487K
Subscribers
1.6M/mo
Monthly Views
$20K-$40K/mo
Est. Monthly Revenue
$12.50-$25.00
Est. RPM
290+ videos uploaded | 48M+ total views
The Story
James Morrison spent 18 years as a wealth advisor at a prestigious firm, managing portfolios for high-net-worth clients. He noticed a gap - people earning $200K-$500K annually were too 'small' for white-glove wealth management but too complex for robo-advisors. These mass affluent professionals were making costly mistakes with no one to guide them. He started YouTube to serve this underserved market, explaining concepts like backdoor Roth conversions, mega backdoor Roth strategies, and equity compensation planning that his firm charged thousands to explain. His content resonated immediately with tech workers, doctors, and executives who finally found someone speaking their financial language. Today, James runs a fee-only RIA (Registered Investment Advisor) that serves clients nationally, with YouTube as his primary client acquisition channel. His cost per client acquisition through YouTube is essentially zero - prospects come pre-educated and ready to hire.
“Wall Street ignores people earning $300K because they're 'not rich enough.' But those people need guidance the most - they're making decisions that will determine whether they retire at 50 or 70. YouTube lets me serve them.”
— Wealth Advisor James
The Transformation
Before
Wealth advisor at large firm serving only ultra-high-net-worth clients
After
487K subscriber educator running $85M+ RIA with zero marketing costs
Timeline: 4 years of content creation
Content Strategy
James targets the 'mass affluent' specifically - people earning $200K+ who face complex tax situations but aren't billionaires. His content covers advanced topics (RSUs, ISOs, deferred comp, NUA strategies) that other finance YouTubers ignore because the audience is 'too small.' But that audience has the highest CPMs on YouTube.
Key Insights
Mass affluent audience commands highest CPMs in finance ($25-$45)
Complex tax content filters for qualified, high-intent prospects
Fee-only positioning builds trust competitors can't match
YouTube eliminates client acquisition costs for advisory firm
Tech worker equity compensation is massively underserved niche
Long-form educational content converts better than entertainment
Business Impact
487K subscribers - leading mass affluent financial education channel
RIA firm managing $85M+ in client assets
Zero marketing spend - all clients from YouTube
Average client household income: $380K
Speaking engagements at tech companies for equity compensation
Total estimated annual revenue: $1.2M+ from all sources