Services
      Form ADV-W, CRD 126339
      Last filed AUM $152M

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.

Offices and registration details

Besides its headquarters, The Retirement Planning Group has 11 offices (3 private residences, listed without an address), with 9 listed addresses across 8 states.

Listed office addresses by state

Kansas · 1 listed address

  • 11460 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy, Suite 400, LeawoodHQ

Other business names

The Retirement Planning Group has reported 1 other business name to the SEC.

  • Cetera Planning Partners

Contact and registration details

Legal name
The Retirement Planning Group, LLC
Headquarters
11460 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy, Suite 400, Leawood, KS 66211
Website
ceteraplanningpartners.com
Phone
913-498-8898
LinkedIn
@the-retirement-planning-group
SEC file
801-62655
Structure
Delaware LLC
Fiscal year end
December

Custodians

The Retirement Planning Group uses Charles Schwab ($2.39B, 91%) and Fidelity ($226M, 9%) as custodians for its separately managed accounts. The Retirement Planning Group has custody of $1.6B in client assets for 3,672 clients.

Reported separately managed account assets by custodian
$2.61B
named custodians
  • Charles SchwabCharles Schwab & Co., Inc. · San Francisco, CA · $2.39B91%
  • FidelityFidelity Brokerage Services LLC · Boston, MA · $226M9%

Investments and reported holdings

At year end, The Retirement Planning Group’s separately managed accounts were mostly in stocks (77%) and funds (13%). Its reported 13F holdings for the quarter ended 30 June 2026 total $3.94B across 543 positions; the largest are Vanguard Index Fds (8.9%), Wisdomtree TR (7.6%) and Fidelity Covington Trust (7.5%).

What the accounts hold

Separately managed account assets by class, year end
  • Stocks77%
  • Funds13%
  • Bonds2%
    • U.S. government and agency bonds1%
    • Investment grade corporate bonds1%
  • Cash6%
  • Other2%
    • Fixed annuity product2%

Reported 13F holdings

$3.94B
Reported 13F value
543
Positions
56.8%
In the 10 largest
+22.0%
Value vs. prior quarter
Ten largest positions, share of reported value
  1. Vanguard Index Fds · S&P 500 ETF Shs8.9%
  2. Wisdomtree TR · US Quality Grow7.6%
  3. Fidelity Covington Trust · Sml Mid Mltfct7.5%
  4. Franklin Templeton ETF TR · Intl Cor Div Til6.6%
  5. EA Series Trust · Freedom 100 EM4.9%
  6. Pimco ETF TR · Multisector BD4.8%
  7. Victory Portfolios II · Core Plus BD ETF4.5%
  8. Fidelity Covington Trust · High Divid ETF4.3%
  9. Amplify ETF TR · Cwp Enhanced Div4.0%
  10. Fidelity Merrimack Str TR · Total BD ETF3.6%

Together, the ten largest are 56.8% of reported value.

The 50 largest positions and quarterly changesQuarter ended 30 June 2026 · filed 5 August 2026

Common questions

How many clients does The Retirement Planning Group have?

The Retirement Planning Group has 4,849 clients and manages $4.16 billion for them, as of September 2026. They include 3,260 individual clients, 1,488 high-net-worth individuals, and 86 corporations and other businesses.

Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.D and 5.F, filed 22 September 2026

What services does The Retirement Planning Group offer?

The Retirement Planning Group provides financial planning, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, pension consulting, publishing newsletters, and educational seminars.

Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Item 5.G, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file

How much does The Retirement Planning Group charge?

The Retirement Planning Group charges up to 1.65% for its Advisor Fee. The brochure does not state whether the rate is annual.

Source: CETERA PLANNING PARTNERS ADV PART 2A SEPT 2026, filed 22 September 2026

Which custodians does The Retirement Planning Group use?

The Retirement Planning Group’s separately managed account assets are held at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (San Francisco, CA), with $2.39B and Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC (Boston, MA), with $226M. Only custodians holding at least a tenth of those assets are named.

Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Schedule D, Section 5.K.(3), filed 22 September 2026

How many financial advisors does The Retirement Planning Group have?

The Retirement Planning Group has 51 investment adviser representatives registered with state securities authorities, out of 78 employees, and 33 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 Retirement Planning Group invest in?

At the end of its last fiscal year, The Retirement Planning Group’s separately managed accounts held 77% exchange-traded equities, 13% registered funds (mutual funds, ETFs, BDCs), 6% cash and equivalents, 2% other, 1% U.S. government and agency bonds and 1% investment grade corporate bonds. The 2% other category is described as: Fixed Annuity Product.

Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Items 5.K.(1) and 7.B, from the SEC's 2 October 2026 data file

Who owns The Retirement Planning Group?

The Retirement Planning Group’s direct owner is Aretec Group, Inc (75% or more).

Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Schedules A and B, filed 22 September 2026

How does The Retirement Planning Group get paid?

The Retirement Planning Group is paid through a percentage of assets under management and fixed fees. 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 Retirement Planning Group?

The Retirement Planning Group’s main office is at 11460 Tomahawk Creek Pkwy, Suite 400, Leawood, KS 66211. Its phone number is 913-498-8898. Its website is ceteraplanningpartners.com.

Source: Form ADV Part 1A, Item 1.F, filed 22 September 2026

Sources and methodology

  1. Form ADV Part 1A, amendment filed 22 September 2026. Items 1, 5, 9, 11 and Schedules A, B and D.
  2. CETERA PLANNING PARTNERS ADV PART 2A SEPT 2026, submitted 22 September 2026.
  3. IAPD firm record, CRD 129625.
  4. SEC registered adviser data, annual Form ADV amendments filed 24 June 2021 to 22 September 2026. Items 1.F and 5.
  5. Form ADV-W withdrawals of the firms listed under Growth and acquisitions, each linked to its IAPD record, from the SEC's Form ADV-W data. Item 1.
  6. SEC investment adviser representative register, as of 9 October 2026; loaded 10 October 2026.
  7. Form 13F-HR, filed 5 August 2026 for the quarter ended 30 June 2026.

Retrieved 15 October 2026. All are published by the SEC and may have been amended since. Disciplinary history is not yet shown here. The SEC publishes the complete record, including any disciplinary events, and it is the authoritative place to check one.

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