Top Financial Advisors in Columbia, MD

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Also a fee-only firm, Baltimore-Washington Financial Advisors (BWFA) oversees more than $1 billion in assets mostly on a discretionary basis. Its team includes certified financial planners (CFPs), certified public accountants (CPAs), certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) and MBAs. 

BWFA has no minimum investment account size. It serves individuals who have a high net worth as well as those who don't, and also works with trusts, estates, foundations, charitable organizations and other nonprofits.

Baltimore-Washington Financial Advisors Background

BWFA was founded in 1986. President and CEO Rob Carpenter became the owner in 2012. Two employees - Chief Operating Officer Joseph Manifredi and Director of Client Services Meghan Manas - have small stakes.

The firm offer investment management services, financial planning, financial planning for business owners, tax planning and preparation and employer-sponsored retirement plan services. Additionally, it hosts free seminars on such topics as annuities and self-care for caregivers.

Baltimore-Washington Financial Advisors Investing Strategy

BWFA offers three model portfolios that range in risk level: Capital Appreciation, Conservative Growth as well as Growth and Income. In special situations, advisors may customize a client’s model. Each model has positions in approximately 80 to 100 securities, which the firm believes are undervalued and aims to hold for typically three to five years.

The firm aims to achieve strong performance over multiple market cycles and its core investment time horizon is typically three to five years.

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The FAI in FAI Wealth Management is short for Financial Advantage, Inc., the firm’s legal name. With hundreds of millions in assets under management, the fee-only practice employs advisors with various professional designations and accreditations, such as certified financial planner (CFP), MBA, chartered financial analyst (CFA), certified public accountants (CPA), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) and accredited asset management specialist (AAMS). (Some advisors may have multiple designations.)

FAI Wealth requires a minimum $500,000 to open an investment account, though it may waive the requirement at its discretion. The firm serves both individual clients who have a high net worth as well as those who don't. The firm also works with pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations and other advisors.

FAI Wealth Management Background

J. Michael Martin founded FAI Wealth in 1987. Today, it’s owned to varying degrees by Mark Stinson (president), Curtis R. Gross (chief investment officer) and Andrew L. Smith (vice president).

The firm considers financial planning the centerpiece of its services. It offers it in conjunction with discretionary investment management services, on a stand-alone basis or as ongoing consulting services. It also provides retirement plan consulting.  

FAI Wealth Management Investing Strategy

Strategies depend on the client profile and goals. FAI Wealth generally formulates its advice using fundamental, cyclical and charting methods of analysis. Also, it may use long-term trading (holding securities for at least a year), short-term trading (selling securities within a year) and option writing.

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With two Lowes on board, Lowe Wealth Advisors is a family shop. The father-and-son duo and four other advisors oversee hundreds of millions in assets under management. The team includes several certified financial planners (CFPs). The elder Lowe is also a licensed insurance agent.

The majority of individual clients do not have a high net worth. This isn’t surprising, since the firm doesn’t have a minimum account size requirement. In addition to individuals, Lowe Wealth also serves pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts and estates.

Lowe Wealth Advisors Background

Harold Lowe originally named the firm Lowe FS, LLC when he founded it in 2011. He renamed it in 2016, shortly after his son Gregory, became part owner of the company that directly owns the firm. The elder Lowe serves as president and the younger Lowe serves as vice president and chief operating officer. Chief Investment Officer Bradley Williams is a small shareholder.

The firm offers investment management services, financial planning or both (which it calls wealth management services). It also provides advisory services specifically for people in the medical profession. Additionally, Lowe Wealth advises retirement plans.

Lowe Wealth Advisors Investing Strategy

Considering itself the watchman for its clients, the advisory breaks down its investment process into six steps: analyze, diversify, evaluate, execute, confirm and rebalance. It uses fundamental and technical analyses when evaluating securities. And it may utilize long-term purchases (holding securities for at least a year), short-term purchases (selling securities within a year), trading (selling securities within 30 days) and options.

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Last but not least, Keeney Financial Group Inc. manages more than $300 million in assets on a discretionary basis. It’s a full-service, fee-based firm, meaning most of its advisors are also brokers and insurance agents. The team of five represents professional financial designations such as certified retirement planning counselor (CRPC), certified retirement plan specialist (CRPS), certified income specialist (CIS) and chartered institute of management accountants designee (CIMA). (Advisors may have more than one certification).

People who do not have a high net worth make up a majority of Keeney Financial’s individual clientele. The practice also works with trusts, charitable organizations, foundations, pensions and corporations. It requires a minimum $500,000 investment to open an account, though it may lower the amount at its discretion.

Keeney Financial Group Background

John Keeney founded the firm in 1998, and registered it as an investment advisor in 2015. He is the sole owner and serves as president.

Keeney Financial offers discretionary investment management services. In special circumstances, it will provide them on a non-discretionary basis. The firm also provides financial planning on a fixed-fee basis. 

Keeney Financial Group Investing Strategy

For each client, the practice generally selects one of five investment programs or asset allocation strategies, based on the client’s profile and objectives. They range from income with capital preservation to aggressive growth. Keeney financial takes a bottom-up approach to securities analysis and follows Modern Portfolio Theory. For smaller accounts, the firm may recommend third-party managers.