Professional background
Austin Harley is a financial advisor with Roadstead Capital Partners in Charleston, South Carolina. His practice focuses on three connected areas: employer 401(k) plans for growing South Carolina companies, retirement planning for individuals and couples approaching or entering retirement, and personal financial planning for business owners.
He works with plan sponsors, plan participants, business owners, and retirees — often the same people wearing different hats. That combination shapes how he approaches each conversation.
Employer retirement-plan experience
Austin serves as an advisor to employer-sponsored 401(k) plans in a 3(21) co-fiduciary capacity, working directly with plan sponsors, HR teams, plan committees, providers, and employees. His plan work focuses on fiduciary process, investment monitoring, provider coordination, payroll integration, and employee education.
Pre-retirement planning focus
The transition from a paycheck to a portfolio is the moment where planning earns its keep. Austin helps individuals and couples coordinate Social Security, healthcare, withdrawal sequencing, Roth conversions, and the day-to-day mechanics of turning savings into reliable income.
Business-owner planning focus
For business owners, Austin coordinates the personal and business sides of the financial picture: retirement plan design, tax-aware planning with the CPA, concentration risk, insurance coordination, and eventual exit or succession.
Planning philosophy
Meetings that don’t waste time. Plans written in plain English. Fees disclosed in writing before any relationship starts. Coordination with your other professionals, not around them. And a bias toward the answer that fits the client — not the answer that’s easier to sell.
Charleston and South Carolina
Charleston is home. Austin lives in the Lowcountry, works with clients across South Carolina, and prefers in-person meetings when they make sense. When they don’t, video works fine.
Credentials
- Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA)
- FINRA registered through Osaic Wealth, Inc.
- Registered in South Carolina and additional states on request
Roadstead Capital Partners
Austin is a Director at Roadstead Capital Partners, an independent firm based in Charleston. He works alongside partners Josh Wright and Jeff McDowell, CFP, and the broader Roadstead team. Every client Austin serves is served through Roadstead — this website reflects Austin’s individual practice within the firm, not a separate advisory business.
Regulatory relationship
Securities and advisory services are offered through Osaic Wealth, Inc., member FINRA / SIPC. Roadstead Capital Partners is not affiliated with Osaic Wealth, Inc. Additional detail about Austin’s registration and any regulatory history is available on FINRA BrokerCheck.
Personal background
Austin grew up in the Lowcountry. When he isn’t working, he’s usually on the water, in the truck headed somewhere on the coast, or watching football. He’s open about all of it because clients hire the person, not just the credentials.