Top Financial Advisors in Virginia

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Navy Federal Investment Services is a fee-based firm headquarted in Vienna. The firm works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals. Though clients without high net worth greatly outnumber those with high net worth.

According to its brochure, an NFIS investment advisory representative meets with a potential client to discuss financial objectives, needs, risk tolerances, and financial status.

Navy Federal Investment Services' Background

Navy Federal Investment Services is entirely owned by Navy Federal Financial Group, which is owned by Navy Federal Credit Union. 

NFIS started operations in September, 2005. The company's principal business activity includes acting as a dual registered investment advisory firm and broker-dealer.

The offers advisory clients portfolio management services for a fee.

Navy Federal Investment Services' Investing Strategy

Navy Federal Investment Services primarily provides investment advice to members of Navy Federal Credit Union, individual people, trusts and institutions.

For advisory accounts initial minimum investments do exist, and they range from $50,000 to $100,000 depending on the portfolio management program and third-party portfolio manager that is chosen.

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Fee-based Brown Advisory is headquartered in Norfolk. Its team of advisors holds multiple certifications, including chartered financial analyst (CFA), certified financial planner (CFP) and certified public accountant (CPA).

The fee-based firm serves mainly high-net-worth clients. It also works with some non-high-net-worth clients, as well as pooled investment vehicles, and charities.

High-net-worth clients are typically families with a net worth ranging between $5 million and $20 million.

Generally, the firm requires a minimum investment of $5 million.

Brown Advisory Background

Brown Advisory can trace its history back to 1994. It is wholly owned by Brown Advisory, Inc., an independent investment management firm that owns other firms as well.

The firm provides the following services to its clients:

• Investment management
• Strategic planning and family governance
• Cash management
• Income tax organization
• Risk management
• Estate and wealth transfer planning
• Household administration
• Philanthropic planning

Brown Advisory Investment Strategy

Brown Advisory believes in investing for the long term, which it defines as a full market cycle, lasting anywhere from seven to more than 10 years. The firm invests globally and employs both active and passive investment strategies. The firm uses active strategies when it identifies a worthwhile manager. Passive strategies are used to enhance market exposure while minimizing fees. Common asset classes used in client portfolios include public and private equities, fixed income, real assets and hedge funds, with portfolio composition ultimately depending on each client's unique risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity needs.

The firm focuses on balancing risk and return, with an emphasis on protecting against losses. It manages risk through diversification, as well as by noting valuation. Fees and taxes are also taken into account.

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Cassaday & Co., a McLean-based advisory firm, has a collective account minimum of $500,000 per client.

Its typical client base is made up of primarily high-net-worth individuals and families, but also includes other individuals and corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and businesses.

The advisory staff holds multiple certifications, including certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered mutual fund counselors (CMFCs), financial paraplanner qualified professionals (FPQPs), certified fund specialists (CFSs), chartered retirement planning counselors (CRPCs), chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and certified investment management analysts (CIMAs), among other designations.

This is a fee-based firm. That means certain on-staff advisors can receive commissions from the sale of securities or insurance products to clients. Although this induces a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty requires it to act in clients' best interest, no matter what.

Cassaday & Co. Background

President and CEO Stephan Cassaday established Cassaday & Co. in 1993, after being involved in the financial services industry for 16 years.

Cassaday features several different focus areas of financial planning: personal, investments, retirement, tax/cash flow, death/disability and education. If you’re looking for something more specific, each of these topics can be customized to fit your needs.

Cassaday & Co. Investing Strategy

Modern portfolio theory and a “buy and hold” mindset typically drive investment decisions here. Generally, the firm believes that the market will remain efficient and that a portfolio can take advantage of this if its assets are allocated correctly and in an ultra-diversified way. Cassaday mostly invests in exchange-traded funds, fixed-income securities and mutual funds. 

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Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory works with with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals. The firm's institutional client base includes pensions and profit sharing plans, charities, government entities, insurance companies and businesses.

As a fee-based firm, some advisors at Cary Street Partners can receive commissions from selling financial products to clients. While this creates the potential for conflicts of interest to arise, the firm is a fiduciary that is legally obligated to act in the best interests of clients.

Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory Background

Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory was founded in 2002. The firm's parent and holidng company is called Cary Street Partners Financial, LLC.

Cary Street provides clients with financial planning services and investment management services. It also provides a wrap fee program. About half of the firm's assets are managed on a discretionary basis.

Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory Investment Strategy

Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory, like many other financial advisory firms, looks to tailor its investment management services and investment strategies to the individual needs of its clients. This process involves meeting with clients and discussing such factors as risk tolerance, liquidity needs and time horizon.

Advisors at Cary Street tend to invest client assets in mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), annuities, fixed-income securities, structured notes and equities. However, specific investments depend upon the client's situation.

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Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management (WST) has a minimum investment amount of $1 million, though it may waive this requirement at its discretion.

The fee-only firm works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as investment companies, pooled investment vehicles, retirement plans, charities, government entities and businesses.

The advisors at this firm have a number of certifications. These include designations as chartered financial analyst (CFA), certified financial planner (CFP), certified public accountant (CPA), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) and certified investment management analyst (CIMA).

Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management Background

The ownership of Wilbank, Smith & Thomas Asset Management is split among its principals and Rosemont, though Rosemont only holds a minority non-voting interest. The firm was created in 1990.

Retirement planning is definitely at the forefront of the services offered by this firm. But it can do much more than that, such as business financial consulting, investment management, asset allocation planning, cash flow planning and net worth determination.

Wilbanks, Smith & Thomas Asset Management Investing Strategy

WST completes every part of the investment decision process in-house, including investment origination, research and strategy implementation. Index funds, bonds and traditional stocks are all part of this research, as well as specific investigations into the companies, exchange traded-funds (ETFs), passive funds and actively managed funds within these categories.

Exactly which investments become part of a client's portfolio depends on the requirements of the client, such as risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity needs. Because of this, the firm strays from exclusively long-term-centric investing, incorporating short-term purchases and short sales as well.

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Andersen works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans, charities, businesses and endowments.

This fee-only financial advisor firm is located in McLean.

This firm has no minimum account size requirement.

Andersen Background

Andersen is owned by holding company Andersen Tax Holdings, LLC. But the owners of that company are also the managing directors at the firm, which has been open since 2002.

Andersen divides its offerings into three categories: full-service investment consulting, investment performance measurement and reporting and limited professional consulting. It also offers a plethora of tax-focused services.

Andersen Investing Strategy

Increasing the risk tolerance of your portfolio can have devastating consequences if handled incorrectly, but Andersen has measures in place to stop such a disaster from occurring. This begins and ends with the firm’s strategy incorporation of modern portfolio theory, which states that a jump in risk should only be accepted if there’s a proportional opportunity for a boost in return.

To implement this efficiently, the firm uses software that creates portfolios that have the chance to meet the client’s requirements for returns with the lowest amount of volatility possible. Your investments’ time horizon is also added into this equation, though, which does offer the potential for inflated risk if you’re looking for short-term financial gain.

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Wealthcare Capital Management is a fee-only firm that serves both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pensions, profit sharing plans, charities and businesses.

Wealthcare does not have a set account minimum

Wealthcare Capital Management Background

Wealthcare Capital Management became an SEC-registered investment advisor shortly after its founding in 2001.

The firm is headquartered in Richmond and is wholly-owned by Wealthcare Parent Holdings, LLC, which is principally owned by Financeware LLC and VMS Intermediate Inc.

The firm's operators are president Matthew T. Regan, chief investment officer Ronald E. Madey, chief financial officer Justin DuBrueler and chief compliance officer James J. Krause.

Wealthcare provides wealth management services and financial planning services to clients. It even has a patented investment system known as GDX360.

Wealthcare Capital Management Investment Strategy

Investment strategies at Wealthcare Capital Management are designed to help clients fulfill their individual investment goals instead of creating a braod-brush approach that they apply to everyone. Investment strategies and financial plans are goal's-driven. The firm uses what it calls the Comfort Zone to provide ongoing management.

Advisors may invest client assets in a variety of different investments, including (but not limited to) mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and alternative investments.

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Heritage Wealth Advisors offers investment advisory services to both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans, charities and businesses.

The firm’s annual investment advisory fee is based on a percentage of assets under management, generally between 0.50% and 1.0%.

While the company doesn't require an annual minimum fee or asset level for investment advisory services, it may decide to charge a lesser investment management fee based on certain criteria at its sole discretion. 

Heritage Wealth Advisors' Background

Founded in 2005 as a limited liability company (LLC), Heritage Wealth Advisors is registered  with the SEC since the fall of that same year.

The principal owners of Heritage Wealth Advisors are Delores Ann Remo, John Gwyn Jordan III, Charles Thomas Hill, Jr., Marshall Ogden Chambers, Caroline Elizabeth Baronian and Sarah Christine Simmer. 

Heritage Wealth Advisors' Investing Strategy

Heritage Weatlh Advisors offers independent investment strategies designed to meet the specific needs of each client.

The firm considers the client’s time horizon, risk tolerance, cash flow needs and other personal preferences when designing an investment portfolio.

Heritage Wealth Advisors designs more conservative investment allocations for clients who are more risk adverse or more aggressive investment allocations for clients that desire a more growth-oriented portfolio.

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The Burney Company is a fee-only firm that works mainly with non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individual clients.

It also serves investment companies, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations and businesses.

The Burney Company has a minimum account size requirement of $750,000.

The Burney Company Background

Founded in 1974, The Burney Company registered with the SEC as an investment advisor in the same year.

The principal owners of the firm are Lowell Pratt, Bill Stewart, Martin Walsh, Alex Shen, Richard Bauchspies, Gil Green, and Tom Hunt.

The Burney Company offers clients with financial planning and portfolio management services. All assets are managed on a discretionary basis.

The Burney Company Investment Strategy

The Burney Company works with clients to ensure that all investment and asset allocation strategies are tailored to their individual needs and financial objectives. They take into account such factors as a client's temperament, investment experience, income requirements and true time horizon.

Advisors at The Burney Company tend to use a mix of bonds, preferred stocks, real estate investment trusts (REITs), master limited partnerships (MLPs), managed futures and international equities.

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Bogart Wealth is a fee-based advisory firm that serves both high-net-worth individuals and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as charities.

Clients are charged a percentage of assets under management, which ranges from 1.30% for balance under $100,000 to 0.50% for accounts over $10 million.

As a fee-based firm, certain advisors at Bogart Wealth can sell financial products on a commission basis. While this presents a potential conflict of interest, the firm’s fiduciary duty requires them to act in the clients’ best interests.

Bogart says in its brochure that it generally does not impose any minimum account size. However, the firm does impose minimum and maximum account balances based on certain models.

Bogart Wealth Background

Headquartered in McLean, Bogart Wealth registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as an investment advisor in 2016.

The firm is owned by the firm’s chief compliance officer (CFO) James Bogart.

Bogart Wealth Investment Strategy

As with other firms, Bogart Wealth says that it makes financial recommendations based on a client’s objectives, risk tolerance and time horizon, among other considerations.

The firm offers clients a variety of services, including wealth management, financial planning and consulting services.

For clients interested in financial planning and consulting services, the firm offers business planning, tax planning, estate planning, retirement planning and education planning.