Top Financial Advisors in Boston, MA

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GW&K Investment Management is a very large firm based in the heart of Boston. In terms of individual clients, the firm exclusively works with high-net-worth people, with tens of thousands being clients of the firm. GW&K also works with institutional clients, such as investment companies, pooled investment vehicles, businesses, government entities, retirement plans and more. There is no single account minimum needed to work with this firm, though many of its programs have their own individual minimums. Based on the complexion of the firm's client base though, it would seem it works with most wealthy clients.

This is a fee-only firm, which means its advisors do not receive compensation beyond client-paid fees. A fee-based firm, on the other hand, has advisors who can receive commissions from the sale of things like insurance or securities, which can cause a potential conflict of interest.

GW&K Investment Management Background

GW&K Investment Management was founded in 1974 by Harold G. Kotler, who still works at the firm as its chief investment officer (CIO), alongside co-CEOs Thomas Powers and T. Williams Roberts III. The firm is under the ownership of its institutional partner, Affiliated Managers Group, Inc., a global publicly traded company.

The team of advisors at GW&K consists of several advisor certifications, with by far the most common being chartered financial analyst (CFA).

GW&K Investment Management Investing Strategy

GW&K Investment Management employs many different investment strategies across its operations. At a high level, these strategies are organized into five main categories: domestic equities, global equities, taxable bonds, muni bonds and mutual funds. Within each of these are anywhere from two to nine sub-strategies.

However, the firm also realizes that each client has their own needs and goals. As a result, the firm states in its Form ADV that it will modify its strategies as necessary to meet these factors.

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Cambridge Associates Limited operates on a fee-only basis and primarily serves colleges and universities, foundations and other non-profit institutions, private clients, family offices, and corporations. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet the diverse needs of its clients.

These include strategic and tactical asset allocation advice, manager selection, and participation in committee meetings. Clients also benefit from access to research services and performance reporting. Investment services cover areas such as socially responsible investing, ESG, and impact investing, alongside the selection of diverse managers. 

Cambridge Associates Limited Background

Cambridge Associates Limited was founded in 1973. The firm is uniquely owned by a combination of its employees and clients. David Druley (CFA) serves as the firm's Chief Executive Officer. Today, the firm manages more than $5 billion in assets under management (AUM) across its 13 advisors. 

Cambridge Associates Limited Investment Strategy

The firm employs a multifaceted investment approach that includes strategic and tactical asset allocation, socially responsible and ESG-focused investing, as well as co-investment opportunities in a variety of assets such as individual companies, ETFs, equity and bond futures, and secondary market offerings of privately placed investment funds.

When managing client portfolios, the firm considers each client's specific investment objectives, risk tolerance, and spending needs to tailor investment strategies that align with their financial goals.

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SCS Financial works with high-net-worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations and sovereign wealth funds and foreign official institutions.

The firm generally requires clients to have a minimum of $25 million in assets under management (AUM). Fees for wealth management are charged as a percentage of assets under management, and certain funds charge a performance fee.

Advisors at SCS do not make commissions for selling products to clients, but the parent company of the firm does own broker-dealers.

SCS Financial LLC Background

SCS was founded in 2002. It is owned by Focus Operating LLC, which in turn is owned by Focus Financial Partners, LLC. The firm is managed by Partners Perpetual Trust, LLC, by way of an agreement between the two firms. Focus Financial Partners is a publicly traded company.

Services offered by the firm include:

• Wealth management
• Fund of funds
• Tax planning
• Philanthropic strategy

SCS Financial LLC Investment Strategy

SCS develops a strategy that makes sense for each individual investor. It especially considers asset allocation and portfolio design, taking both risk tolerance and return objectives into consideration to make the best possible choices for each person. 

The firm uses several funds of hedge funds as an investment for its clients, all of whom are high-net-worth and likely can invest in hedge funds, which often have high barriers for entry. There are also funds of private equity funds.

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The Bollard Group LLC is a fee-only firm that works with a very small number of high-net-worth clients. The minimum account size for clients is $25 million. The firm also manages money for pooled investment vehicles. 

Fees are based on a percentage of assets under management, and the minimum fee is $75,000 per year. Some services are billed at an hourly rate. Advisors may recommend clients invest in funds from the firm’s sister company Spinnaker Capital, which will charge a performance-based fee.

Advisors do not make commissions for selling financial products to clients.

The Bollard Group LLC Background

Bollard was founded in 1995. It is wholly owned by members of the senior management group and is controlled by Anastasios Parafestas, the principal at the firm. 

Services from Bollard include:

• Discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory
• Portfolio management
• Alternative investments

The Bollard Group LLC Investment Strategy

The firm uses charting, fundamental analysis and technical analysis to make investment decisions for clients. Risk tolerance and other factors unique to each client are considered when constructing client portfolios.

Several asset types are used, including equities, fixed-income securities, options, futures, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and concentrated holdings. Short sales and leverage could be used for some clients.

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Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors, LLP (LWC) is a multi-family office that’s a pioneer in socially responsible investing. To be a client, you’ll need at least $2 million in investable assets. The fee-only firm principally serves high-net-worth individuals.

LWC has several chartered financial analysts (CFAs) on its team of advisors.

Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors, LLP Background

Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors, LLP was formed in 1994. The firm, which is privately owned, was founded so the trustees of the Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Office could provide investment management and advisory services to accounts for which they don’t serve as fiduciaries.

LWC aims to encompass every detail of a family's financial life in its integrated wealth management solutions. The firm provides family office services, estate planning and settlement services, financial planning, tax planning and preparation and philanthropic strategies.

Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors, LLP: The Sustainability Group

Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors' Sustainability Group is dedicated to investing in social and environmental progress.  The Sustainability Group was founded more than 25 years ago by Amy Domini, a nationally recognized leader in the field of socially responsible investing who continues to lead the group. 

The group fuses sustainability issues with fundamental analysis and consideration of individual clients' goals, needs and priorities. Its approach is three-part:

• Portfolio selection: Portfolios are managed on a standalone basis and are structured around sustainability themes, like socially responsible companies or sustainable technology. 
• Shareholder engagement and proxy voting: LWC uses its standing as shareholders to hold companies accountable and to push them to do the right thing. 
• Community development investing: The Sustainability Group's clients invest in credit unions, loan funds, community banks and international microfinance institutions, all of which are investments that LWC believes can drive positive change by providing access to capital.

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This fee-only firm requires that you have at least $2 million in assets to open an account, though it is willing to negotiate that minimum sometimes. Welch & Forbes has a client base made up of a mix of individuals and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, other advisors and corporations.

The staff at this firm includes chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and certified public accountants (CPAs). Fees paid for investment management are based on a percentage of assets under management. No advisers at the firm are registered as representatives of a broker-dealer and they do not make money from commissions for selling securities or insurance products.

Welch & Forbes LLC Background

Welch & Forbes is a blue-blooded Boston firm, founded in 1838. The majority stake in the firm is held by AMG Wealth Partners, and the remaining equity is held by various employees of the firm.

Welch & Forbes LLC Investing Strategy

Advisors at Welch & Forbes can create a portfolio for any client, but there are some models the firm notes as common:

• Multi-cap core equity, with investments in stocks (domestic and international)
• Specialty, with a focus on a style or sector chosen by the client
• Open architecture, with a focus on mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
• Income, with a focus on fixed-income products
• Alternative investments, with investments in areas including venture capital, real estate, private equity or hedge funds

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TwinFocus Capital Partners is a fee-only firm that works mainly with high-net-worth clients, though there are some individual clients who are beneath the high-net-worth threshold. The firm also works with pooled investment vehicles and other institutional clients. Fees can be annual, based on a percentage of assets under management or some combination of both.

Certifications earned by advisors at the firm include Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified public accountant (CPA).

There is a very high minimum account size at the firm: $100 million.

TwinFocus Capital Partners Background

TwinFocus was founded in 2006 by Paul Karger and Wesley Karger, who remain the firm’s principals.

Services offered to clients include wealth management, family office services corporate consulting services, investment management, financial planning, estate planning and tax planning.

TwinFocus Capital Partners Investment Strategy

Pooled investment vehicles, which include investments like hedge funds, take up around a third of the client asset pool at TwinFocus. Given the high barrier to entry for these funds, it makes sense that the majority of TwinFocus clients have very big portfolios. Mutual funds, stocks, bonds and cash holds are also used.

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Choate Investment Advisors LLC is a fee-only firm. Its clients include both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans and charitable organizations. The firm prefers new relationships with a minimum account size of $10 million, though it sometimes accepts accounts of lesser value.

Fees for investment management are based on a percentage of assets under management. Some consulting and financial planning services are billed at an hourly rate. Advisors are not paid commissions for selling products or securities to clients.

Choate Investment Advisors LLC Background

Choate is a subsidiary of Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP, a law firm in Boston. It was originally founded in 1996 to provide investment advice mainly to attorneys at the firm. It now provides advice to a variety of clients. 

Choate Investment Advisors LLC Investment Strategy

The following investment strategies are available:

• All bond: only fixed-income investments; focused solely on producing income
• Conservative Income: mainly invests in fixed-income, with some equity-linked investments
• Income and Growth: mix of fixed-income and equity investments
• Balanced: focused on balancing capital appreciation and current income; includes equities, fixed-income and alternatives
• Growth and Income: similar to balanced, but with total return as a primary goal
• Growth: focused on capital appreciation with a minority of fixed-income investments
• Aggressive Growth: primarily equity and alternatives investments, with a diversified portfolio to mitigate risk; current income expectation is low
• Opportunistic Growth: emphasis on tactical decisions based on the market; only for those with high risk tolerance

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Crestwood Advisors Group, LLC works with high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth clients, as well as pensions, profit-sharing plans, charities and businesses. You'll need an account of at least $1 million to work with Crestwood.

Crestwood is a fee-only firm. This means that the firm does not receive third-party commissions of any kind. A fee-based firm, on the other hand, receives commissions and is subject to a potential conflict of interest as a result.

Crestwood Advisors Group Background

Crestwood Advisors Group was founded in 2003. It also has offices in Darien, Connecticut and Westport, Connecticut. In 2017, Crestwood Advisors, LLC, the predecessor firm, became Crestwood Advisors Group, LLC. The current firm is part of the Focus Financial Partners, LLC partnership. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Focus Operating, LLC. The firm is led by Michael Eckton, CEO. It employs several chartered financial analysts (CFA), certified financial planners (CFP) and other financially certified individuals.

Crestwood works to provide clients with comprehensive wealth management solutions. It also provides an automated investment strategy platform.

Crestwood Advisors Group Investment Strategy

Crestwood Advisors crafts individualized investment strategies to help clients meet their individual financial needs and objectives. Because the firm's advisory services are comprehensive, each client relationship involves a series of information-gathering meetings in order to properly assess and take note of each client's risk tolerance, liquidity needs, investment history and, and other relevant information.

Crestwood advises on any type of investment held in a client's portfolio but mainly invests in equity and debt securities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded notes (ETNs), mutual funds and equity options. Advisors rely primarily on fundamental methods of analysis to help them inform investment decisions.

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Boston Financial Management is fee-only and serves both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional clients like pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, government entities, corporations and investment companies. 

The minimum account size at the firm is $2 million. Fees are based on a percentage of assets under management.

Boston Financial Management Background

BFM was founded in 1976 and is owned by the Richard Harding Morse Trust and other employees at the firm. 

Services include financial planning and portfolio management.

Boston Financial Management Investment Strategy

The following strategies are available at BFM, though custom and hybrid strategies may also be created:

• High-quality mid-cap strategy
• High-quality dividend appreciation strategy
• Balanced strategy
• International equity strategy
• Fixed-income strategy
• Strategic asset allocation strategy