Fractional CTO for RIA's
Senior technology leadership for firms that need a CTO's judgment without the full-time cost. We evaluate your tech stack, design your roadmap, and make the decisions your current team isn't equipped to make.
The gap
You're making CTO-level decisions without a CTO.
Which portfolio reporting platform do you choose? Should you build a client portal or buy one? Is your cybersecurity posture going to survive an SEC exam? Is that vendor actually delivering what they promised — or are you paying for a roadmap that never ships?
Most RIA's under $500M AUM can't justify a $300K+ executive hire to answer these questions. But you still face the same vendor decisions, the same SEC cybersecurity requirements, and the same integration headaches as firms ten times your size. The difference is you're making these calls without anyone in the room who's made them before.
That's where a fractional CTO engagement makes sense — senior tech leadership scoped to what you actually need, without the overhead of a permanent C-suite role.
When it makes sense
Common Scenarios
- You're evaluating portfolio management or CRM platforms and every vendor says they're the best — you need someone who'll give you a straight answer
- PE firm or acquirer needs a technology roadmap and due diligence assessment as part of growth planning or pre-exit prep
- You're post-acquisition and need to integrate two firms' tech stacks — CRM, custodian feeds, compliance systems — without losing data or breaking workflows
- The SEC cybersecurity rules are here and you don't know if your current setup is compliant — or what it would cost to get there
- You're spending on technology that isn't delivering ROI and need someone to audit what's working and what's waste
- You want to adopt AI but don't know where it'll actually help vs. where it's just hype — and you're worried about SEC scrutiny
What the engagement covers
Scoped to What You Actually Need
No boilerplate. Every engagement starts with understanding your firm — your AUM, your ops team, your current stack, and what's actually keeping you up at night.
Vendor Evaluation & Stack Audit
Independent assessment of your current vendors and tech stack. We'll tell you what's working, what's overpriced, and where you're paying for features you'll never use. Build-vs-buy analysis for core platform decisions.
Technology Roadmap & Budgeting
A prioritized technology roadmap tied to your growth plan and AUM targets — not a generic wish list. Includes realistic budgeting so you know what things actually cost before a vendor gives you their number.
Cybersecurity & Compliance Posture
Assessment of your current security posture against SEC cybersecurity rules and Reg S-P requirements. We'll identify gaps, prioritize fixes by risk, and give you a clear path to compliance — not a 200-page report you'll never read.
AI Readiness & Integration
Where AI will actually deliver ROI for your firm and where it won't. We evaluate your data, your workflows, and your compliance requirements — then recommend specific tools and implementations, not buzzwords.
M&A Technology Due Diligence
Pre-acquisition technology assessment for PE firms and acquiring RIA's. We quantify tech debt, evaluate integration complexity, and give you a realistic cost estimate — not the optimistic one the seller's team put together.
Post-Merger Integration
After the deal closes, you need two firms' tech stacks to become one — CRM, custodian feeds, portfolio reporting, compliance systems. We plan and oversee the integration so nothing falls through the cracks and your clients don't feel the seams.
Why us
We've been the CTO. Not just the consultant.
SSG principals have held CTO and VP Engineering roles at fintech companies from early-stage through exit. We've built trading platforms, portfolio management systems, and compliance infrastructure that institutional clients relied on daily.
When we evaluate your vendor, we're not reading their marketing site — we've built competing products. When we design your architecture, we're not guessing — we've shipped it in production at scale. And when we tell you something isn't worth the money, it's because we've been on your side of the table and made that call with our own capital.
Frequently asked questions
Common Questions
- What does a fractional CTO do for an RIA?
- A fractional CTO provides senior technology leadership — vendor evaluation, architecture decisions, tech roadmap development, and cybersecurity posture assessment — without the cost of a full-time executive hire. For RIA's under $500M AUM, it's the most practical way to get CTO-level judgment on the decisions that matter.
- How is a fractional CTO different from an IT consultant?
- IT consultants typically focus on infrastructure — networks, hardware, help desk. A fractional CTO operates at the strategic level: which platforms to invest in, when to build vs. buy, how to structure your tech stack for growth, and whether your vendors are actually delivering what they promised.
- When should an RIA hire a fractional CTO?
- When you're making technology decisions that will cost six figures or more — platform migrations, vendor selections, post-acquisition integrations, or SEC cybersecurity compliance — and you don't have someone on your team who's made those decisions before.
Schedule a consultation
We speak RIA, not IT.
A direct conversation with someone who's been the CTO, not just the consultant. No slides, no upsell — just a straight answer about what your firm actually needs.