The Top Financial Advisors in Tacoma, WA

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At the top of the list, Financial Insights is a fee-only RIA that provides portfolio management and financial planning services to a variety of client types, most of whom are individuals who do not have high net worths, along with high-net-worth individuals, charitable organizations and those with pension and profit sharing plans. The team includes financial certifications such as certified financial planner (CFP) and certified wealth strategist (CWS). 

To receive wealth management services, which combine investment advisory services and financial planning, you’ll need a minimum account balance of $500,000. However, the firm may waive this requirement at its discretion. 

Financial Insights Background 

Dorothy A. Lewis founded Financial Insights in 1984. She remains the firm’s majority owner, while Ali Criss has a small stake.

After an analysis of the client’s financial situation, advisors can provide written financial plans that cover: 

• Business planning
• Charitable giving 
• Review of financial needs following a death or disability
• Funding education through 529 plans, federal financial aid and more
• Estate planning
• Retirement planning 
• Tax analysis

Additionally, the firm designs and manages investment portfolios to help clients meet their long-term goals. 

Financial Insights Investing Strategies 

Financial Insights aims to build investment portfolios tailored to the client’s risk profile and long-term financial goals. These portfolios may invest in individual equities, bonds, certificates of deposit, no-load mutual funds, load-waived mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The firm generally places client assets in a portfolio based on or more of the following risk levels: 

• Very conservative
• Moderately conservative
• Conservative 
• Moderate
• Moderately aggressive
• Aggressive
• Very aggressive

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Seneschal Advisors is a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm. Its advisory team includes such financial certifications as a certified financial planner (CFP), certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) and investment advisor compliance professional (IACCP), and a financial paraplanner qualified professional (FPQP). Advisors may have more than one credential.

The investment management team generally doesn’t manage accounts valued at less than $500,000, though this isn't a set minimum. The firm may make an exception if the account is part of a large family relationship. 

Seneschal Advisors Background 

Seneschal Advisors has been in operation since 2004. While Jon Duncan founded the firm, he recently transitioned to a consulting role. Jeffrey Lang is the principal owner now. He has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.   

This team offers advice on such financial planning topics as: 

• Cash management and budgeting
• Risk management and insurance
• Education planning
• Retirement planning
• Estate planning
• Investment planning and asset allocation
• Tax planning

Seneschal Advisors Investment Strategy 

The team at Seneschal Advisors sets out to build investment portfolios with asset allocations based on the risk profile of the client. These portfolios can invest in a variety of securities including exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, individual stocks and individual bonds. When evaluating these securities, the firm may engage in analytical strategies like fundamental analysis, charting and cyclical analysis.

The firm also conducts an analysis of the underlying securities in the ETFs and mutual funds it recommends to avoid significant overlaps with other holdings in the client's portfolio.

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Stolz & Associates is a fee-only firm that offers asset management and financial planning services through a team of investment advisor representatives (IARs). These individuals may work for various institutions and may have varying industry licenses and certifications. The in-house team includes certifications such as certified financial planner (CFP), certified personal accountant (CPA) certified exit planning advisor (CEPA) and personal financial consultant (PFS).

The firm doesn’t require clients to maintain a minimum account size to receive investment advisory services. IARs work with about as many high-net-worth individuals as those who do not have a high net worth. The firm also works with those with pension and profit-sharing plans. Stolz & Associates also operates as an accounting firm. So it may be incentivized to recommend its own accounting services. That said, Stolz & Associates has a fiduciary duty to provide services in the best interests of its clients. 

Stolz & Associates Background

Stolz & Associates has been providing investment advisory services since 2000. It’s owned by David A. Stolz, Michelle T. Robinson and Andrew C. Stolz. The Stolz & Associates in-house team has more than 40 years of experience in the financial services industry, collectively. 

Though some IARs may specialize in certain subjects, they can generally offer advice on:

• Investment management
• Wealth management
• Retirement plan consulting
• Tax preparation

Stolz & Associates Investment Strategies

Each IAR applies his or her own investment strategies and analysis methods. Generally, they engage in fundamental and technical analysis when determining whether securities may be appropriate for a client’s portfolio. For the most part, they also adhere to the Efficient Market Theory. This school of thought suggests that stocks trade at their fair value on the exchanges because they reflect all available information. Thus, one can’t buy undervalued stocks or sell overvalued ones at higher prices. The firm states proponents of this theory believe one can’t “achieve returns in excess of average market returns on a risk-adjusted basis, given the information publicly available at the time the investment is made.”