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RIA comparison · SEC Form ADV

Creative Planning vs Empower Advisory Group, LLC

Two independent wealth managers side by side: assets, clients, staff, services and fees, from each firm’s own filing.

The short answer

Creative Planning is the larger of the two, with $296B in regulatory assets to $195B at Empower Advisory Group, LLC, 51% more than its rival, by their latest Form ADV filings. Empower Advisory Group, LLC reports more individual clients (293,347 vs 87,051), while Creative Planning’s clients hold more on average (about $2.1 million each against $570,000). Creative Planning is based in Overland Park, Kansas and Empower Advisory Group, LLC in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

FigureCreative PlanningEmpower Advisory Group, LLC
Regulatory AUM$296B$195B
National rank#4#6
HeadquartersOverland Park, KansasGreenwood Village, Colorado
Individual clients87,051293,347
High-net-worth clients39,51120,524
Average client assets$2.1 million$570,000
Accounts320,323297,074
Discretionary99% of AUM84% of AUM
Employees1,6508,051
Advisory staff1,5386,138
Clients per advisory employee5748
Offices1511,235
Form ADV filed2026-07-102026-07-09

Creative Planning

Full profile →

Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management for individuals and small businesses
  • Portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles
  • Portfolio management for businesses and institutions
  • Pension consulting
  • Selecting other advisers
  • Educational seminars and workshops

How it’s paid

  • A percentage of assets under management
  • Hourly charges
  • Fixed fees

Empower Advisory Group, LLC

Full profile →

Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management for individuals and small businesses
  • Educational seminars and workshops

How it’s paid

  • A percentage of assets under management
  • Fixed fees

Questions

Which is bigger, Creative Planning or Empower Advisory Group, LLC?

Creative Planning, with $296B in regulatory assets under management against $195B at Empower Advisory Group, LLC. Nationally they rank #4 and #6 among 5,657 independent wealth management RIAs.

How many clients do Creative Planning and Empower Advisory Group, LLC have?

Creative Planning reports 87,051 individual clients (39,511 high-net-worth) with 1,538 advisory employees; Empower Advisory Group, LLC reports 293,347 (20,524 high-net-worth) with 6,138 advisory employees.

How do Creative Planning and Empower Advisory Group, LLC charge clients?

Only Creative Planning lists hourly charges on Form ADV. Fee schedules and minimums are in each firm’s Form ADV Part 2A brochure.

What services do Creative Planning and Empower Advisory Group, LLC offer?

Creative Planning lists portfolio management for pooled investment vehicles; portfolio management for businesses and institutions; pension consulting; selecting other advisers, which Empower Advisory Group, LLC does not. Both offer financial planning; portfolio management for individuals and small businesses; educational seminars and workshops.

More comparisons

Where these numbers come from

Every figure is the firm’s own answer on its latest Form ADV, from the SEC’s registered-adviser list as of October 1, 2026: regulatory assets and accounts (Item 5.F), clients by type (5.D), employees (5.A and 5.B), compensation (5.E) and services (5.G). Average client assets divide the assets held for individual and high-net-worth clients by their number. Ranks compare each firm with all US-based independent wealth management RIAs, the same field as The Largest RIAs. Figures can lag recent deals and market moves.

Not an endorsement or a recommendation of either firm. Before hiring an adviser, read its Form ADV Part 2A brochure and check its record on the SEC’s adviser search: Creative Planning ↗, Empower Advisory Group, LLC ↗. How to check a financial advisor →