The Top Financial Advisors in Vermont

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Manchester Capital Management is the top financial advisor firm in Vermont. The majority of the firm's clients are individuals, both with and without a high net worth. The firm's institutional clients currently include a limited number of charities and a single pension plan.

Manchester Capital Management is a fee-only firm, so you won't need to worry about a conflict of interest stemming from advisors earning commissions from the sale of financial products. Certain investment accounts may have minimum balance requirements, but most are negotiable. However, for family office services, the firm requires a minimum of $50 million of assets under management. 

The firm has a board of directors and employs a number of financially certified individuals, including several chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and certified financial planners (CFPs).

Manchester Capital Management Background

Manchester Capital Management was founded in 1993, registering with the SEC as an investment advisor in the same year. That makes it one of the oldest advisory firms on our Vermont list. The firm was founded by Edward Wright Cronin, who is currently the majority owner and chief executive officer. 

Manchester Capital Management provides wealth management services, particularly financial planning and investment management. It also works with family offices, serves as investment managemer of a number of private limited partnerships called the Equinox Funds and provides real estate management services, according to its website.

Manchester Capital Management Investment Strategy

Manchester Capital Management tailors its investment strategies to the individual needs of its clients. This involves getting to know the client personally and figuring out their tolerance for risk, time horizon, liquidity needs and any other relevant information. Advisors take this information and use it to decide how to best invest a client's assets. They may take advantage of model portfolios, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), separate account managers, hedge funds and other private managers.

Advisors at Manchester place significant emphasis on effective asset allocation. The firm believes that striking the correct balance between equities, fixed-income securities, alternative assets, real assets and cash is the best way to ensure growth and downside protection.

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Maple Capital Management is the No. 2 financial advisory firm in the state of Vermont. This Montpelier-based practice has over a billion dollars in assets under management (AUM) and works with both individual and institutional clients. Individuals who fall above and below the high-net-worth threshold make up the vast majority of the client base. Institutional clients include charities, state governments, insurance companies and businesses.

As a fee-only firm, Maple Capital Management doesn't earn commissions from selling financial products to clients, avoiding a potential conflict of interest. Instead, it earns all of its compensation from client-paid fees. The firm does not have a set account balance minimum.

Maple Capital Management Background

Maple Capital Management was founded in 2004, the same year that it registered with the SEC as an investment advisor. The firm was created by a management buyout of the Private Client Group of NL Capital Management, Inc. The firm's president and managing partner, Ramsey A. Luhr, is the majority owner of Maple Capital Management. Five other employees also own stakes in the business. 

Maple Capital Management's main services are portfolio management and financial planning. It offers services on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Maple Capital Management Investment Strategy

Maple Capital Management doesn't have a single, central investment management strategy. Instead, it seeks to tailor its investment strategies to the wants and needs of each client. Advisors meet with clients to determine the proper information, such as each client's tolerance for risk, liquidity needs and time horizon. From there, the firm can properly construct a strategy that works for the client on an individual level.

That said, advisors at Maple Capital Management typically invest client assets in stocks and bonds, with the belief that individual equities give clients better control over taxes, risk and returns. Advisors may also use mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for smaller accounts and sectors of the market for which the firm does not have an internal research capacity to follow. 

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Up next on our list of the top financial advisory firms in the state of Vermont is Pathway Financial Advisors, a smaller firm located in South Burlington. Pathway provides services primarily to individual clients. The majority of these clients are individuals with a high net worth, though the firm works with non-high-net-worth individuals and retirement plans as well. 

Pathway is a fee-only firm, so advisors won't earn commissions from selling financial products to clients. As a result, you'll avoid a potential conflict of interest. There is no minimum account size requirement at this firm.

The team at Pathway features seven advisors who hold hte certified financial planner (CFP) designation, as well as a chartered financial analyst (CFA), a financial paraplanner qualified professional (FFQP), a certified public accountant (CPA) and a certified plan fiduciary advisor (CDFA). 

Pathway Financial Advisors Background

Pathway Financial Advisors was founded in 2002 and it registered as an investment advisor with the SEC in 2005, after previously being registered just in the state of Vermont. Scott Beaudin, who serves as the firm's manager and chief compliance officer, is the principal owner of the firm. Beaudin is a certified financial planner (CFP) and a certified public accountant with a personal financial specialist designation (CPA/PFS). 

Pathway provides both investment management and financial planning services to clients, and does so on a discretionary basis. It also provides consulting services on matters unrelated to securities.

Pathway Financial Advisors Investment Strategy

Pathway Financial Advisors provides clients with tailored investment strategies and looks to integrate its investment management services with in depth financial planning. This process is aimed at providing comprehensive and individualized wealth management services to clients that directly reflect their investment objectives and financial situations. Advisors provide clients with ongoing support throughout the advisory engagement.

While clients can limit the types of securities used in their portfolios, advisors tend to use any combination of exchange-listed securities, mutual funds, bonds, bond funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs). That said, advisors may use other investments if they better suit the client's investment goals. The firm usually uses fundamental methods of analysis combined with long-term purchases and short-term purchases.

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Hanson & Doremus Investment Management, the top-ranked firm in Burlington, is next up on our list of the top financial advisory firms in all of Vermont. Hanson & Doremus is on the smaller side, but still works with both individual and institutional clients. Most of the firm's clients are individuals, and most of those individuals do not have a high net worth. The firm also works with retirement plans, charities and corporations.

Hanson & Doremus is a fee-only firm. This means that advisors won't earn commissions from the sale of financial products to clients, which could be a conflict of interest. The minimum account size requirement at the firm is typically $500,000.

The firm employs five certified financial planners (CFPs) and four chartered financial analysts (CFAs). 

Hanson & Doremus Investment Management Background

Hanson & Doremus Investment Management went into business in 1995. In 1998, it registered with the SEC as an investment advisor. Together, Julie A. Won, Eric Sven Eklof Jr. and Arthur P. Wright are the principal owners of the firm. 

Portfolio management and investment planning are the primary services that Hanson & Doremus offers. This involves the construction of an investment portfolio, as well as ongoing monitoring and review of those investments. The firm may also provide financial planning or consulting services touching on subjects like estate planning, tax planning and insurance.

Hanson & Doremus Investment Management Investment Strategy

Hanson & Doremus, like so many other financial advisor firms out there, looks to tailor its investment strategies and its investment management process to the individual investment and financial needs of clients. By meeting with clients and gathering the relevant information, the firm can create investment plans that suit the individual needs of every client.

Advisors at Hanson & Doremus use a combination of funamental, technical and cyclical methods of analysis to help analyze potential and current investments. Investments are made on either a long or short-term basis. The firm may also utilize margin transactions to drive growth in client portfolios.

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Next up on our list of the top financial advisors in the state of Vermont is One Day In July, a relatively young firm based in Burlington. One Day In July mainly works with non-high-net-worth individuals. Individuals with a high net worth make up the second biggest client group, but the firm also works with a handful of institutional clients. These institutions include retirement plans, charities and businesses.

One Day In July is a fee-only firm, so there's no conflict of interest from advisors earning commissions by selling financial products to clients. The firm typically requires a $25,000 minimum investment for advisory services.  

One Day In July Background

One Day In July is one of the younger firms on our list. It was founded and began providing advisory serviecs in 2016. It registered with the SEC as an investment advisor in 2018 after two years of being registered with a few individual states. Daniel Patrick Cunningham, the firm's founder, is the firm's principal owner. The firm has a few other offices in Vermont, plus one in Connecticut. The name of the firm comes from the fact that Cunningham had the idea for the firm one day in July.

The firm provides its clients with investment advisory services that include financial planning, investment management and even newsletters and webinars. ODIJ also provides its clients with an environmental investing service. This process includes the use of carbon intensity and fossil fuel reserve metrics in selecting investments for clients who request environmental investment advisory services.

One Day In July Investment Strategy

ODIJ and its advisors try to tailor investment strategies to the financial situation and investment objectives of its clients. Clients are required to complete an investment suitability questionaire that helps advisors decipher important financial information about each client. Such information includes risk tolerance, liquidity needs and time horizon.

Because the firm prioritizes long-term gains, it primarily invests client assets on a long-term basis. The most common investments used in portfolios are index funds spread across various asset classes. However, advisors may use other securities to help diversify a portfolio when applicable.

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Rock Point Advisors takes the next spot on our list of the top financial advisory firms in the state of Vermont. This firm has three chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and one certified financial planner (CFP) on its small advisory team.

The majority of Rock Point's clients are high-net-worth individuals, with the rest being non-high-net-worth individuals, charitable organizations and businesses. The firm requires new clients to invest at least $500,000.

As a fee-only firm, Rock Point's advisors do not sell financial products or insurance for commissions. Fees are charged as a percentage of a client's assets under management.  

Rock Point Advisors Background

Rock Point Advisors was both founded and registered with the SEC as an investment advisor in 2004. Michael Huffman and Todd Wulfson are the firm's founders and current principal owners, along with Timothy Humphrey. Both Huffman and Wulfson are CFAs, while Humphrey has both the CFP and CFA designations. 

Rock Point currently only manages client assets on a discretionary basis, meaning it has full autonomy to make trades and transactions within client accounts. It provides clients with a range of financial advisory services, such as financial planning and investment portfolio management.

Rock Point Advisors Investment Strategy

Rock Point Advisors emphasizes the importance of value when considering potential investments for client portfolios. The firm believes the most surefire way to secure long-term returns is to invest in good companies at favorable prices. To find these companies and prices, the firm relies on fundamental analysis, which involves identifying undervalued companies by examining their primary financial documents.

When building portfolios for clients, advisors typically allocate assets to some combination of equities, fixed-income securities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), open-end mutual funds, closed-end mutual funds and cash. The firm will diversify a client's funds across a selection of these asset classes.

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Summit Wealth Group has secured the next spot on our list of Vermont's top financial advisory firms. This fee-based firm works exclusively with individual clients. While most of these clients do not have a high net worth, the vast majority of the firm's assets under management come from its high-net-worth individual clients. While it currently doesn't have any institutional clients, the firm is still open to working with these types of clients, including charities, foundations, pensions and corporations. 

Summit is a fee-based firm, so advisors may receive commissions from selling financial products to clients. This potential conflict of interest is mitigated by the firm's status as a fiduciary, which makes it legally obligated to act in the best interests of clients at all times. Typically, you'll need to have an account balance of at least $1 million to work with the firm.

The firm employs a number of certified professionals, including retirement income certified professionals (RICPs), certified financial planners (CFP), a chartered financial analyst (CFA) and an enrolled agent (EA). 

Summit Wealth Group Background

Summit Wealth Group registered as an investment advisor with the SEC in 2015 and officially opened for business at the start of 2016. It's one of the youngest firms on our Vermont list. The principal owners of the firm are Thomas Hartman, Abigail Hurlburt and Erik Potts. 

Summit Wealth Group provides its clients with both investment management and financial life planning services. Almost all of the firm's assets are managed on a discretionary basis.

Summit Wealth Group Investment Strategy

When it comes to developing investment strategies, Summit Wealth Group works with clients to determine thier risk tolerance so that advisors can align an individualized investment strategy with the financial goals and investment objectives of each client. Clients are required to fill out a financial plan to help advisors understand the client holistically.

Advisors at Summit help determine the proper asset allocation for every client. They do so by using a wide variety of securities. Specific securities tend to vary significantly between client portfolios. Mutual funds, index funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stocks and bonds are the most common investments.

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Next on our list of the top financial advisory firms in the state of Vermont is SilverLake Wealth Management. This firm, which is based in in Williston, Vermont, works with an array of both individual and institutional clients. The firm's individual clients make up most of its clientele, and most of those individuals do not have a high net worth. Other clients include high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charities and corporations.

Certain advisors at SilverLake are also authorized to sell securities and insurance and can earn commissions from these sales. This is a potential conflict of interest and makes the firm fee-based. The firm is still a fiduciary, though, and is legally obligated to act in the best interests of client at all times. SilverLake does not have a set account minimum.

One of SilverLake's advisors holds the certified financial planner (CFP) and chartered financial analyst (CFA) designations. 

SilverLake Wealth Management Background

SilverLake Wealth Management was established in 2002. However, it became a registered investment advisor in 2012 and registered with the SEC as an investment advisor in 2015. Managing partners Richard J. Briand, Robert Eddy, Thomas Golonka, Theodore Riehle and Jeffrey Steele are the owners and operators of the firm. Cumulatively, the firm's team of advisors has over 140 years of financial market experience. 

SilverLake provides clients with investment advisory services such as investment portfolio management and financial planning services. The firm also offers retirement plan advisory services and may recommend the use of independent investment managers.

SilverLake Wealth Management Investment Strategy

SilverLake Wealth Management is similar to many other investment advisory firms in that it looks to craft investment strategies according to the specific financial needs and objectives of each of its clients. This involves getting to know each client and their financial situation on a personal level, which advisors do at the start of each new client relationship.

From there, advisors can figure out asset allocation strategies, portfolio construction strategies and more. Portfolios typically comprise a mix of individual equity securities, individual fixed income securities, diversified mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and/or stocks. 

Methods of analysis used by SilverLake's advisors to create investment strategies usually include both fundamental and technical analysis. They may use research from a variety of sources, including both internal and external sources.

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Broadlake Financial Management checks in at No. 9 on our list of Vermont's top financial advisory firms. This South Burlington-based firm, which is the oldest practice on our list, currently has a client base that is primarily composed of non-high-net-worth individuals. Other clients at the firm include high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans and charitable organizations.

Broadlake is a fee-only firm. This means that advisors don't earn commissions from selling financial products to their clients, which creates a potential conflict of interest. Instead, the only money the firm earns comes directly from the fees that its clients pay for advisory services. While Broadlake typically requires an account balance of $50,000 for advisory services, it may waive that minimum at its discretion.

The small advisory team at Broadlake includes two chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and one certified financial planner (CFP). 

Broadlake Financial Management Background

Broadlake Financial Management went into business after its founding in 1989, making it the longest tenured practice on our list. It registered as an investment advisor with the SEC the same year and has been in business ever since. The firm is also known as Eley Financial Management, Inc, and began operating under its current name in 2018. Gary W. Eley is the firm's founder, though now Joseph M. Diebold and Matthew A. Malaney each own a 50% stake in the firm. 

Broadlake focuses on providing discretionary asset management to its clients, though it also works to provides comprehensive financial planning services and advisory services to employer sponsored retirement plans. 

Broadlake Financial Management Investment Strategy

Broadlake Financial Management works with clients at the start of every relationship to determine such factors as their risk tolerance, liquidity needs and other important financial factors. Advisors use this information to craft individualized investment strategies that are aimed at tackling the needs of specific clients. 

Broadlake Financial Management usually invests client assets in a mix of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange traded funds (ETFs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The firm is capable of employing a variety of different styles in order to meet the needs of each client. Broadlake uses  fundamental analysis, macro-economic analysis, and technical analysis to select investments for client portfolios. 

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The 10th and final firm on our list is Marble Trail Advisors, a fee-only practice located in Middlebury. Marble Trail works primarily works with individuals and high-net-worth individuals, but also advises pensions, profit-sharing plans and charitbale organizations. The firm does not impose a minimum account size on its clients. 

The advisory team at Marble Trail features four certified public accountants (CPAs), one enrolled agent (EA), one certified financial planner (CFP), one financial paraplanner qualified professional (FPQP) and one accredited investment fiduciary (AIF). 

As a fee-only firm, Marble Trail only receives compensation from clients for the services they are provided. Advisors do not sell financial products or insurance for a commission. The firm may however may benefit when referring clients to Marble Trail Financial, LLC, a tax, accounting and business consulting firm with mutual ownership. This may present a conflict of interest. However, Marble Trail is a fiduciary and must always act in its clients' best interests. 

Marble Trail Advisors Background

Principal Don Devost founded Addison Advisors, now called Marble Trail Advisors, in 2010. Matthew Wootten joined the firm in 2014 and now co-owns the business with Devost. 

Marble Trail provides investment management and financial planning services to individuals and institutional clients. Financial planning may include retirement planning, education planning, estate planning and tax strategies. 

Marble Trail Advisors Investment Strategy

The firm mainly invests client assets in equity securities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), no-load mutual funds, corporate securities, municipal securities and U.S. government securities. To assess and evaluate investments, Marble Trail uses a fundamental, value-based approach to determine whether the potential returns of an investment are commensuate with its risks. 

In addition to managing client portfolios, Marble Trail may also refer clients to third-party money managers who offer asset management and other investment advisory services.