Top 9 Financial Advisors in Winter Park, FL

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American Financial Advisors is the No. 1 firm on our list of the top financial advisors in Winter Park. This fee-only firm mostly works with individuals and high-net-worth individuals. Fees are based on a percentage of assets under management, with fixed and hourly fees also used for financial planning. There is no minimum account size listed, although the firm does state that its services are geared toward clients with at least $1 million. 

The team includes three certified financial planners (CFPs), one chartered financial analyst (CFA) and one certified merger and acquisition advisor (CM&AA).

American Financial Advisors Background

The firm was founded in 1989 and is owned equally by Matthew Boyce and William Mertes.

Services offered at American Financial include asset management, financial planning, consulting, retirement strategies, estate consideration and insurance planning.

American Financial Advisors Investment Strategy

American Financial Advisors is committed to passive management and strategic asset allocation. The firm believes that "95% of a portfolio’s return is the result of asset class selection rather than security choice or market timing." Only passively managed no-load, low-cost, asset class and index mutual funds are considered for portfolio construction. 

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Financial Harvest Wealth Advisors (FHWA), a fee-based practice, is the next firm on our list. The firm's client base consists entirely of individuals and high-net-worth individuals. While there is no minimum account requirement, Financial Harvest does charge a minimum annual fee of $5,000 and recommends that clients have more than $167,000 in investable assets. 

As a fee-based firm, Financial Harvest advisors may earn a commission for the sale of insurance products. While this may be a potential conflict of interest, the firm is bound by fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of its clients at all times. 

Financial Harvest Wealth Advisors Background

Financial Harvest was founded in 2008 and is owned by CEO David Witter and Nancy Witter. 

The firm focuses on helping families, businesses, and individuals build and preserve wealth. As such, it offers a holistic wealth management service based on investment consulting, comprehensive financial planning and relationship management. 

Financial Harvest Wealth Advisors Investment Strategy

Financial Harvest advisors practice asset allocation and modern portfolio theory with the aim of long-term preservation of generational wealth. Portfolios are primarily constructed using open-end mutual funds, unit investment trusts (UITs), fixed income investments, and on occasion, the firm may include exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and private offerings. 

Financial Harvest believes the market is informationally efficient and that actively-managed funds consistently offer negative returns given their high costs. As a result, portfolios at this firm will likely be made with long-term assets that are passive in nature. 

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Financial Advisory Partners, another fee-based firm, works with non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as charities and businesses. There a $100,000 minimum account size requirement. 

As a fee-based firm, some advisors at Financial Advisory Partners may earn a commission for the sale and purchase securities or insurance products. Although this may be a potential conflict of interest, the firm is a fiduciary and must act in the best interest of its clients at all times.

Financial Advisory Partners Background

Financial Advisory Partners was founded in 2008 and began offering investment advisory services in 2020. The firm is primarily owned by Alexander van den Berg and David Suphin, while Northstar Bank holds a minority ownership stake. 

Services offered include financial planning and third-party investment management on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis. 

Financial Advisory Partners Investment Strategy

Financial Advisory Partners utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical and cyclical analysis, as well as charting and modern portfolio theory to formulate its investment strategies. Recommendations are based entirely on each client's goals and tolerances, and portfolios are usually constructed of individual securities and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). 

However, the firm uses third-party investment managers, so it may be an advisor at another firm who ends up managing your portfolio. Financial Advisory Partners will regularly monitor your portfolio's performance and retains the authority to hire and fire third-party managers as it sees fit. 

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BARR Financial Services works with individual clients, including those above and below the high-net-worth threshold. The firm also serves estates, trusts and corporations. You don’t need a minimum investment to establish a relationship with the firm. In fact, most individual clients fall outside the scope of high net worth. 

When you work with the firm, you generally will have access to professionals with many distinct financial certifications. President and Co-founder Kirk Barr Young is a certified financial planner (CFP), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), registered financial consultant (RFC), chartered life underwriter (CLU), certified senior advisor (CSA), certified estate planner (CEP) and certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA).

BARR Financial is a fee-based firm, and certain advisors may receive a commission from the sale and purchase of recommended securities. Although this is a potential conflict of interest, the firm is bound by the fiduciary obligation to act in the best interest of its clients at all times. 

BARR Financial Services Background

Kirk Barr Young founded the firm in 2000, lending his middle name to it. Young remains the majority owner, with the minority stake owned by Michael Stewart. 

The practice can establish a long-term financial plan that covers several aspects of your financial life, including retirement savings, estate planning, investment management, senior living, divorce-related financial concerns and more. 

BARR Financial Services Investment Strategy

BARR Financial Services builds investment portfolios based on the client’s individual circumstances such as time horizon, investment goals and risk profile. It uses mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and individual securities.

The firm may engage in the following strategies: 

• Long-term purchases: The acquisition of an investment instrument that's held for a period of at least one year before it's sold.
• Short-term purchases: The acquisition of an investment instrument that's held for less than a year before it's sold.
• Margin trading: The purchase of securities with funds borrowed from the firm that holds your brokerage account.

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Lyons Wealth Management is a fee-based firm that works almost exclusively with individuals, all of whom do not have a high net worth. An investment company is the only institutional client at the firm. 

The team at LWM includes one advisor with a certificate in investment performance measurement (CIPM). The minimum initial investment is either $100,000 or $500,000, depending on the program a client uses.

As a fee-based firm, LWM advisors may receive a commission from the sale of insurance products. Although this represents a conflict of interest, the firm is a fiduciary and legally obliged to act in the best interest of its clients. 

Lyons Wealth Management Background

LWM was founded in 2009 and is primarily owned by Alexander Read. The firm has a primary focus on investment management, but it also lists financial planning in its SEC records as a service it provides. 

Lyons Wealth Management Investment Strategy

LWM believes in capital markets and agrees that markets and portfolio values will rise over time. However, the firm doesn't subscribe to a completely passive investing philosophy. As a result, the firm has developed a number of proprietary investment strategies it offers to clients: Tactical Allocation Portfolio, Enhanced Yield Portfolio, Overlay Portfolio, Lyons Core Portfolio,  Innovation and Growth Portfolio, Core Income, Options Income, Asset Mix and Bond Portfolio. 

Ahl Investment Management is a fee-only firm that ranks sixth on our list. The firm has more than twice the number of non-high-net-worth individuals as high-net-worth individuals, and it also serves three charitable organizations. Ahl requires a minimum of $500,000 in investable assets to open an account. 

Ahl Investment Management Background

Ahl was founded in 1999, making it the second-oldest firm on this list. Managing member Richard Ahl and shareholder Wendy Ahl are the principal owners. Chief compliance officer Andrea Penn and vice president Robert Coleman both own minority interests in the business. 

The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management services, as well as financial planning and consulting. 

Ahl Investment Management Investment Strategy

Advisors at Ahl use technical and fundamental analysis to formulate an investment strategy for clients based on their individual objectives, risk tolerance and time horizon.

Investments recommended may include: equity securities, corporate debt securities (other than commercial paper), commercial paper, certificates of deposit, municipal securities, mutual funds, United States government securities, options contracts on securities, money market funds, real estate investment trusts (REITs), derivatives, structured products, exchange traded funds (ETFs), interests in partnerships investing in real estate and interests in partnerships investing in oil and gas interests.

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Virtus Financial Partners is another fee-based firm whose advisors can earn commissions on insurance sales. While this creates a conflict of interest that you should keep in mind, the firm has a fiduciary responsibility to always act in your best interest. 

Individuals without a high net worth make up the lion's share of this firm's client base. Virtus does however work with high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans. 

Virtus does not have a minimum account size but it does charge a $2,400 minimum annual fee for investment advisory services. As for financial certifications, the firm has one advisor on staff who holds the chartered life underwriter (CLU) designation. 

Virtus Financial Partners Background

Founded in 2015, Virtus is principally owned by financial advisor chief compliance officer Stanley P. Stewart. Beyond investment management, the firm can help clients with retirement planning, risk management and tax reduction strategies. Additionally, for a fee of $59 per month, the firm also provides financial planning to recent college graduates with a focus on cash flow, student loans and goal setting.

Virtus Financial Partners Investment Strategy

Virtus relies on a variety of investment strategies including short-term purchases, long-term purchases and strategic asset allocation. Depending on your financial situation and objectives, the firm may enroll you in a model portfolio. To select securities, the firm uses industry-standard methods, including fundamental, technical, cyclical and charting forms of analysis. 

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Matthias Private Wealth is a fee-only firm boutique firm that requires a hefty account minimum: $5 million. As a result, it primarily works with high-net-worth individuals. It also works with individuals without a high net worth, charities and businesses.

As a fee-only firm, you won't have to worry about conflicts of interest related to the sale of insurance or securities. Matthias Private Wealth's sole advisor does not sell financial products for third-party compensation. 

Matthias Private Wealth Background 

Richard R. Matthias formed the firm in 2017 and remains its sole owner. The practice provides portfolio management and a wide array of financial planning services such as estate planning, charitable giving, tax planning and bookkeeping. 

Matthias Private Wealth Investment Strategy

The firm seeks to construct diversified portfolios, taking into account several factors such as client time horizon, risk appetite and long-term goals. Matthias Private Wealth typically invests client assets in common stock, private placement securities, bond funds and other fixed-income securities, as well as mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). 

Its securities selection process is mainly driven by fundamental analysis, which involves researching publicly available financial and market information. When evaluating equities, the firm may consider the following factors: 

• Financial strength ratios
• Price-to-earnings ratios
• Dividend yields
• Growth rate-to-price earnings ratios

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RiverTree Advisors rounds out our list of the top financial advisors in Winter Park. The firm works with non-high-net-worth individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pensions and profit-sharing plans. There is no minimum investment.

The firm is a fee-only financial advisory firm. It charges asset-based fees for investment management services or hourly or fixed fees for financial planning services. It doesn’t earn commissions or other payments from third-party companies or advisors. 

RiverTree Advisors Background 

RiverTree was formed in 2013 and is owned by Theodore Rich, the firm’s principal. Rich has been in the financial services industry for more than two decades. The firm features a small staff, including Rich, works to render a full suite of financial planning and investment management services.

These services can include: 

• Business planning
• Cash flow management
• Retirement planning
• Investment management
• Estate planning
• Charitable giving
• Risk management
• Insurance needs analysis
• Charitable giving 

RiverTree Advisors Investment Strategy

RiverTree seeks to create diversified portfolios by taking advantage of a globally diversified investment strategy. Its investment mix generally consists of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that aim for domestic and international exposure. The firm relies on internal research in selecting these funds and other securities. 

These mutual funds typically are built with balanced domestic equity, fixed-income, alternatives and international equity as well as cash and cash equivalents.