Top Financial Advisors in Huntsville, AL

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Keel Point, which ranks first on our list of the top Huntsville firms, manages billions in client assets. The firm has by far the largest advisory team, with numerous staff members serving in advisory roles in offices around the country.

Keel Point has certified financial planners (CFPs) working out of its Huntsville office, as well as chartered retirement planning counselors (CRPCs) and accredited investment fiduciary analysts (AIFAs).

The firm's account minimums may vary by account type. The firm also serves high-net-worth individuals, individuals, institutions, pension and corporate retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations and small businesses.

As a fee-based firm, some Keel Point advisors may receive additional compensation for selling insurance or financial products to clients, creating a conflict of interest. However, the firm does have a fiduciary duty to put clients’ best interests ahead of its own. 

Not only is Keel Point Huntsville's top-rated firm but it is also ranked among the top firms in the state of Alabama. 

Keel Point Background

Founded in 2003, the firm's home office is located in Huntsville. However, Keel Point also has branch offices in Birmingham, Alabama; Leawood, Kansas; Nashville, Tennessee; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Greenville, North Carolina; and Vienna, Virginia.

Keel Point is wholly owned by Keel Point Partners, LLC, which is owned by management team members and certain client-investors. Keel Point Partners also owns Keel Point Insurance Advisors, LLC. Additionally, the firm has a subsidiary, Keel Point Capital, LLC, through which it provides brokerage services to its clients. 

The firm has four primary service platforms for its discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management:

• Keel Point Private Client Services: Investment advisory services for individuals and families
• Keel Point Horizon Services: Family office services for ultra-high-net-worth families
• Keel Point Corporate Services: Group retirement and benefits solutions for businesses
• Keel Point Asset Management: Outsourced chief investment officer and investment consulting services for institutions, foundations, endowments and third-party investment advisers. 

Keel Point Investment Strategy

Keel Point clients have access to six distinct investment strategies that the firm uses for both active and passive portfolio management. These programs invest client assets in a variety asset classes, including mutual funds, fixed-income securities, alternative investments and at least one separately managed account. 

As for research and analysis, Keel Point uses a team-driven fundamental and quantitative process to design diversified long-term and tactical portfolios. The firm analyzes both short- and long-term economic trends and employs quantitative modeling to assure client portfolios are within predefined risk tolerances. 

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Smith Thornton Advisors (STA), a fee-based firm, is the No. 2 financial advisor practice in Huntsville. STA works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, investment companies, pension plans, insurance companies as well as corporations and other businesses. STA does not impose a minimum account size requirement.

However, some advisors may earn commissions when selling investment products. This creates a potential conflict of interest, since the advisor may have a financial incentive to recommend certain investments over others. Then again, the firm and its advisors must abide by fiduciary duty and always act in your best interests.

As for professional credentials, the STA team features chartered financial analysts (CFAs), accredited investment fiduciaries (AIFs) and certified plan fiduciary advisors (CPFAs). 

Smith Thornton Advisors Background

Having been founded in February 2021, STA is the youngest firm on our list. STA is owned by Steven C. Thornton, Richard J. Smith, and William P. Smith.

The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, as well as financial planning and retirement plan consulting.

Smith Thornton Advisors Investment Strategy

STA’s methods of analysis and investment strategies incorporate the client’s needs, investment objectives, time horizon and risk tolerance. However, the firm is not bound or limited to a particular strategy. Instead, it relies on a client's risk tolerance levels, which are determined when they open an account at the firm. 

As for securities, STA typically invests client assets in a combination of cash, stocks, mutual funds, bonds and annuities.

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Longview Financial Advisors, the third firm on our list of the top Huntsville firms, is dedicated to providing financial planning and portfolio management to clients. The Longview staff boasts an impressive array of certifications, an important thing to consider when choosing a financial advisor.

At the firm, there are certified financial planners (CFPs), two certified investment management analysts (CIMAs), chartered life underwriters (CLUs), accredited estate planners (AEPs), chartered advisors in philanthropy (CAPs), certified private wealth advisors (CPWAs) and enrolled agents (EAs).

Notably, Longview Financial Advisors is the only fee-only firm on this list, so its advisors do not earn commissions when recommending certain products and services. The firm offers financial planning and portfolio management services to individuals as well as their trusts and estates. The firm says its clients are primarily business owners, professionals and retirees. It also serves corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable institutions, foundations and endowments.

The firm does not have a set account minimum.

Longview Financial Advisors Background

Longview Financial Advisors was founded in 1994 as West Financial Consulting, Inc. In 2010, the firm changed its name to Longview Financial Advisors to reflect its emphasis on "taking the long view of clients financial goals."

Longview is an employee-owned firm. Its principal owners are Jeff Cedarholm, president and chief investment officer, and Larry West, who was the president of West Financial Consulting. 

Longview's financial planning services may address goal determination, retirement planning, cash flow, insurance review and risk mitigation, education planning, estate planning, charitable gifting and philanthropy, tax planning and investment management.

Longview Financial Advisors Investment Strategy

As is the case with most financial advisor firms, Longview Financial Advisors believes that wide diversification is crucial to controlling risk and increasing portfolio performance potential. Longview employs a research-based methodology to select investments, with the investment team focusing on how markets will respond to global economic factors and business cycles.

The asset classes the firm typically invests in include domestic stock, international stock, real estate stocks, market sectors, commodities, hedging strategies/liquid alternatives, fixed income and cash and/or cash equivalents. However, the firm says that it principally invests its clients in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and/or mutual funds.

Longview has developed portfolios based on the five major categories of risk tolerance that it believes most clients fall into. These categories include aggressive, moderate-aggressive, moderate, conservative-moderate and conservative. Notably, Longview does not allow clients to impose restrictions on their portfolios.

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Oak Tree Financial Services, the final firm on our list of top practices in Huntsville, has a large client base of individuals, but also works with some high-net-worth individuals, as well. The firm is also open to working with pensions, profit-sharing plans, charities, government entities and businesses. Minimum account values range from as little as $5,000 up to $250,000.

Oak Tree is a fee-based firm, which means advisors can earn commissions for selling certain products and services, like insurance. This creates a conflict of interest because advisors have a financial incentive to recommend certain policies over others. However, the firm is a fiduciary, which means it must always act in your best interests.

The Oak Tree team features certified financial planners (CFPs) and chartered retirement planning counselors (CRPCs). The firm also has certified public accountants (CPAs) on staff. 

Oak Tree Financial Services Background

Founded in 2009, Oak Tree has been a registered investment advisor since 2015. Oak Tree advisors are registered representatives of LPL Financial, an SEC-registered investment advisor. Oak Tree filed for its SEC registration in January 2022. 

Oak Tree's services include portfolio management, financial planning and retirement plan consulting. Financial planning services may touch on a client's plan for retirement, education funding plan, insurance needs, wealth transfer strategy and other areas. 

Oak Tree Financial Services Investment Strategy

As part of Oak Tree's asset management service, the firm typically creates a portfolio consisting of individual stocks or bonds, ETFs, options, mutual funds and other public and private securities or investments. The client’s individual investment strategy is tailored to their specific needs and may include some or all of the previously mentioned securities. Each portfolio will be initially designed to meet a particular investment goal, which we determine to be suitable to the client’s circumstances.