ProfoundrySMAdvisors

Issue 1 · November 17, 2026

Only 1 of 44 Wichita advisor websites says who it's for

Sixteen firms name a real niche. Further down the page.

Edited by Mike Moen, Wichita

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The lead: Only 1 of 44 Wichita advisor websites says who it’s for

In October I studied the homepages of 44 Wichita-area advisory firms. Independent practices, plus the wealth pages of local banks and credit unions.

Only one told me who it serves in the first two lines.

That should worry you. The top of your homepage is where a prospect decides whether to keep reading. Picture someone who just sold a business, or a nurse ten years from retirement, with three advisor sites open in three tabs. They read your headline. Then the next firm’s. Then the next. If all three say the same thing, they choose on fees, a gut feeling, or whoever calls back first. If one says “we work with people like you,” that firm gets the call.

Search works the same way now. Google and AI tools like ChatGPT read your page to work out who you help. If you don’t say it, they guess. Or they point people to a firm that spelled it out.

I asked each page three questions. Who is this for? Could anyone else say this? Can they prove it?

Who is it for. 1 of 44 named a specific kind of client at the top of the page. 26 named no audience at all.

Could anyone else say it. The average page used about four of the same stock phrases. “Your goals” showed up on roughly half. “Personalized,” “tailored” or “customized” on almost as many. When every firm in town makes the same promise, nobody hears it.

Can they prove it. 23 of 44 showed no proof of any kind. No reviews, no awards, no numbers, not even a credential. One firm showed a client testimonial. One, in a business built on trust.

The worst part? Many of them already have the answer.

Sixteen firms do name a specific audience. Further down the page. Aviation employees near retirement. Women investors. Family farms. Family-owned businesses.

Those are real niches, and they’re sitting where most visitors never scroll.

If your niche is on your website, move it to the first line. This week.

How I scored it: Wichita-area firms with their own websites; corporate template pages excluded; read October 15, 2026. Sites change, so your page may look different today.

Rules and regulators

Kansas waives securities registration fees again. Fees for investment adviser firms, adviser representatives and broker-dealers are waived for fiscal year 2027 (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), about $9 million in total. It’s the fourth full waiver since 2022. Kansas Insurance Department

SEC proposes scrapping the adviser pay-to-play rule. The proposal would eliminate Rule 206(4)-5, including its two-year compensation ban, and rely on existing antifraud and fiduciary rules; the SEC estimates about $3,750 a year in savings per smaller adviser. State and local pay-to-play laws would still apply. Alston & Bird summary

SEC proposes custody rule changes, including crypto. The October 1 proposal sets out how advisers can hold crypto assets and updates audit requirements; firms that self-custody would need an annual internal control report from an independent accountant. Comments are due in early December. SEC

CFP Board raises CE to 40 hours. For reporting periods starting in the first quarter of 2027, CFP professionals need 40 hours every two years (38 general, 2 ethics), up from 30. Up to 10 extra hours can carry over. InvestmentNews

FINRA shortens exam retake waits. Starting January 19, 2027, the wait after a first or second failed attempt drops from 30 days to 15, and after a third from 180 days to 60. FINRA Regulatory Notice 26-18

IRS 2027 retirement limits are due this month. The IRS hasn’t announced them yet. Industry projections put the 401(k) deferral limit at $25,500, up from $24,500, and the age 50+ catch-up at $8,500. 401(k) Specialist

Growth check: the covered-logo test

Open your homepage on your phone. Put your thumb over the logo. Read only the first two lines.

Could a visitor tell who you’re for? Could a competitor down the street use the same two lines without changing a word?

If the answer to the second question is yes, you’ve found your next edit.

In my study, this is where 43 of 44 Wichita firms lost the visitor.

Calendar

  • Wed., Nov. 18, noon, virtual: FPA of Greater Kansas City, Virtual Ethics. Register
  • Wed., Dec. 9, noon, Wichita: FPA of Kansas Lunch Bunch, location to be announced. Details

New in the directory

The first Kansas listings are live, each checked against the firm’s SEC registration record:

Are you listed?

The Profoundry Advisors directory covers independent advisors and RIAs across Kansas. Listings are free and facts-only, with no ratings or reviews. Find or claim your listing.

Sources

Profoundry Advisors is for information only and is not investment, legal or tax advice. Firms mentioned are not endorsed.