Key Takeaways
- • Creative Planning CIO Jamie Battmer, in an Invest: interview published in July 2026, said the firm's organic growth remains strong and that its holistic, planning-led model is the main driver of that growth.
- • Battmer said Creative Planning was recently ranked the only large RIA with a five-star rating by The Wall Street Journal for comprehensive wealth management, and that the firm manages over $10 billion for expats.
- • The firm employs more than 300 CPAs and is prioritizing tax, estate planning, and business valuation specialists over investment analysts, which Battmer said the data shows underperform.
- • Creative Planning plans to expand internationally to serve clients relocating to Portugal, the Dominican Republic, and Southeast Asia, and to pass investment cost savings of up to 60% on certain products to clients.
- • Battmer argued that advisers must go beyond portfolio management to address taxes, estate documents, business valuation, and Medicare, citing recent regulatory changes affecting business owners.
Summary
Creative Planning Chief Investment Officer Jamie Battmer discussed the firm's wealth management approach, Tampa Bay's appeal to high-net-worth individuals, and growing client demand for broader advisory services in an interview with Invest: published in July 2026. Battmer attributed the firm's healthy organic growth to a holistic, financial planning-led approach, and said Creative Planning remains attractive to outside firms seeking to join it. She cited a five-star rating from The Wall Street Journal for comprehensive wealth management, which she said made Creative Planning the only large RIA with that distinction.
The firm employs more than 300 CPAs and manages over $10 billion for expatriates. Battmer said the firm's expat work focuses on navigating complex tax jurisdictions rather than outperforming markets. She said recent volatility and geopolitical events had created tax optimization opportunities for clients, as well as planning opportunities tied to regulatory changes affecting business valuation and asset depreciation for business owners.
On industry trends, Battmer argued that advisers must justify fees through services beyond investment selection, including tax analysis, estate documentation, business valuation, and Medicare enrollment guidance. She cited the claim that more than 90% of professional Wall Street investors fail to outperform their benchmarks, and said advisers charging only 1% to manage assets no longer meet client expectations. She also said the firm's talent strategy prioritizes tax, estate, and planning specialists, and that investment analysis backgrounds are not a current hiring priority.
Looking ahead, Battmer said Creative Planning will continue to grow its service capabilities and expand internationally to serve clients moving to Portugal, the Dominican Republic, and Southeast Asia. She also said the firm aims to reduce investment costs, stating that many of its investments can be accessed at up to a 60% discount compared with other investors in the same products, and that it intends to pass those savings to clients.
The firm employs more than 300 CPAs and manages over $10 billion for expatriates. Battmer said the firm's expat work focuses on navigating complex tax jurisdictions rather than outperforming markets. She said recent volatility and geopolitical events had created tax optimization opportunities for clients, as well as planning opportunities tied to regulatory changes affecting business valuation and asset depreciation for business owners.
On industry trends, Battmer argued that advisers must justify fees through services beyond investment selection, including tax analysis, estate documentation, business valuation, and Medicare enrollment guidance. She cited the claim that more than 90% of professional Wall Street investors fail to outperform their benchmarks, and said advisers charging only 1% to manage assets no longer meet client expectations. She also said the firm's talent strategy prioritizes tax, estate, and planning specialists, and that investment analysis backgrounds are not a current hiring priority.
Looking ahead, Battmer said Creative Planning will continue to grow its service capabilities and expand internationally to serve clients moving to Portugal, the Dominican Republic, and Southeast Asia. She also said the firm aims to reduce investment costs, stating that many of its investments can be accessed at up to a 60% discount compared with other investors in the same products, and that it intends to pass those savings to clients.
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