Top Financial Advisors in Durham, NC

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A fee-only firm, Kuhn Advisors, Inc. requires a minimum of $1 million to open an account. The majority of its clients are high-net-worth individuals, followed by non-high-net-worth individuals, charities and businesses. Some of the firm’s advisors also hold professional financial certifications such as certified financial planner (CFP) and certified public accountant (CPA).

This firm’s advisory fees are based solely on a percentage of your assets under management (AUM). Comparatively, other firms may charge fees based on the above percentage structure, in addition to a per-hour rate and fixed fees, depending on the scope of services you receive.

Kuhn Advisors Background

The firm was established in 1993 by Mark Kuhn, the current president. Kuhn, Scott Ranby and Carter Ellis are the firm’s principal owners. Together, this trio has more than 40 years of experience.

Beyond individuals, this firm can also manage the assets of charitable foundations and those with trusts. The firm’s financial services include:

• Investment management
• Pre-retirement planning
• Retirement income and distribution strategies
• Education funding
• Risk management
• Charitable giving
• Referrals to other qualified professionals

Kuhn Advisors Investing Strategy

In essentially every situation, Kuhn Advisors believes that a long-term approach should be the basis of a client’s portfolio. The firm says this approach has been historically shown to decrease turnover and minimize taxes. 

Kuhn Advisors takes an unusually deep dive into mutual fund managers and their backgrounds. This is done to ensure that managers have a strong knowledge of the companies they choose to invest in while finding opportunities that are largely undervalued by the market.

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Arjuna Capital, LLC believes clients should be “investing in a sustainable future,” a reference to the various environmentally conscious investment opportunities available nowadays. The firm has one chartered financial analyst (CFA) on staff.

This fee-only firm has a $2 million account minimum, which is one of the highest requirements on this list. As a result, it’s no surprise that more than 70% of Arjuna’s individual clients have a high net worth. The rest of the firm's client base consists of non-high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, businesses and charities.

Arjuna generally charges advisory fees based on a percentage of your assets under management (AUM). But if you invest in the firm's affiliated private fund called New Summit Investments, you'll also face a research fee.

In addition, managing partner Natasha Lamb was named one of Bloomberg’s 50 most influential people who defined global business in 2017. Lamb won this honor for her pivotal work in pushing large businesses like Facebook, Google and Nike to address the gender pay gap.

Arjuna Capital Background

Arjuna Capital was created in 2015. That makes this firm one of the youngest on this list. The firm is independently owned by chief strategist Frank Farnum Brown, Jr., chief investment officer (CIO) Adam Seitchik and director of equity research and shareholder engagement Natasha Lamb.

Historically, individuals, businesses and charities are the firm’s typical clients. The firm also works with pooled investments, which give clients the ability to access investment opportunities that may otherwise be out of reach.

Arjuna Capital Investing Strategy

Uniquely, Arjuna Capital offers clients the opportunity to invest in fossil-fuel-free asset classes, representing a chance to become part of the growing to divest/invest/engage movement. This environmental-centric strategy is meant to prepare clients for investing in the increasingly renewable energy-based system of the future.

The firm claims that prospective clients who invest in this area, particularly via its Private Market Impact strategy, can expect a 10% to 15% annual return. However, the firm also applies a long-term focus on this strategy, with the desired portfolio life of at least 10 years.

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Gordon Asset Management, LLC provides holistic financial planning and investment management services to an array of high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals and their families, as well as their related estates and trusts. The firm also maintains advisory relationships with pension and profit-sharing plans and corporations or business entities.

The firm does not require a minimum initial investment. However, it does utilize minimum fees based on the type of services you receive. 

As a fee-only firm, Gordon Asset Management's sole form of compensation is client-paid fees. That means it does not earn third-party commissions from things like insurance sales or securities trades.

Gordon Asset Management Background

Gordon Asset Management was established in 2001. Today, the firm is indirectly owned by founder Joseph Gordon through outside trusts.

Collectively, the team at Gordon Asset Management includes a number of professional certifications, including certified financial planner (CFP), accredited investment fiduciary analyst (AIFA), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF), certified investment management analyst (CIMA), certified plan fiduciary advisors (CPFA) and qualified 401(k) administrator (QKA).

Gordon Asset Management Investing Strategy

Gordon Asset Management allows clients to choose from discretionary or non-discretionary portfolio management. The firm's non-discretionary services allow approved clients to take more control of their portfolios, meaning the firm won’t act upon any recommendations without your approval.

With discretionary services, the firm creates an investment portfolio and drafts an investment policy statement (IPS) based on the client’s objectives, risk tolerance, asset class preferences, time horizon, tax treatment and other factors. The firm then takes control of the portfolio, makes investment decisions and may rebalance your asset allocation if it deems it to be appropriate based on your objectives.

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Integrated Wealthcare offers investment advisory, financial planning and insurance services. The firm primarily works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners and corporations in general. For investment management, the firm primarily focuses on helping physicians with their financial planning.

Integrated Wealthcare is a fee-based firm, which means its advisors may earn a commission through the sale of specific investments. This can create a potential conflict of interest, but the firm is bound by its fiduciary duty to put the needs of its clients first. There is no required minimum account size.

Integrated Wealthcare Background

M. Shayne Ruffing founded the firm in 2006 and serves as the leader and sole investment advisor on staff today. He holds the certifications of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF). 

Integrated Wealthcare Investing Strategy

Integrated Wealthcare uses three different forms of analysis to determine the right investment strategy for each client. These forms are fundamental, technical and cyclical analyses. The recommended investments may vary and could include exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, non-traded alternatives and individual securities.