Top Financial Advisors in Hunt Valley, MD

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At the top of our list is Verdence Capital Advisors. While this fee-only firm caters to business owners and professionals in the sports and entertainment industries, non-high-net-worth individuals make up the bulk of its client base. Business entities, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates and charitable organizations round out the firm's clientele.

You don’t need a minimum account balance to work with Verdence Capital Advisors, but the firm does charge a $10,000 minimum annual fee, which would amount to 1% if assets under management were $1 million. For its fiduciary services, the firm collects fees from you based on a percentage of your assets under management. It may also charge flat or fixed fees.

The practice features advisors with several financial certifications including the accredited investment fiduciary (AIF), certified financial planner (CFP), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and chartered retirement planning consultant (CRPC) designations.

Verdence Capital Advisors Background

Verdence Capital Advisors first opened its doors in Hunt Valley in 2017. Leo J. Kelly III is the principal owner and CEO of the business. In addition to its headquarters in Hunt Valley, Verdence has an branch office in Alexandria, Virginia. 

The firm offers wealth management, investment advisory and family office services, with an emphasis on its investment-related services. Depending on your needs, the firm can advise on needs like retirement planning, estate planning and tax preparation.

Verdence Capital Advisors Investment Strategy

Verdence manages portfolios with asset allocations based on the client’s personal factors. These include investment goals, risk tolerance, time horizon and more. The firm currently allocates client assets across mutual funds, individual stocks and bonds, as it deems appropriate based on client profiles and variously sourced, investment research.

Verdence Capital Advisors uses both long- and short-term purchasing strategies. While long-term purchases are held for more than a year, a short-term purchase is when a security is sold within a year of its acquisition. 

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Cornerstone Advisory takes the next spot on our list. This large advisory firm has a diverse client base that is made up primarily of individuals both with and without high net worths. Institutional clients include pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and businesses. You'll need to meet the firm's $500,000 minimum investment requirement in order to open an account and/or pay an annual fee of $5,000.

Some advisors at this fee-based firm may be separately licensed as insurance agents and may receive commissions from selling insurance to clients. This potential conflict of interest is offset by the fact that the Cornerstone is a fiduciary and legally obligated to act in the best interests of clients at all times.

Cornerstone Advisory Background

Cornerstone was founded in 2006 and has been providing its services ever since. The firm is principally owned by Donald S. Huber Jr., Thomas N. Biddison III and Erik D. Johnson. Each principal has over two decades of financial sector experience.

Cornerstone can provide clients with a variety of financial services, including portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting and private fund advising.

Cornerstone Advisory Investment Strategy

As is the case with most financial advisory firms, investment strategies at Cornerstone are tailored to meet the individual needs of each client. Advisors meet with new clients as much as needed to determine their investment goals, as well as their tolerance for risk and any other pertinent information. They use this information to craft an investment plan that suits the client.

Advisors montior client portfolios on an ongoing basis. They use a variety of analytical methods to help them pick the right investments, such as fundamental and cyclical analysis. A multitude of different investments may be used. Advisors use long- and short-term purchases, short sales, margin transactions and option writing to help drive growth.

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Financial Consulate, the No. 4 firm on our list, also has a branch office in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The firm serves a variety of clients including individuals, high-net-worth individuals, charitable institutions, corporations and businesses.

While Financial Consulate does not impose a minimum account size, it does charge a minimum annualized fee of $5,000 for new clients. As for its client base, the firm works with nearly three times as many individual clients who do not have a high net worth compared to those who do. 

The Hunt Valley team features nine certified financial planners (CFPs), five certified public accountants (CPAs), a personal financial specialist (PFS), an accredited investment fiduciary analyst (AIFA) and one financial paraplanner qualified professional (FPQP). (Staff members may hold more than one certification.)

The firm works on a fee-only basis. This means it collects compensation solely from its clients for the services it provides. It does not collect commissions or other types of payments from third parties for recommending or selling their products. In addition to asset-based fees for portfolio management, the firm may charge hourly or flat fees for financial planning, tax and accounting services. 

Financial Consulate Background

Financial Consulate was founded in 1983. Andrew V. Tignanelli is the majority owner of the firm, as well as a CFP professional and CPA.

The firm offers wealth planning and investment management services, and can advise on topics that include:

• Cash flow management
• Estate planning
• Education funding
• Insurance planning
• Investment advice

Financial Consulate Investment Strategy

Financial Consulate employs an investment strategy known internally as Risk Opportunity Investing. This approach places a priority on the aim of capital preservation and involves analyzing investments based on three lenses of analysis: technical, fundamental, and macroeconomic. The strategy seeks to blend active tactical asset allocation, bottom-up fundamental analysis, top-down analysis and technical analysis.  

In constructing client portfolios, the firm may use mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit (CDs), alternative investments and money market vehicles.

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The next firm on our list is Harvest Investment Consultants, a practice with a large and diverse client base. The vast majority of clients are individuals without a high net worth. The firm's client base also consists of high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and businesses. Harvest requires a $250,000 minimum account size, though this minimum can be waived at the firm's discretion.

Some of the advisors at this fee-based firm may be able to receive commissions from selling insurance products to clients. This creates the potential for a conflict of interest to arise. However, the firm is a fiduciary and is legally obligated to act in the best interests of clients at all times.

The firm charges an asset-based fee for investment management and hourly or flat fees for personalized financial and retirement planning services.

Harvest Investment Consultants Background

Founded in 1987, Harvest is one of the oldest firms on our Hunt Valley list. The firm was previously known as Harvest Investment Consultants, Inc. and Hickory Capital Management, Inc.

Michael J. Meily, the firm's chief compliance officer, principally owns the firm. He is also the firm's managing partner, a chartered financial consultant (ChFC), a chartered life underwriter (CLU), a retirement income certified professional (RICP) and a chartered advisor for senior living (CASL).

The firm provides both financial planning and investment management services to its clients. Most of the firm's assets are managed on a discretionary basis, meaning advisors make all buying and selling decisions within a client's portfolio.

Harvest Investment Consultants Investment Strategy

When it comes to crafting an appropriate investment strategy for a client, Harvest and its advisors first look to properly determine the client's tolerance for risk, liquidity needs, financial and investment objectives along with any other relevant information. Clients are also permitted to impose reasonable restrictions on how their assets are invested.

Advisors primarily focus on crafting growth and income, balanced and fixed-income portfolios for their clients. To do so, they may use a range of investments, including bonds, stocks, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), real estate investment trusts (REITs), certificates of deposit (CDs), hybrid securities and preferred stocks.

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Marathon Capital Management comes next on our list of the top financial advisory firms in Hunt Valley. This firm and its small team of advisors work almost exclusively with individuals. Of these individuals, only about 40% have a high net worth. The firm also serves a small number of charitable organizations.

As a fee-only firm, Marathon does not receive commissions from any third-parties. Instead, it only receives advisory fees directly from clients. There is a $500,000 minimum account size requirement to be a client.

Members of the firm's advisory team do not hold any financial certificiations, like certified financial planner or certified public accountant.

Marathon Capital Management Background

Marathon Capital Management was founded in 1998. Originally a sole proprietorship, it was registered with the state of Maryland up until 2002. At that point, the firm terminated its Maryland registration and registered with the SEC. The firm is currently owned by Angus M. Burton, who also serves as president of the company.  

Marathon primarily provides its clients with portfolio management services. It also offers financial planning, but only through use of the MoneyGuidePro software at no extra charge.

Marathon Capital Management Investment Strategy

Marathon's investment strategy is similar to many other investment advisors, as it looks to tailor its investment process to the needs and objectives of each of its clients. The four basic types of portfolios that advisors manage are income, growth, growth and income, as well as aggressive growth, though the specifics will vary between clients.

Advisors at Marathon re-evaluate client portfolios no less than quarterly. The firm typically uses a buy-and-hold strategy, rarely investing for less than a year at a time. Its core investment philosophy can be desribed as "growth at a reasonable price."

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Established in 1992, VSM Wealth Advisory is the next firm on our list. It works primarily with individuals, although the firm also serves high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans. VSM does not require clients to maintain a minimum account size. 

The advisory team works on a fee-only basis, so advisors earn their compensation solely from fees that clients pay for services. They do not earn commissions from third-party firms for making certain sales or recommendations. 

The VSM team includes one certified financial planner (CFP), one certified private wealth advisor (CPWA) and one chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC).

VSM Wealth Advisory Background 

VSM formed in 2021 as a successor to Van Sant and Mewshaw, Inc., which was established in 1992. The firm is principally owned by Fred Cregan Hill III. 

In addition to portfolio management, the firm can design a holistic and personalized financial plan that addresses some or all of the topics below: 

• Budget management
• Insurance analysis
• Retirement planning
• College funding
• Charitable giving
• Legacy planning
• Trust services and administration

VSM Wealth Advisory Investment Strategy

In formulating client portfolios, VSM follows these specific tenets:

• Capital markets work and create wealth
• Diversification is key in portfolio construction
• Risk and return are inextricably intertwined
• Portfolio structure explains performance
• Investor behavior determines performance

As a result, the firm aims to build diversified portfolios that adhere to a client’s risk tolerance and investing goals in order to capture long-term growth. The firm primarily utilizes index mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Advisors may also rely on inverse or leveraged index exchange-traded funds, as well as options. 

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The Junk Investment Group, the next firm on our list, takes its name from its founder, Ivan Richard Junk. Its client base is made up entirely of individuals and high-net-worth individuals.

For portfolio management services, the firm requires a $750,000 aggregate account minimum for new clients. Insurance commissions may be earned by some of the on-staff advisors at this firm. This creates a potential conflict of interest and makes The Junk Investment Group a fee-based firm, as opposed to a fee-only firm. However, advisors are bound by fiduciary duty to act in clients' best interests no matter what.

There are two certified financial planners (CFPs) on staff at The Junk Investment Group.

The Junk Investment Group Background

Ivan Richard Junk, a CFP professional, has been an investment advisor registered with the SEC since 1987. He leads a small team of advisors and owns the firm with Casandra Junk and Eli Adams. 

The Junk Investment Group's services include:

• Tax planning
• Asset allocation
• Risk management
• Retirement planning

The Junk Investment Group Investment Strategy

The firm designs portfolios based on its clients' individual needs, goals and risk tolerances. It generally implements asset allocation with mutual funds, annuities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and individual stocks. The firm also offers access to digital investing and savings tools such as retirement calculators.

The firm's strategies for investing client assets include long-term purchases and margin transactions, but advisors do not try to time the market. 

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Bay Harbor Wealth Management, an independently owned financial advisory firm, rounds out our list of the top-rated firms in Hunt Valley. The fee-based firm generally provides investment advice to individuals, both with and without high net worths, as well as trusts. To establish a relationship, clients must generally have a minimum liquid net worth of $500,000.  

The team includes one certified financial planner (CFP), one accredited investment fiduciary (AIF), one certified public accountant (CPA), one investment adviser certified compliance professional (IACCP).

Bay Harbor collects advisory fees as a percentage of a client's assets under management or on a flat or hourly basis for specific financial planning services. Certain advisors at the firm may sell products from other companies they are affiliated with, and can thus earn commissions for such transactions. Even with this potential conflict of interest, the firm is legally bound by fiduciary duty to always act in clients' best interests.

Bay Harbor Wealth Management Background 

Bay Harbor Wealth Management has been in operation since 2011. President, founder and chief compliance officer Lance Scott wholly owns the firm. 

The firm mainly focuses on asset management, but it can provide stand-alone financial planning services upon request. The firm designs financial plans for clients based on analysis of their current financial situation and goals. The firm may work with clients on:

• Mortgage/debt analysis
• Retirement planning
• Estate planning
• Education planning
• Charitable giving
• Corporate and personal tax planning 
• Corporate structure
• Business and personal financial planning

Bay Harbor Wealth Management Investment Strategy 

Bay Harbor Wealth Management creates portfolios tailored to individual goals and personal factors such as tolerance for risk, time horizon and current financial situation. It generally recommends individual equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and bonds.

The firm actively adjusts your asset allocation based on certain factors like market conditions. Additionally, it may employ a passive investing strategy when deemed appropriate.