Top Financial Advisors in Georgia

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Merit Financial Group is a fee-based firm headquartered in Alpharetta. Merit also has branch locations across the country.

Its team holds multiple certifications, including the certified financial planner (CFPs), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), accredited estate planner (AEP) and accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) designations. 

The firm serves both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations and charitable organizations.

The firm says it may impose an account minimum, depending on the type of services that a client requires. And Merit may also allocate client assets to portfolios offered through LPL Financial, which could require a minimum account size ranging from $1,000 to $100,000, depending on the investment advisory program.

As a fee-based firm, some on-staff advisors can earn commissions from insurance or securities sales. Despite this, the firm abides by fiduciary duty, legally binding it to act in your best interest.

Merit Financial Advisors Background

CEO Rick Kent, who has spent decades working in financial services, founded Merit Financial in 2007. Merit Intermediate Holdings, LLC owns the firm. In addition to investment advisory services, the practice offers a number of financial consulting programs, including for employees, employers and companies with retirement plans.

It also offers the services of brokers and insurance agents in the office, plus access to LPL Financial advisory programs.

Fees for portfolio management services are a percentage based on the client’s assets under management (AUM), ranging up to 2.50%.

The firm also charges an all-inclusive fee for participants in Merit Financial’s wrap fee program. Financial planning services are provided for a flat fee or at an hourly rate.

Merit Financial Advisors Investment Strategy

Merit Financial primarily uses a long-term, diversified investment strategy. Applying mainly fundamental analysis, it generally invests in mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual stocks and bonds, as well as variable annuities.

Individual portfolios are designed according to the client's specific needs and goals. This involves reviewing their risk tolerance, time horizon, long- and short-term goals and income needs. Clients can impose some restrictions on the management of their money. Merit also offers access to LPL Financial model portfolios. 

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Homrich Berg is a fee-only firm headquartered in Atlanta. It serves both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as other investment companies, pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, state or municipal governments and corporations.

As a fee-only advisor, Homrich Berg does not earn commissions or any other hidden form of compensation. 

Clients may enroll in both financial planning and investment management, or can opt solely for investment management. While the firm charges an annual 1.25% fee on a client's first $1 million under management, the fee schedule varies by the services provided. Homrich Berg does not require an account minimum but does generally impose a $12,500 minimum annual fee. 

Homrich Berg’s staff holds multiple certifications, including certified financial planners, certified public accountants, chartered financial analysts and many other designations. 

Homrich Berg Background

Andy Berg and David Homrich founded the firm in 1989. Berg, who serves as CEO, is one of the principal owners of the company, although multiple others also own stakes in the firm. 

The firm maintains five offices throughout the greater Atlanta area. Homrich Berg forms and manages its own private investment funds, but can also recommend private investment funds that are not affiliated with the firm. 

Homrich Berg Investment Strategy

Homrich Berg provides advice on a variety of securities including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded notes, stocks, bonds, hedge funds, private equity funds and real estate funds.

The firm uses quantitative analysis to evaluate mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, hedge funds and private equity partnerships, and focuses on performance and risk statistics, concentration, market-cap weightings and the liquidity of a fund's securities. When evaluating individual bonds, Homrich Berg analyzes the underlying rating of those securities, the bond structure, and how they compare versus similarly rated bonds. 

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BT Family Office is a fee-only firm headquartered in Atlanta that works exclusively with high-net-worth individuals.

As a fee-only advisor, BT Family Office does not collect commissions or other hidden forms of compensation. The firm does not have a required account size.

BT Family Office Background

Founded in 2019, BT Family Office is owned by Bennett Thrasher, LLP, an Atlanta-based accouting and advisory company, and managed by Steven Nowak, who previously led Goldman Sachs' wealth management division in the Southeast and Washington D.C. regions. 

The firm offers clients wealth management services, family and legacy planning, business consulting, risk management, administration support and lifestyle management. 

BT Family Office Investment Strategy

BT Family Office typically employs an investment strategy that relies on long-term purchases, short-term purchsaes, margins transactions and option writing. Client assets are allocated across a variety of securities, including equity stocks, fixed-income, mutual funds, ETFs and private funds. 

The firm may also recommend third-party asset managers for clients and acts as a supervisor for those portfolios. In this supervisory role, BT Family Office evaluates the managers' investment methodologies, risk management systems and other factors on an ongoing basis for its clients.  

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Capital Investment Advisors is a fee-only financial advisor firm located in Atlanta. Clients have a $500,000 account minimum. The firm's advisory team includes certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered retirement planning counselors (CRPCs), and other accredited professionals. 

Capital Investment Advisors Background

Founded in 1996, Capital Investment Advisors is principally owned by Mitchell Reiner, Matthew Reiner and Wesley Moss -- all of whom remain members of the senior advisory team. 

The firm focuses on financial planning, portfolio management, pension consulting and selection of other advisors. 

Capital Investment Advisors Investment Strategy

Asset allocation and portfolio design will be tailored to your financial goals and risk tolerance. Capital Investment Advisors typically spreads a client's assets across growth and income investments. Growth portfolios generally comprise ETFs and individual securities, while income portfolios may be composed of bond mutual funds, bond ETFs, individual bonds and closed end funds. 

In evaluating investments, the firm uses fundamental analysis to asses a comapny's value based on its sales, assets, earnings and other measurables. Capital Investments Advisors factors both proprietary and third-party research into its analysis. 

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SignatureFD has a large advisory team that includes certified financial planners (CFPs), certified public accountants (CPAs), chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and other accredited professionals.

Based in Atlanta, SignatureFD requires a $2 million account minimum.

Because representatives of the firm sell insurance and can earn commissions on those sales, SignatureFD is considered a fee-based advisor. Despite this potential conflict of interest, its advisors have a fiduciary responsibility to act in their clients' best interests. 

The firm works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans and charitable plans.

SignatureFD Background

Founded in 1997, SignatureFD offers wealth management services, financial planning and consulting, as well as miscellaneous services that include standalone investment management. Heather Robertson Fortner serves as a partner and CEO of the firm. 

SignatureFD also owns private investment funds that it makes available to certain qualified clients. These funds generally invest in private equity and private assets. 

SignatureFD Investment Strategy

The advisory team at SignatureFD uses charting, fundamental analysis, technical analysis and cyclical analysis to evaluate securities for clients. The firm's primary investment strategies are long-term purchases, short-term purchases and trading, however advisors may also utilize short sales, options and margins transactions from time to time. 

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Located in Atlanta, Georgia, LCP Institutional is a fee-only firm that works with high-net-worth and charitable organizations. And, according to the firm’s brochure, it also services pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, small businesses and corporations.

As a fee-only firm, it does not receive commissions from third-party sources and is not subject to potential conflicts of interest like a fee-based firm might be.

LCP does not impose any minimum annual fee or minimum portfolio value on client accounts, but it could based on discretion. The firm may also make exceptions to the forgoing fee schedule or negotiate special fee arrangements.

LCP Institutional Background

LCP was formed as a limited liability company in Atlanta. Carolyn LaRocco is the chief executive officer and sole member of LCP.

LCP Institutional Investment Strategy

LCP crafts its investment strategies based on the individual financial situation of each client.

This strategy includes developing client profiles that detail their circumstances, goals and tolerance for risk, as well as their investment objectives and guidelines for how they'd like their assets managed. 

LCP says that it primarily invests client accounts in ETFs, mutual funds and stocks.

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Led by finance professor and radio talk show host "Dr. Gene" Henssler, Henssler Financial is a fee-based firm that works with a variety of clients. These include both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as other investment companies, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, state or municipal entities and corporations. 

As a fee-based firm, some of its advisors may earn a commission from selling insurance products. But Henssler Financial has a fiduciary duty to act in clients' best interests at all times.

The Henssler Financial team holds multiple certifications, including certified financial planner (CFP), certified public accountant (CPA) and certified wealth strategist (CWS) designations, among others.

Account minimums vary depending the type of account. 

Henssler Financial Background

Though Henssler founded the firm in 1987, it wasn’t until 1991 that he took on his first “managed client,” when Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. started offering a program where it would be the custodian of assets for financial advisors, formerly called Schwab Institutional. 

Henssler is owned by Dr. Gene and William G. Lako, Jr., the firm's managing director and principal.

Dr. Gene is still delivering his no-nonsense advice on Saturdays, from 10 to 11 a.m., on Talk 920 WGKA Atlanta. Other employees own minority interests in the advisory business. 

Henssler Financial Investment Strategy

Henssler Financial bases its asset allocation on what it calls the “10 Year Rule.” The firm believes that “any money a client needs within 10 years should be invested in fixed income securities, and any money not needed within 10 years should be invested in high-quality, individual common stocks or mutual funds that invest in common stocks.”

To determine liquidity needs (or how much should be in bonds and cash equivalents), the firm runs cash flow projections using client savings goals, desired future spending and expected retirement date. Based on that data, advisors will then recommend fixed income securities with maturity dates and amounts that correspond to these needs, with one year’s worth of expenses going into a money market fund or another cash equivalent. It will recommend stocks and mutual funds that meet its guidelines for the rest of a client’s portfolio.

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Edge Capital Group, a fee-only advisory firm based in Atlanta. High-net-worth individuals comprise a vast majority of the firm’s clientele. However, Edge Capital Group also works with a varied list of institutional clients, including investment companies, pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations, other investment advisors and corporations.

The firm’s advisory and strategy teams hold multiple certifications as certified financial planners (CFPs), certified public accountants (CPAs) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs).

As a fee-only firm, Edge Capital Group advisors do not earn commissions on client transactions. Instead, the firm is compensated through advisory fees, performance-based fees and other fixed fees. 

Edge requires a $5 million account minimum, the largest minimum of any firm on our list. 

Edge Capital Group Background

Edge Capital Group -- formerly known as Edge Advisors -- has been managing client’s investments since April 2007. Focus Financial Partners Inc., a public company traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, owns the firm through a series of subsidiaries. Edge is managed by Henry Jones, Bert Rayle, Will Skeean, Dennis Sabo and Elizabeth Mackie. 

Edge offers clients financial planning, comprehensive wealth management, outsourced chief investment officer services to family offices and institutional investors, as well as consulting and other services. 

Edge Capital Group Investment Strategy

Edge typically allocates assets of comprehensive wealth management clients among mutual funds or third-party managers, ETFs, and private investment funds. The firm also maintains an internal asset management division called Blue Current, which offers a “niche focus on income strategies,” according to Edge’s website. A nine-member strategy team crafts and guide’s Edge’s investment approach.

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A fee-only firm located in Atlanta, Capital Directions mainly works with individual clients, both with and without a high net worth. Institutional clients include pensions and profit-sharing plans, as well as charitable organizations. 

The firm's advisory team holds multiple certifications as certified financial planners (CFPs) and certified public accountants (CPAs), among other professional designations.

Capital Directions, which has a $150,000 account minimum, is a fee-only advisor compensated primarily through advisory fees. 

Capital Directions Background

Founded in 1985, Capital Directions has the longest track record of any firm on our list. Independently owned and operated since its founding, the firm is principally owned by CEO Dennis Covington, Terry Hartigan, John McMillen and Richard O'Donnell. Together they have nearly 90 years of combined experience in the financial services industry. 

In addition to wealth management and advisory services, the firm offers clients financial planning, an automated investment program and retirement plan services.

Capital Directions Investment Strategy

Capital Directions' primary investment strategy relies on modern portfolio theory, the process of reducing risk through diversification. The firm typically recommends indexed and passive mutual funds, and generally steers clear of individual stocks and bonds. 

"We believe in diversified asset class exposure obtained primarily through a diversified mix of lowcost mutual funds that represent desired asset classes," the firm states in its Form ADV brochure. The firm bases its mutual fund recommendations on total operating expense ratios, portfolio turnover and other factors, and typically recommends no-load funds offered by Dimentional Fund Advisors or Vanguard. 

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Nicholas Hoffman & Company (NHCO) is a fee-only firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. It serves non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and corporations.

The firm says it "may impose a minimum portfolio value eligible for conventional investment advisory services and/or a minimum fee," though it does not specify the amount on its brochure.

As a fee-only firm, financial professionals at NHCO do not earn any type of commissions from product sales or revenue from securities.

Nicholas Hoffman & Company Background

NHCO was founded in 2007 by Nicolas J. Hoffman. The firm is a multi-family office that provides financial planning and portfolio management services.

The advisory staff holds multiple certifications as chartered financial analysts (CFAs).

Nicholas Hoffman & Company Resources

NHCO invests primarily in ETFs, mutual funds, managed accounts, stock and bonds, as well as hedge funds, real estate, private equity and private debt.

Financial strategies are based on an investment plan that has been developed for the specific goals and needs of the client, and it will combine both long-term and short-term purchases.