DFX Intelligence

RIA Intelligence

Registered investment advisers, the advisors registered through them, the capital they report, the private vehicles they run and the people who own them, as a graph with a filing date behind every number. RAUM is what the adviser filed, a move is two registration dates, and a class is a rule you can read.

SEC-registered adviser

Vertex Partners

Independent wealth managerDowners Grove, IllinoisCRD 316839SEC 801-122980websiteIAPD
Legal name Vertex Planning Partners, LLC
Latest filing Mar 30, 2026
First filing on the tape Dec 3, 2021 · 15 filings
SEC status approved since Jan 3, 2022
RAUM
$1.0B
reported, Item 5.F
Discretionary
100%
of RAUM
Private clients
100%
$1.0B individuals and HNW
Advisors
13
registered through the firm on IAPD
RAUM per advisor
$77.8M
derived; firm RAUM over IAPD count
Employees
20
13 advisory (5.B.1)
Offices
1
beyond the principal office
Private funds
0
reported on Schedule D
History
15 filings and snapshots on the tape
RAUM$1.0B as of Mar 30, 2026
Mar 22, 2023$481M then
HNW client RAUM$771M as of Mar 30, 2026
Mar 22, 2023$340M then
State-registered IARs (5.B.3)13 as of Mar 30, 2026
Mar 22, 202310 then
Employees (5.A)20 as of Mar 30, 2026
Mar 22, 202314 then
Private funds: no history
RAUM +22% over the last fiscal year+28% a year over threeIARs 13 to 13
Practice profile
derived from the filing of Mar 30, 2026; every figure names its basis
Archetypes, each a printed rule
  • HNW wealth manager · private-client share of RAUM at least 50 percent and HNW share of private-client RAUM 50 to 90 percent
  • Planning-led practice · financial planning activity (5.G.1), at least 100 financial planning clients (5.H), and hourly, fixed or subscription compensation (5.E)
  • Wrap program sponsor · sponsors a wrap fee program (5.I) with at least $100M of wrap assets
RAUM per advisor
$77.8MderivedRAUM over IAPD advisors; not a book size
Clients per advisor
64derivedindividual and HNW clients (5.D) over advisors
Average HNW client
$2.7MderivedHNW RAUM over HNW clients
Average account
$392,225derivedRAUM over accounts (5.F.2.f)
Discretionary
100%derivedof RAUM
Institutional
0.4%derivedpensions, charities, corporations, government, insurance, banks, other advisers
Employees per advisor
1.5derivedItem 5.A over advisors
Advisors per office
6.5derived2 offices incl. principal (1.F.5)
RAUM growth, one year
+22%derivedbetween the last two annual amendments
Advisor growth, one year
+0.0%derivedItem 5.B.3 between annual amendments
Client growth, one year
+2.7%derived
Compensation
percentage of assets, fixed feesreportedItem 5.E
Advisory activities
financial planning, portfolio management for individuals, portfolio management for businesses and institutions, pension consulting, selection of other advisersreportedItem 5.G
Financial planning clients
550reportedItem 5.H
Wrap fee program
$853MreportedItem 5.I
Custody
$419M, 512 clientsreportedItem 9.A
Ownership
no PE, bank or public-company owner found on Schedule Aderived
Advisor book size
not public; not estimatedreported
Also answered yes on Form ADV
  • buys or sells securities as principal to or from clients (8.A.2)
  • has discretionary authority over which securities are bought or sold (8.C.1)
  • receives research or other products from a broker-dealer, soft dollars (8.E)
  • has custody of client cash or bank accounts (9.A.1.a)
  • has custody of client securities (9.A.1.b)
  • a related person has custody of client cash (9.B.1.a)
Where the RAUM sits
Form ADV Item 5.D, latest filing
  • High-net-worth individuals$771M76%
  • Individuals$236M23%
  • Pension and profit-sharing plans$3.6M0.4%
  • Corporations and businesses$1.1M0.1%
  • Charitable organizations$260.0%
Individual clients
552reported
HNW clients
284reported
Pension plan clients
4reported
Charitable clients
1reported
Accounts
2,580reported
Financial planning clients
550reported
Wrap fee programs
$0 sponsored, $668,305 managedreported
Custody of client assets
$419M for 512 clientsreported
Compensation
% of AUM, fixedreported
Class basis
private_client_share=1.0 fund_share=0.0 institutional_share=0.0 related_bd=false related_bank=false bd_reps=9.0derived
Advisors registered through the firm
13 on IAPD today, longest tenure first
NameBranchHere sinceIn industryPrior firms
Gregory Paul BennerCertified Financial Planner, Chartered Financial ConsultantDowners Grove, IlMar 21, 202223 y7
Michael David BellisCertified Financial PlannerDowners Grove, IlMar 31, 202233 y4
Christopher Charles HustonDowners Grove, IlMar 31, 202220 y2
Tammy Talya BilladeauCertified Financial PlannerDowners Grove, IlMar 31, 202217 y6
Justin John DagostinoCertified Financial PlannerDowners Grove, IlMar 31, 202210 y7
Cynthia J MittlestaedtCertified Financial PlannerDowners Grove, IlMar 31, 202210 y2
Julie Ann HuppCertified Financial PlannerDowners Grove, IlMay 13, 202224 y4
Edward Kyle SmithDowners Grove, IlMay 15, 202211 y0
Steven Paul FranzenPersonal Financial SpecialistDowners Grove, IlJun 1, 202228 y4
Peter Matthew BabillaCertified Financial PlannerDowners Grove, IlDec 16, 202241 y3
Scott Andrew SandeeCertified Financial PlannerDowners Grove, IlJan 18, 202323 y5
Megan Nicole MicekDowners Grove, IlSep 3, 202412 y0
Igor YukhvidinDowners Grove, IlOct 3, 202511 y0
Advisor movement
0 left, 0 joined in 12 months
net 0 in 12 months0 left in 90 days0 joined in 90 daysdeparture rate 0.0% of current headcount0 left over 36 months
Left, latest
none on the tape
    Joined, latest
    Teams: two or more advisors moving together within fourteen days, from one state
      Private funds
      No private fund reported.
      Owners and control persons
      Schedule A and B, latest filing
      • David Michael Bellis · Managing Membercontrol
        since 09/2021 · owns 25% to 50%
      • Paul Gregory Benner · Chief Compliance Officer / Managing Membercontrol
        since 09/2021 · owns 25% to 50%
      • Paul Steven Franzen · Managing Membercontrol
        since 09/2021 · owns 5% to 10%
      • Charles Christopher Huston · Member
        since 03/2022 · owns 5% to 10%
      • Andrew Scott Sandee · Member
        since 01/2023 · owns less than 5%
      Related persons
      Schedule D 7.A
      • Vertex Accounting Partners, LLC
        insurancen
      Office movement
      IAPD branch city; joins and departures in 12 months
      OfficeAdvisorsJoinedLeftTeams outForming
      Downers Grove, Il · principal1310
      Offices
      Schedule D 1.F, the 25 largest
      • Grayslake, IL2 employees
      What changed
      consecutive filings, newest first
      • Accounts · 2,374 to 2,580
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • HNW clients · 269 to 284
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • Individual clients · 545 to 552
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • Pension plan clients · 2 to 4
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • Assets in custody · $9.8M to $419M
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • Discretionary RAUM · $826M to $1.0B
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • HNW RAUM · $628M to $771M
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • Individual RAUM · $195M to $236M
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • Non-discretionary RAUM · $1.9M to $2.5M
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • Pension RAUM · $2.8M to $3.6M
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • RAUM · $828M to $1.0B
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • Wrap assets (manager) · $0 to $668,305
        Mar 26, 2025 to Mar 30, 2026
      • BD registered reps · 10 to 9
        Feb 26, 2025 to Mar 26, 2025
      • Financial planning clients · More than 500 to More than 500
        Feb 26, 2025 to Mar 26, 2025
      • Accounts · 2,295 to 2,374
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • BD registered reps · 11 to 10
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • Corporate clients · 1 to 2
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • HNW clients · 253 to 269
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • Individual clients · 539 to 545
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • Assets in custody · $7.4M to $9.8M
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • Discretionary RAUM · $795M to $826M
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • HNW RAUM · $591M to $628M
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • Individual RAUM · $202M to $195M
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • Non-discretionary RAUM · $2.2M to $1.9M
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • Pension RAUM · $2.8M to $2.8M
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • RAUM · $797M to $828M
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • Wrap assets (manager) · $684M to $0
        Oct 28, 2024 to Feb 26, 2025
      • Accounts · 2,169 to 2,295
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • Advisory employees · 14 to 13
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • BD registered reps · 9 to 11
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • HNW clients · 249 to 253
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • Individual clients · 519 to 539
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • Pension plan clients · 4 to 2
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • Pooled vehicle clients · unset to 0.0
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • Employees · 14 to 20
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • State-registered IARs · 10 to 13
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • Discretionary RAUM · $670M to $795M
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • HNW RAUM · $504M to $591M
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • Individual RAUM · $163M to $202M
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      • Non-discretionary RAUM · $1.2M to $2.2M
        Mar 28, 2024 to Oct 28, 2024
      Signals
      4 dated events
      • Vertex Partners reported RAUM $671.2M, up 40% from $481.1M (2023-12-15 to 2024-03-28)
        Mar 28, 2024 · RAUM change · derived
      • 7 advisors left Highpoint Planning Partners (Downers Grove, IL) for Vertex Partners on the same day
        Apr 29, 2022 · Team lift-out · derived
      • Andrew Bradley Schaffnit (Managing Member) no longer on Schedule A of Vertex Partners (listed 2021-12-15, absent 2022-03-21)
        Mar 21, 2022 · Control person left · inference
      • Vertex Partners filed its initial SEC registration (Form ADV)
        Dec 3, 2021 · First SEC registration · fact
      Across DFX
      shared identifiers only, never a name match
      No identifier-backed link to the venture, private equity, family office or sponsor graphs.
      How to reach
      public business contact points only, each with its source
      Business phone
      630-836-3300reportedpublished by the firm, firm site, Sep 15, 2026
      Firm profile
      linkedin.com/company/vertexplanningpartnersreportedpublic record, Form ADV, Sep 17, 2026
      Website
      vertexplanningpartners.comreportedpublic record, Form ADV, Sep 17, 2026
      Principal office phone
      630-836-3300reportedpublic record, Form ADV, Mar 30, 2026
      Provenance
      Form ADV
      SEC filing data 2011 to 2024 and the monthly roster 2025 onreportedadviserinfo.sec.gov
      Advisors
      IAPD individual compilation feed, dailyreportedadviserinfo.sec.gov
      Class
      Independent wealth managerderiveda rule over Items 5.D and 7.A
      RAUM per advisor
      $77.8Mderivedfirm RAUM over the IAPD count; not a book size
      Loaded
      Sep 14, 2026