Independent Fiduciary Wealth Advisors

Curated Wealth Strategies, Built Exclusively for You.

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What We Do

The Ballast Rock Private Wealth Difference

We combine decades of institutional expertise with direct access to private markets and fully integrated planning to deliver strategies built personally around each client we serve.

About Us

True wealth is more than money.

Ballast Rock Private Wealth is an independent, fiduciary registered investment advisor with offices in Charleston, SC and Carlsbad, CA, serving high-net-worth individuals, families, and business owners. We believe true wealth is more than money. It is the purpose that drives you and the legacy you create for the people who matter most. Our team integrates financial planning, tax alpha strategies, estate planning, and custom investment solutions, including access to private market investments, to deliver enduring value across generations.

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Press & Insights

Industry publications turn to our team for perspective on markets, planning, and wealth strategy.

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The Team

Our People

Our advisors are based in Charleston, SC and Carlsbad, CA. Benefit from the collective expertise of our full team: credentialed wealth advisors, portfolio managers, and planning specialists, all working together around your goals.

Advisory & Leadership

“We are committed to helping high-net-worth clients maximize the impact and value of their wealth to strengthen their legacies and inspire a better future for their families.”
Andrew Mescon — CEO

Operations & Corporate

Mike Schmansky

Chief Financial Officer

Lauren Niziol

Accounting

Juan Pablo Novoa

Director of Digital Engagement

Jana Carroll

Foundation Director

Nate Lewis

General Counsel

Sarah Spence Wallace

Director of Human Resources

Steve Ponce

Corporate Controller

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Services

Private Placement Life Insurance

An institutional approach to tax-efficient wealth preservation, growth, and transfer, built for qualified investors.

For Qualified Investors

PPLI is a private-placement variable life insurance strategy available only to Accredited Investors and Qualified Purchasers. This page is educational and is not an offer to sell, a solicitation, or tax, legal, or investment advice. Suitability depends on your individual circumstances.

What It Is

A life insurance policy that works like an institutional investment account.

Private Placement Life Insurance

Private Placement Life Insurance is a variable life insurance product designed for sophisticated investors, not a retail policy with a different name. Rather than commissions, sales loads, and a standard investment menu set by the insurer, PPLI is built around institutional pricing, transparent fees, and investment selection directed by the policyholder’s chosen manager. Premiums can be allocated across hedge funds, private equity, private credit, and other alternatives, where they may grow in a tax-advantaged environment, with death benefits generally paid income-tax-free when the policy is structured correctly.

The structure exists to solve a specific problem: the annual tax drag that erodes long-term compounding on tax-inefficient assets. Held within an irrevocable trust, PPLI can also support efficient wealth transfer and help mitigate estate taxes when properly structured, integrating with a client’s broader legacy plan. Assets are held in a segregated separate account at the carrier, adding a layer of protection beyond what a general-account retail policy offers.

PPLI is not appropriate for everyone. It generally suits investors and families who qualify as Accredited Investors or Qualified Purchasers, can commit meaningful long-term premium, are comfortable holding alternative and tax-inefficient assets, and have limited near-term liquidity needs from that capital. Because tax-advantaged treatment depends on continued compliance with the diversification rules and the investor-control doctrine, ongoing administration matters as much as the initial design, and we coordinate closely with each client’s insurance, tax, and legal advisors.

Common Questions

PPLI, answered plainly

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Important Disclosures

This material is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or insurance product, nor does it constitute investment, tax, accounting, or legal advice. Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) is a variable life insurance product offered solely through private placement to investors who qualify as Accredited Investors and Qualified Purchasers under applicable federal securities laws. Eligibility, availability, and benefits depend on your individual circumstances and on proper structuring.

Any examples, figures, or charts shown are hypothetical and are presented only to illustrate concepts such as tax-deferred compounding. They are not projections, predictions, or guarantees of future results, do not reflect the performance of any actual policy or investment, and rely on simplifying assumptions including assumed rates of return, assumed tax rates, and assumed costs that will differ from actual experience. Actual results will vary, may be lower or higher, and could result in loss. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Tax-advantaged treatment of a PPLI policy depends on continued compliance with Section 7702 of the Internal Revenue Code, the diversification requirements of Treasury Regulation §1.817-5, and the investor-control doctrine; failure to comply may result in loss of tax benefits and retroactive taxation. Guarantees are subject to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance carrier. Insurance and securities products are offered through appropriately licensed entities and individuals. You should consult your own independent tax, legal, and insurance professionals before making any decision. Ballast Rock Private Wealth does not provide tax or legal advice.

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Insights & Perspectives

Welcome to our complete collection of insights and articles. Here, you’ll find a broad range of perspectives from Ballast Rock’s team—from market commentary and investment insights to stories of entrepreneurial success and firm news. Whether you’re seeking clarity on today’s financial landscape or fresh thinking about what’s next, it’s all here.

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Email contact@ballastrockpw.com
Phone 800-204-2513
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