Top Financial Advisors in Arizona

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TFO Phoenix is a fee-only firm that works with both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as charities.

The advisor team holds multiple certifications including certified public accountant (CPA), certified financial planner (CFP), certified private wealth advisors (CPWA), chartered alternative investment analyst (CAIA) and chartered financial analyst (CFA) designations.

There is no specifically set account minimum to join TFO Phoenix, but there is a $20,000 minimum annual fee.

TFO Phoenix Background

Founded in just 2011, TFO Phoenix has become a massive firm in a relatively short period of time. CEO and chairman Chris Erblich established the firm and remains its principal owner to this day. However, Erblich owns TFO indirectly through two trusts: CASK Irrevocable Trust U/A and TFO, Irrevocable Trust U/A.

In order to best serve its clients, TFO Phoenix looks to provide a holistic set of financial planning and investment management offerings. Clients can utilize wealth planning, investment advisory, family milestone planning, tax consulting, estate planning, gift planning, philanthropic planning, family governance and more.

TFO Phoenix Investing Strategy

Prior to the implementation of any specific investment plans, TFO Phoenix will work with clients to build a written investment policy statement (IPS). This is meant to, on a hard copy, lay out your risk tolerance, investment objectives and liquidity needs so that the firm can remain aligned with your needs. In addition to planning for your future investment, the firm will evaluate your current holdings to see if they maintain enough relevance to be included.

Once your assets are invested, TFO Phoenix will begin monitoring your portfolio's performance. Should earnings cause your portfolio to fall too far out of its intended asset allocation, the firm will rebalance as needed.

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TCI Wealth Advisors has several advisors with multiple certifications. These include designations as certified financial planner (CFP), certified public accountant (CPA), chartered financial analyst (CFA), accredited estate planner (AEP), certified trust and financial advisor (CTFA), accredited asset management specialist (AAMS) and accredited investment fiduciary (AIF).

Rather than call for a specific initial investment, TCI requires clients to have at least $5,000 in annual fees. For this reason, potential clients will want to make sure they have enough invested to justify these fees. The fee-only firm works with both non-high-net-worth individuals and high-net-worth individuals. It also does business with pension plans, charitable organizations, trusts, estates and corporations.

TCI Wealth Advisors Background

TCI Wealth Advisors was founded in 1990 by Bob Swift. Originally known as The Conservative Investor, it operated out of Swift’s house and focused on educational classes. In 1992, it changed its name and started to take its current form. Swift is still an advisor and a shareholder in the company. The company is privately owned by individuals and trusts.

TCI provides wealth management and investing services in addition to pension management advising services. The Financial Times named it one of the top 300 financial advisors in the U.S. from 2015 to 2019.

TCI Wealth Advisors Investment Strategy

Advisors at TCI Wealth Advisors tailor their approach to each client’s needs and preferences. The biggest factors they take into account are risk tolerance, time horizon and desired rate of return. They then schedule regular meetings with clients to keep everyone on the same page regarding the investment plan.

Common investments used in client portfolios include stocks, bonds and mutual funds. The firm does use short-term investments under certain circumstances.

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Stoker Ostler is a fee-only firm headquartered in Scottsdale and has a secondary office in Salt Lake City. Almost the entire client base is comprised of high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals. The firm's only institutional clients are charitable organizations.

If you're interested in becoming a client of this firm, you'll generally need at least $500,000 in investable assets. The firm may be willing to reduce this requirement, though.

Stoker Ostler Background

Stoker Ostler was established in 1997. Today, the firm is led by chief investment officer (CIO) Michael Bolar, director Michael Halls and managing director Michelle Decker. The firm is under the ownership of Canada-based bank, BMO Financial Corp.

Investment management, consulting and financial planning services are all available through this firm. Financial plannig is the most flexible of these offerings, covering topics like retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning, philanthropic gift planning, business planning, executive compensation planning and more. The firm has a specific service for women titled "Women & Wealth."

Stoker Ostler Investing Strategy

Stoker Ostler provides investment management servies on a discretionary and non-discretionary basis. Before investing your assets, the firm will create an investment policy statement that details what kind of investor you are. This will include things like your short- and long-term financial goals, risk tolerance, time horizon and investment preferences.

The portfolios this firm builds are first and foremost diversified. The firm diversifies assets not only across different areas of the market, but also between different securities. The firm tends to invest in some combination of equities, fixed-income securities, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and more.

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WealthPlan Advisors is a fee-only firm that works with non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and corporations. 

Advisors at the firm hold multiple certifications, including certified financial planners (CFPs), certified investment management analysts (CIMAs) and accredited investment fiduciaries (AIFs).

WealthPlan has two minimum investment requirements: $500,000 in investable assets for individual portfolio management and a $10,000 minimum annual fee for retirement plan and institutional consulting services.

WealthPlan Advisors Background

Brothers Scott and Todd Schlappi founded WealthPlan Advisors in 2009 after spending time in investing and retirement plan consulting for a combined total of around 45 years. Today, the firm is owned by principal shareholders Wealth Management, Inc. and Retirement Plan Advisors, Inc. These companies are, in turn, owned by Scott Schlappi and Rick Horton, giving them indirect control of WealthPlan. Both still work at the firm today.

WealthPlan Advisors Investing Strategy

WealthPlan Advisors explicitly states that it does not engage in stock-picking strategies that look to identify specific securities that it believes will outperform the rest of the market. Instead, it prefers to create an exact, risk-adjusted asset allocation that aligns with your time horizon and any possible needs for liquidity. Consistent with this philosophy, WealthPlan often invests in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), passive and active mutual funds, separate accounts, variable annuities, collective trusts and more.

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Autus Asset Management is a fee-only firm that serves both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as pensions and profit-sharing plans, charities and other investment advisors.

The firm charges clients a minimum annual fee of $5,000. Investment management services are generally charged as a percentage of assets under management that ranges between 0.20% and 1%.

As a fee-only financial firm, Autus advisors get compensation from client fees only and do not take transaction-based fees such as sales commissions.

Autus Asset Management Background

Founded in 2002, Autus Asset Management is a registered investment advisor in Scottsdale, Arizona. Mark Fiedler, Kipp Goll, Donald Cuppy and John Stull are the four principal owners of the firm.

Services offered by Autus include:

• Wealth management
• Portfolio management
• Risk management
• Tax planning
• Cash flow management

The firm also offers discretionary investment management services in variable life and annuity products, as well as individual employer-sponsored retirement plans, 529 plans and other products that are not held by the client’s primary custodian.

Autus Asset Management Investment Strategy

All prospective investments are analyzed on an individual basis. As with other firms, strategies depend largely on client goals and needs. However, the firm uses fundamental, technical and cyclical methods to research investments.

Autus allocates investment assets primarily among mutual funds, exchange-traded-funds (ETFs), individual debt and equity securities.

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There is no set account minimum at Trajan Wealth, so technically just about anyone can become a client. This has likely led to the firm's client base being dominated by non-high-net-worth individuals. The firm also works with some high-net-worth clients and investment companies.

This Scottsdale-based firm has advisors with a number of certifications. More specifically, they hold designations like certified financial planner (CFP), certified wealth strategist (CWS), certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) and more.

Insurance policies can be sold by certain advisors at Trajan on a commission basis. Although this is a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty requires it to act in your best interest no matter what.

Trajan Wealth Background

Trajan Wealth was founded in 2010 by CEO Jeff Junior. Junior principally owns the firm, and is a former U.S. Marine with more than 20 years of experience in financial services. In addition to its multiple Arizona offices, Trajan has locations in Utah, Oklahoma and Texas.

Investment management services at Trajan are customized based on your needs. Financial planning includes retirement planning, estate planning, insurance planning and more.

Trajan Wealth Investing Strategy

As we state above, Trajan Wealth uses the specifics of your financial situation to formulate an investment plan for you. This involves doing a deep dive in your personal risk tolerance, financial goals, time until retirement, liquidity needs and investment preferences. Based on these factors, an asset allocation that divides your assets between multiple investment types will be created.

Generally speaking, Trajan tends to invest in ETFs, mutual funds, annuities, stocks, bonds, cash and cash equivalents. When making investment decisions, the firm uses fundamental analysis, technical analysis and cyclical analysis.

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Total Investment Management is a fee-based firm in Scottsdale that caters to aviation professionals. It has more than $1 billion in assets under management (AUM) and employs several advisors. Its team holds multiple certifications as certified financial planner (CFP), chartered financial analyst (CFA), chartered market technician (CMT) and accredited investment fiduciary (AIF).

The firm works mostly with non-high-net-worth individuals, but it also does business with high-net-worth individuals and corporations.

There is no minimum investment required, but there is a minimum fee of $600. For this reason, potential clients will want to make sure they can invest enough to make this fee worthwhile.

Certain advisors at this firm can receive commissions for insurance sales made with clients. While this presents a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty requires its advisors to act in clients' best interests, no matter what.

Total Investment Management Background

Total Investment Management was founded by John E. Foster II, who still serves as the firm’s chairman, in 1998. Foster is a former military and airline pilot who created the firm to provide financial services to other aviation professionals. It still focuses on serving members of the aviation community.

The company is primarily owned by John E. Foster II and his son and CEO Todd Michael Foster. It offers investment advisory services along with retirement planning, strategizing for taxes and estate planning.

Total Investment Management Investment Strategy

Total Investment Management has a three-pronged approach to investing: mutual fund and ETF research, fundamental research and technical analysis. The firm’s primary asset classes are bonds, alternative investments and equities. It claims to be fully independent and agnostic when it comes to which fund firms it invests in. 

Total Investment Management uses technical analysis to figure out when to buy and sell securities, and it uses investor psychology patterns to make predictions. The firm especially believes in using ETFs to make the most money for clients, due to the fact that ETFs bear lower fees compared to traditional mutual funds.

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Galvin, Gaustad & Stein is a Scottsdale-based, fee-based firm. It has numerous advisors on staff, including certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered financial analysts (CFAs), a chartered life underwriter (CLU) and a certificate in investment performance measurement (CIPM).

The firm works mostly with non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans and corporations.

There is an account minimum of $500,000.

Some of the advisors at this firm have the ability to sell insurance on a commission basis. This creates the potential for a conflict of interest, though the firm is legally bound by its fiduciary duty to act in clients' best interests at all times.

Galvin, Gaustad & Stein Background

Galvin, Gaustad & Stein was founded in 2010 by Stephen R. Galvin, Stephen L. Gaustad and Mark P. Stein. All three men still work at the firm as investment advisors and principals. The trio combines to own the firm in its entirety.

This firm takes a largely data-driven approach, using analysis gathered from investors to improve performance. In addition to investment advising, the firm also offers retirement plan analysis, help with charitable giving and distribution planning. It also does portfolio management for businesses and institutional clients.

Galvin, Gaustad & Stein Investing Strategy

Galvin, Gaustad & Stein starts by performing a comprehensive analysis of a client’s existing portfolio. After that, it invests in multiple investment types, including stocks, bonds, CDs, mutual funds, ETFs and real estate. It also works with clients to create a distribution plan for when they retire. Investing strategies are customized based on clients’ desires and individual financial situations. 

The firm corresponds with clients to go over liquidity constraints, risk preferences and other factors related to portfolio management and success. When deciding which mutual funds and ETFs to invest in, the firm looks at security expense ratio, total assets, manager style and style drift to find the best option for investment.

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Public Safety Financial/Galloway is a fee-based firm that calls Mesa home. The firm is fairly unique in that its services are based entirely around providing "retirement planning and financial solutions for Police, Fire, Government Employees, their families and friends," according to the firm's website. Its staff of advisors is made up of people who have worked in various areas within the public realm.

Almost all of the firm's clients are non-high-net-worth individuals, with a few high-net-worth individuals rounding it out. There is no specific account minimum for new clients.

Insurance products and securities can be sold by certain on-staff advisors here for commissions. This creates a potential conflict of interest, though the firm's fiduciary duty still requires it to act in clients' best interests.

Public Safety Financial/Galloway Background

Public Safety Financial/Galloway was founded in 2006. Public Safety Financial, LLC is the firm's principal owner.

Investment management and asset allocation services are available at this firm. Various types of financial planning, like retirement planning and pension maximization, are also present.

Public Safety Financial/Galloway Investing Strategy

Public Safety Financial/Galloway uses clients' investor characteristics to create an investment portfolio plan that's suited to reach their short- and long-term financial goals. To accomplish this, the firm will work with you to determine your risk tolerance, time horizon and income needs. While the firm often builds a custom portfolio for each client, it may also recommend a model portfolio with a predecided asset allocation. Should your advisor go with the latter, a model portfolio that still meets your needs will be chosen.

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Although Wall Capital Group's website lists institutional investment advisory and traditional wealth management as its specialties, more than three-quarters of its client base is made up of non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals. However, the firm's primary client is a collection of Illinois police and fire pension funds. It also serves charities. There is no set account minimum at this fee-only firm.

Wall Capital Group has a tight knit staff of financial advisors with multiple certifications as certified financial planner (CFP), certified investment management analyst (CIMA) and chartered retirement counselor (CRC). 

Wall Capital Group Background

Wall Capital Group was created by husband-wife duo David Wall and Colleen Wall in 1990. At separate times, the firm did business under the names Wall & Associates and Wall Wealth Advisors. David Wall currently serves as the firm's president. He was a financial crimes detective for the Addison Police Department prior to working in finance.

Institutional investment consulting and individual asset management and financial planning are the main services at Wall Capital Group.

Wall Capital Group Investing Strategy

In an effort to remain as transparent and open as possible, Wall Capital Group does not discriminate against any investment type. Its broad range of possible investments include domestic and global markets, small and large companies and both growth and style securities. Even still, the Wall Capital does have its preferences. Many of its investment decisions revolve around mutual funds and ETFs, as they maintain an inherent level of diversification.