Finding a Top Financial Advisor Firm in Greensboro, North Carolina
Looking for a reliable advisor to manage your assets? SmartAsset’s list of the top six financial advisor firms in Greensboro can aid your search process. Below, we outline each firm’s costs, investment strategies, certifications and more. If you’d rather find a financial advisor by filling out a short questionnaire, use SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool.
| Rank | Financial Advisor | Assets Managed | Minimum Assets | Financial Services | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stearns Financial Group  Find an Advisor | $949,282,600 | $1,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$1,000,000 Financial Services
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| 2 | Fund Direct Advisors, Inc.  Find an Advisor | $650,000,000 | No set account minimum |
| Minimum AssetsNo set account minimum Financial Services
|
| 3 | Triad Financial Advisors, Inc.  Find an Advisor | $505,970,700 | $440,000 |
| Minimum Assets$440,000 Financial Services
|
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| 4 | Morton Wealth Management, LLC  Find an Advisor | $356,048,400 | $1,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$1,000,000 Financial Services
|
| 5 | Holderness Investments Co.  Find an Advisor | $250,183,100 | $1,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$1,000,000 Financial Services
|
| 6 | Capital Management, LLC  Find an Advisor | $185,397,300 | $250,000 |
| Minimum Assets$250,000 Financial Services
|
How We Found the Top Financial Advisor Firms in Greensboro, North Carolina
All U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-registered firms in Greensboro were considered for SmartAsset’s list of the top 6 financial advisor firms in Greensboro, North Carolina. Any firms that had disciplinary issues with the SEC, did not have financial planners or did not manage individual accounts were eliminated from consideration. The remaining fiduciary firms were then ranked from most assets under management (AUM) to least.
Stearns Financial Group
Stearns Financial Group is a fee-only, independent financial advisory firm with nearly $1 billion in assets under management. This makes it by far the largest firm on this list. It has nine advisors on staff.
Stearns’ clients are primarily individuals, businesses and charitable organizations. The firm’s minimum account balance is $1 million.
There’s no shortage of in-house financial certifications at the Stearns Financial Group. The firm has seven certified financial planners (CFPs), three chartered financial analysts (CFAs), three certified public accountants (CPAs), a certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA), a registered financial gerontologist (RFG), a chartered global management accountant (CGMA) and a chartered financial consultant (ChFC) on staff.
Stearns Financial Group Background
Established in 1991, Stearns Financial Group has been in business at least four years longer than any other firm on this list. Its team, led by founder and president Dennis Stearns, was named one of Inc.’s 5000 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. in 2016.
Stearns offers overall wealth and investment management, long-term financial planning and financial strategies after a major life event, such as a death, divorce or inheritance. For business owners, Stearns offers tax minimization, financial independence and risk management services.
Stearns Financial Group Strategy
Stearns Financial Group says that it emphasizes long-term investment principles. The firm uses strategic asset allocations, diversification and statistical research to try to ensure portfolios’ growth.
The firm says that it follows its original investment plan to a tee, trusting in its vision. However, that doesn’t preclude its advisors from regularly meeting with clients to continuously plan for the future.
Fund Direct Advisors, Inc.
Fund Direct Advisors, Inc. targets investors who want assistance with their retirement plans or pensions. It typically handles 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457 plans, government, for-profit and non-profit pension plans.
Fund Direct Advisors is a fee-only, independently-owned firm. It has one certified financial planner (CFP) on staff, and does not require a minimum level of assets to open an account.
Fund Direct Advisors, Inc. Background
Fund Direct Advisors was founded in 2011, more than a decade after the second-newest firm on this list, Triad Financial Advisors, Inc. Though Fund Direct Advisors hasn’t been in business for long, its advisors average 15 years of experience in the personal finance industry.
Fund Direct Advisors says that its goal is to help retirement-minded investors save for retirement.
Fund Direct Advisors, Inc. Strategy
Fund Direct Advisors, Inc. says that its financial plans are tailored to clients’ needs and goals. Typically, the firm invests its clients’ assets in securities. It routinely rebalances client portfolios to ensure asset allocations remain within target and continue to support clients’ financial plans.
The firm utilizes various financial publications and financial software to further carry out clients’ investment strategies. These include proprietary programs like eMoney Advisor, FI360 and Morningstar’s Principia Pro Software.
Triad Financial Advisors, Inc.
A plethora of experienced advisors reside at the fee-only Triad Financial Advisors, Inc.. The firm boasts seven certified financial planners (CFPs), two chartered life underwriters (CLUs) and two chartered financial consultants (ChFCs) on staff. Regardless of which of the firm’s financial advisors you work with, the advisor will most likely be a CFP, one of the most highly esteemed certifications.
To open an account with Triad Financial Advisors, you will need a minimum of $440,000 in investable assets. That makes Triad fairly accessible to most prospective investors.
Patrick Rush, the firm’s CEO, was recognized by Barron’s in 2017 as the seventh-best financial advisor in North Carolina. As a firm, Triad Financial Advisors has been selected by Financial Times and AdvisoryHQ as one of the top financial advisors in the state.
Triad Financial Advisors, Inc. Background
Triad Financial Advisors was formed in 2000, and its advisors average nearly 18 years in the financial industry. Rush, the principal owner of this independent firm, has 20 years of experience in the industry.
Triad offers investment analysis, investment management, estate planning, retirement planning, tax minimization and higher-education preparation. The firm also hosts educational workshops and other seminars to teach clients about various financial topics and to keep them up-to-date on what’s going on in the finance industry.
Triad Financial Advisors, Inc. Strategy
Triad Financial Advisors, Inc. asks investors “would you rather?” questions to determine where their priorities lie. A couple examples from the website include, “Would you rather have more vacations or send your kids to private school?” and “Is it more important to spend your money now and enjoy it or leave a legacy for the next generation?”
The plans that Triad Financial Advisors subsequently builds emphasize what it calls risk capacity. Risk capacity measures what you feel you can afford to lose in an investment scenario, as opposed to the more commonly used measurement of risk tolerance, which is more focused on the natural movement of the investment market.
Morton Wealth Management, LLC
Nearly three-quarters of Morton Wealth Management’s client base is comprised of high-net-worth individuals, businesses and charities. This is likely linked with the firm’s $1 million account minimum.
Morton Wealth Management’s advisors boast more than 20 years of experience in the financial sector. The firm has four certified financial planners (CFPs), a chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC), a chartered advisor for Senior Living (CASL) and a certified public accountant (CPA) on staff.
Morton is a fee-based firm that acts as an insurance broker. Its advisors are, however, bound by fiduciary duty to act in clients’ best interests at all times.
Morton Wealth Management, LLC Background
Morton Wealth Management, LLC was created in 1999 by founder and principal advisor Steven H. Morton, who has more than 30 years of personal experience in wealth management.
The firm provides an array of services, including retirement planning, Social Security planning and analysis, tax-efficient investing and risk management. Morton also handles the needs of businesses, offering both compensation planning and option planning.
Morton Wealth Management, LLC Strategy
Once you’ve identified where you want your assets to end up and what level of investment risk you’re willing to take on, Morton Wealth Management, LLC will craft an appropriate plan. Morton says its clients should expect varied asset allocations because, as it states on its website, “no single market segment consistently produces superior results.”
Morton rebalances its clients’ portfolios any time asset allocation strays from target. The firm also continuously monitors the tax system, so as to minimize the taxes that its clients have to pay.
Holderness Investments Co.
Holderness Investments Co. is a financial advisor firm independently run by Richard T. Holderness, the firm’s founder and president. He has nearly 40 years of investing experience, whereas the rest of the staff averages around 20 years’ experience. Two chartered financial analysts (CFAs) are a part of this firm as well.
Although Holderness Investments Co. recommends a minimum account balance of $1 million, that minimum is negotiable. The firm works with more individuals than high-net-worth individuals.
Holderness is a fee-based firm, and clients may be offered insurance by its advisors. However, the firm is a fiduciary, so it’s legally required to act in clients’ best interests.
Holderness Investments Co. Background
Holderness Investments Co. has been around since 1995, making it the second-oldest firm on this list, behind Stearns Financial Group.
IRAs, 401(k)s, pension and profit-sharing plans, taxable individual accounts, company accounts and others represent the majority of accounts that make up Holderness’ business.
Holderness Investments Co. Strategy
Unlike much of its competition, Holderness Investments Co. uses a contrarian and value style of investing. This style of investing is founded on the idea that copying what the majority is doing can be in direct conflict with finding where real value actually lies. Holderness claims that this strategy “enhances the probability of substantial upside [in] capital gains while limiting downside risks.”
Clients are typically able to choose from five different investment portfolios, each with varying levels of potential risk and reward.
Capital Management, LLC
The $250,000 minimum account balance required by Capital Management, LLC is the second-lowest on this list, only Fund Direct Advisors has a lower minimum. The overwhelming majority of Capital Management’s clients have high net worths.
Capital Management has two certified financial planners (CFPs) and a certified senior advisor (CSA) on staff. CSAs, a relatively rare certification, specialize in handling the financial needs of people who are retired or nearing retirement.
Capital Management is a fee-based firm. Advisors may earn commissions from selling insurance products to clients. The firm is a fiduciary though, so it must act in clients’ best financial interest.
Capital Management, LLC Background
Prior to founding Capital Management in 1998, CEO and managing partner David P. Gray had built up more than 17 years of experience in financial advising.
Considering the fact that Capital Management has a CSA on staff, it’s no surprise that the firm claims to excel at managing geriatric financial situations. Capital Management is the only firm on this list that offers these services, as most of the other firms focus more on preparing you for retirement rather than on what comes once you reach retirement.
Capital Management, LLC Strategy
Capital Management believes flexibility is the key to asset growth. The firm says that it implements this fluidity through asset allocation and diversification, which are based off of your personalized investment strategy. Each client will receive a plan customized to fit their needs and overall financial goal. No viable investing opportunities are ruled out.
