Finding a Top Financial Advisor Firm in Brighton, Michigan
If you’re searching for a financial advisor in Brighton, Michigan, we can help you narrow the field. SmartAsset’s experts conducted hours of research, digging through data and reading the fine print, to find the top registered investment advisors (RIAs) in Brighton. To automatically connect with advisors who serve your area, use SmartAsset's free financial advisor matching tool.
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| Rank | Financial Advisor | Assets Managed | Minimum Assets | Financial Services | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Executive Wealth Management, LLC
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$1,177,510,126 | No set account minimum |
|
Minimum AssetsNo set account minimumFinancial Services
|
| 2 |
Guardian Pointe Private Wealth Management, LLC
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$30,508,297 | $250,000 |
|
Minimum Assets$250,000Financial Services
|
| 3 |
Old Oak Financial Planning, Inc.
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|
$138,081,041 | No set account minimum |
|
Minimum AssetsNo set account minimumFinancial Services
|
What We Use in Our Methodology
To find the top financial advisors in Brighton, we first identified all firms registered with the SEC in the city. Next, we filtered out firms that don't offer financial planning services, those that don't serve primarily individual clients and those that have disclosures on their record. The qualifying firms were then ranked according to the following criteria:
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AUMFirms with more total assets under management are ranked higher. -
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Individual Client CountFirms who serve more individual clients (as opposed to institutional clients) are ranked higher. -
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Clients Per AdvisorFirms with a lower ratio of clients per financial advisor are ranked higher. -
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Age of FirmFirms that have been in business longer are ranked higher.
All information is obtained through public records and is updated annually after the firms’ form ADV filing. This list may include firms that have a business relationship with SmartAsset, in which SmartAsset is compensated for lead referrals. Such relationships have no impact on our rankings, and firms are included and ranked based strictly on the above criteria. SmartAsset is not a client of the aforementioned firms, and did not receive compensation for including any of the firms on the aforementioned list.
Executive Wealth Management
Executive Wealth Management (EWM) tops our Brighton list. At its headquarters in the city, its advisory team boasts designations like certified financial planner (CFP), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), chartered life underwriter (CLU) and several others. Some advisors can also earn commissions as broker-dealer representatives or insurance agents, making the firm fee-based. Despite this potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty requires it to act in clients' best interests.
The firm works mostly with non-high-net-worth individuals. It also works with high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charities, government entities, insurance companies, estates and businesses. It doesn’t impose a minimum account size requirement.
Executive Wealth Management Background
Albert Herzog founded Executive Wealth Management in 1981. Its owners and board of managers are Albert P. Herzog III, Michael R. Chechel, Jr., Gregory J. Barber, Adam R. Kulesza and Michael J. Lay, all of whom still work at the firm. The firm also has branches in Northville, Michigan; Ludington, Michigan; and Jackson, Mississippi.
Advisors, who may earn commissions from third parties in addition to client fees, offer portfolio management services as part of a wrap fee program. So clients pay bundled fees that cover advisory services and transaction-based costs. The firm also offers individual allocation recommendations for client-directed fund investments in employer-sponsored retirement plans, portfolio management within retirement plans, pension consulting and financial planning.
Executive Wealth Management Investment Strategy
Executive Wealth Management makes investment decisions based on the client’s needs and capacity for risk. The firm diversifies portfolios with various asset classes. A portfolio may invest in mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), real estate investment trusts (REITs) and variable annuities.
Guardian Pointe Private Wealth Management
Second on our list is Guardian Pointe Private Wealth Management. The firm requires a minimum investment of $250,000 for asset management services. Still, its client base consists entirely of individuals who do not have a high net worth.
Some advisors at Guardian Pointe are licensed insurance agents, which means they may earn commissions when they sell specific insurance products. This compensation may be in addition to the advisory fees they charge clients. This, of course, can create a potential conflict of interest. However, Guardian Pointe and its representatives have a fiduciary duty to offer advice in the best interests of their clients.
Guardian Pointe Private Wealth Management Background
Richard A. Kisser and Ronald J. Briggs, Jr. launched Guardian Pointe Private Wealth Management in 2017. They have a combined 50 years of experience in the financial services industry.
The firm offers asset management services through both a wrap fee program and a traditional advisory relationship. In some cases, they may work with sub-advisors to manage clients’ accounts.
Guardian Pointe Private Wealth Management Investing Strategy
Guardian Pointe offers access to separately managed accounts (SMAs). These are run with the help of third-party portfolio managers. This allows investors to benefit potentially from multiple strategies. These portfolios are built with individual securities, which clients would directly own. Security options generally include stocks and bonds. The weighting of either would depend on the individual goals and risk tolerance of the client.
Old Oak Financial Planning
Old Oak Financial Planning is a Brighton-based RIA. The firm doesn’t require a minimum account size for its services. Not surprisingly, it primarily works with individuals who do not have a high net worth. However, a handful of its clients do have a high net worth.
As a fee-based firm, certain on-staff advisors at Old Oak can receive commissions from insurance sales. This creates a potential conflict of interest, though the firm is legally bound to act in clients' best interests due to its fiduciary duty.
Old Oak Financial Planning Background
Old Oak Financial Planning was founded in 1995. Terry Rawsky, a graduate of Cleary College and the University of Michigan, is the firm's primary owner. Both on-staff advisors here are certified financial planners (CFPs).
The firm offers financial planning and active portfolio management services. You can receive advice on various financial topics including:
- Tax planning
- Investments
- Retirement
- Education
- Insurance
- Estate planning
Old Oak Financial Planning Investment Strategy
Old Oak Financial Planning believes diversification is key to capturing returns and mitigating risk. The firm generally invests client assets in no-load mutual funds, stocks and bonds. But its advisors may consider other options they believe can help clients meet their investment goals. Some other factors that will be a part of your portfolio plans are your personal risk tolerance, time horizon, income needs, liquidity needs and investment preferences.
