Top Financial Advisors in Glastonbury, CT

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Apella Capital is not only Glastonbury's top-rated financial advisory firm, it's also on SmartAsset's list of the top advisors the state of Connecticut. 

If you don’t have a lot of money to invest, Apella Capital could be a good choice for you. The firm has a client base dominated by non-high-net-worth individuals, but it also serves high-net-worth individuals, businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations and government entities. In addition, Apella has no stated minimum investment requirements.

While the firm has offices scattered across the country, its Glastonbury team is anchored by two certified financial planners (CFPs). Because some Apella advisors sell insurance policies for commissions, the firm is considered fee-based. Despite the potential conflict of interest that commission-based compensation creates, Apella has a fiduciary duty to always put its clients' best interests first. 

Apella Capital Background

Apella Capital is under the ownership of David E. Connelly Jr. and Patrick A. Sweeny. This duo also owns Symmetry Partners, another Connecticut-based firm. While each of these firms are distinctly independent from one another, Apella does use some of Symmetry’s portfolio models. Apella has been in business since 2013.

Clients interested in investment management will find plenty of services at Apella. The firm has created a few different portfolio model strategies that it can implement based on your needs. Financial planning services are available too, including retirement planning, tax planning, risk management, insurance planning, estate planning and more.

Apella Capital Investment Strategy

In order to customize a portfolio to the needs of each client, Apella Capital will discuss your risk tolerance, time horizon and investment objectives the first time you meet with an advisor. This will allow your advisor to build a comprehensive investor profile that will eventually dictate your portfolio’s complexion.

Once your assets are invested according to your prespecified needs, the firm will monitor and rebalance your investments when necessary. The firm's model portfolios typically comprise a range of investments including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and other products.

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AdviceOne Advisory Services, the No. 2 firm on our list, also appears on SmartAsset's statewide rankings. AdviceOne clients have access to some certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered financial counselors (ChFCs), registered financial consultants (RFCs) and chartered life underwriters (CLUs).

Despite its $25,000 account minimum, AdviceOne primarily works with high-net-worth individuals. However, it also advises non-high-net-worth individuals, pensions, profit-sharing plans, charities and business entities. 

As a fee-only firm, AdviceOne's revenue comes from the fees it charges clients, not commissions for selling securities or insurance products. Client fees may include a percentage of a client's assets under management, hourly charges or miscellaneous fixed fees. 

AdviceOne Advisory Services Background

Founded in 1999, AdviceOne is wholly owned by Michael P. Grossman, the firm's president and chief compliance officer. Grossman, a certified financial planner, has been working in the financial advisory sector since 1990. 

AdviceOne offers wealth management services, portfolio management and financial planning services.

AdviceOne Advisory Services Investment Strategy 

AdviceOne has two primary portfolios available for clients mostly made up of open-end mutual funds ? mutual funds that have no limit on the number of shares that can be issued. The firm's fixed income portfolio strives to provide current income to clients, while its equity portfolio is designed to provide long-term growth. 

The firm uses a proprietary process for evaluating potential open-end mutual funds, which includes interviewing fund managers and learning about the funds' investment methodologies. 

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Rossmore Private Capital employs a small team of financial advisors to handle its client assets under management (AUM). Rossmore's team has several advisory certifications, including certified financial planners (CFPs) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs).

You’ll need at least $1 million in investable assets to become a client of Rossmore, a fee-only firm. As a result, the firm’s most common clients are high-net-worth individuals. Non-high-net-worth individuals, businesses and charities round out Rossmore's client base.

Rossmore Private Capital Background

Founded in 2017, Rossmore Private Capital is owned by four principals: Matthew Maclean, Brian Sheehan, Alex Gomez and Andrew Baldassarre.

Investment advisory is the premier service at Rossmore, but the firm does have a rather robust selection of financial planning and family office services. For example, you can utilize its retirement planning, tax planning, debt management, education fund planning and estate planning services.

Rossmore Private Capital Investment Strategy

Although Rossmore creates its portfolios according to clients’ needs, the firm generally adheres to a long-term time investment horizon. Therefore, the vast majority of its investment decisions will reflect that affinity.

To do this, the firm will ensure that your invested assets are well-diversified to hedge against market downturns. In addition, Rossmore scours the investment sphere for opportunities to invest in mispriced or undervalued securities.

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Our next firm, Wooster Corthell Wealth Management, does not require a minimum investment or account size. In turn, the firm’s client base is rather varied. It works with individuals and families -- both with and without a high net worth -- as well as small businesses, retirement plans, trusts and charitable organizations. This is a fee-only firm.

Wooster Corthell Wealth Management does not have a website, so you’ll need to call or visit the firm to learn more about it.

Wooster Corthell Wealth Management Background

No firm on this list has been in business longer than Wooster Corthell Wealth Management, as it was created in 1992. The firm’s founder is Alan D. Wooster, who remains its principal owner and president.

The firm offers investment supervisory and asset management services. Each client portfolio is tailored to their specific needs.

Wooster Corthell Wealth Management Investment Strategy

For the most part, Wooster Corthell Wealth Management believes that passive investing is the way to go. The firm consequently invests heavily in index funds and ETFs, which tend to provide built-in diversification and little (if any) active management. 

But if you’re inclined to more aggressively chase returns, a passive investing strategy might not cut it. For these clients, the firm may engage in some form of active investment management. This involves significantly more trading, which will obviously result in higher trading fees.

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Empower Financial Advisory offers the services of investment management and financial planning to clients in the Glastonbury area. There is no minimum account size requirement in order to open a new account. The client base at the firm mostly consists of individuals, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates and small businesses.  

Empower is a fee-based firm employing some advisors who can earn commissions from the sale of insurance products or securities. Despite this potential conflict of interest, the firm abides by its fiduciary duty, legally binding it to act in the best interest of all clients.

Empower Financial Advisory Background

Empower Financial Advisory was founded in 2017 by Ronald E. Williams Jr., who is a certified financial planner and serves as president of the firm today. The firm now works with over 300 individual clients and has more than $400 million in assets under management (AUM). The main client profile of the firm includes executives of large businesses, retirees, soon-to-be retirees, owners and sponsors of NASCAR race teams and state or municipal employees close to retirement.

Empower Financial Advisory Investment Strategy

The firm works with clients to establish an individualized investment strategy that meets the needs and risk appetite of the individual. The focus is typically on a long-term basis, holding nearly all investments for a minimum of a year. Rebalancing a portfolio may require shorter hold periods. Typical investments include bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds and individual stocks. 

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Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning, the fifth highest-rated firm in Glastonbury, is staffed only by founder Mark Sheptoff and two other employees. Sheptoff holds certified public accountant (CPA) and personal financial specialist (PFS) designations. The firm abides by a fee-only fee schedule.

Even though Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning lacks significant manpower, it manages the accounts of around 250 clients. Of this client base, most are individuals without a high net worth, but the firm does work with high-net-worth individuals, charitable organizations, businesses and pension and profit-sharing plans, as well. The firm requires new clients to initially invest at least $250,000.

Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning Background

Sheptoff, who founded the firm in 1997, is a 45-year veteran of the financial services industry. He owns the company by himself.

Individual investment portfolio management and financial planning services are the hallmarks of this firm’s services. Clients will have access to personalized investment plans, as well as retirement planning, insurance planning, tax management, cash flow planning and more. In some cases, the firm provides consulting services.

Mark Sheptoff Financial Planning Investment Strategy

When you become a client, the first thing you’ll do is evaluate your investor characteristics with the firm. The most important of these is your risk tolerance, which will eventually dictate what kinds of returns you can expect to receive. Depending on your financial objectives, your time horizon will have a varying effect on your portfolio’s composition. 

The firm uses a variety of investment strategies, including long-term purchases (securities held for more than one year), short-term purchases (securities held for less than a year), margin transactions and option writing. 

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Briggs Wealth Management (BWM), rated as the No. 6 advisory firm in Glastonbury, works with slightly more high-net-worth individuals than non-high-net-worth individuals. While relatively small, BWM requires a hefty $1 million minimum account size. 

The firm's founder has three advisory distinctions: certified financial planner (CFP), certified public accountant (CPA) and personal financial specialist (PFS).

Briggs Wealth Management Background

Mark Briggs, BWM's principal, has nearly 40 years of experience working in various areas of finance. In 2000 he established the firm, but it wasn’t until 2006 that it attained the title of registered investment advisor (RIA) from the SEC.

Briggs Wealth Management has a plethora of financial planning, consulting and investment management services, including:

• Tax planning
• Asset allocation determination
• Estate planning
• Retirement planning
• Investment planning
• Legacy planning
• Risk and insurance management

Briggs Wealth Management Investment Strategy

Depending on your risk tolerance, Briggs Wealth Management will use some blend of long- and short-term investment purchases. Long-term purchases are meant for the more risk-averse, as these securities will often occupy a space in their portfolio for a year or longer. On the other hand, short-term purchases look to capitalize on market shifts and trends that don’t have a large window of time, and you can expect to sell the security within a year.

Specific securities that Briggs includes in client portfolios can vary wildly. For example, it might utilize domestic and foreign equities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit (CDs), municipal and corporate bonds, real estate investment trusts (REITs), options, mutual funds, ETFS, variable annuities and more.