Top Financial Advisors in Connecticut

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QP Global Family Offices in Greenwhich, which specializes in serving ultra-high-net-worth individuals and their families, is the top-rated financial advisory firm in Connecticut, according to our metrics.

This firm, which operates on a fee-only basis, only works with families that have a minimum net worth of $200 million, although it may way this requirement at its discretion. 

As a fee-only practice, QP Global only receives compensation from clients – not third parties for recommending financial products and services. Those fees, which are charged on a fixed basis, vary from family to family depending on the type and complexity of the assets the firm manages. QP Global also collects management and performance-based fees from private funds that it manages. 

QP Global Family Offices Background

QP Global was founded in 2017 and remains under the joint ownership of Brendan MacMillan and Peter Pauley through QP GFO Holdings, LLC. 

QP Global offers personalized family office services to a select group of families with significant wealth. Their comprehensive services include wealth and risk management, direct private investments, succession planning, trust and estate work, tax planning and more. QP Global serves as each family's single-family office, managing various accounts such as trusts, foundations and partnerships. 

QP Global Family Offices Investment Strategy

The firm's typical investments encompass a broad range of assets and financial instruments through third-party managers such as hedge funds, long-only funds and private equity. They also engage in passive market investments, portfolio and macro hedges and currency hedges. 

Direct investments in private companies, option structures, swaps, credit default swaps (CDS) and short securities portfolios are also integral to the firm’s approach. QP Global also focuses on capturing structural alpha to enhance investment performance. 

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With more assets under management than any other firm on our list, Bradley Foster & Sargent (BFS) is Connecticut's No. 2 financial advisory firm. BFS primarily advises individuals with and without a high net worth. The firm also works with pension plans, profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, businesses, a pooled investment vehicle and an investment company. 

BFS does not require a specific minimum account size, but it does charge a $5,000 minimum annual fee. Clients who are referred to the firm through the Fidelity Wealth Advisor Solutions Program will need a balance of $500,000.

As a fee-only firm, BFS makes money solely through client-paid fees, not third-party commissions for selling insurance and other financial products. The financial advisors at BFS hold various certifications, including the chartered financial analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) (CFP) and certified public accountant (CPA) designations.

Bradley, Foster & Sargent Background

BFS has been in business since 1994. The firm currently has 12 principal owners, all of whom are employees of the firm. Robert H. Bradley serves as the BFS chairman.

The core services offered at BFS are investment advisory and portfolio management. The firm also provides financial planning and consultation services. While its headquarters are located in Hartford, BFS has other offices in Connecticut, as well as Massachusetts, Florida, Maine and Chicago. 

Bradley, Foster & Sargent Investment Strategy

BFS strives to develop investment plans tailored to the specific needs of each of its clients. Advisors use a wide range of strategies, investments and methods of analysis. The firm focuses on determining an effective asset allocation that incorporates strong diversification.

Since capital preservation is one of the primary goals of the firm, it typically invests according to long-term strategies that utilize equities, fixed-income securities and cash. However, the firm believes that common stocks are the best assets for crafting an effective client portfolio. The firm does not utilize market-timing strategies, though.

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GYL Financial Synergies, a fee-only firm based in West Hartford, works with individuals and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charities, government entities and businesses. If you're an individual, you'll need at least $1 million to become a new client. Institutional clients are held to a $10 million minimum requirement.

This firm's advisors have a wide range of certifications, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), certified investment management analyst (CIMA), certified public accountant (CPAs) and certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) designations, among others.

While some of GYL's advisors are licensed insurance agents, they do not sell policies or receive compensation associated with insurance policies. Instead, they can work with the client's insurance advisor to review their current policies.  

In addition to being the No. 3-ranked firm in the state, GYL is the top-rated advisory firm in West Hartford. 

GYL Financial Synergies Background

GYL was founded in 2016 by CEO Gerald Goldberg, Martin Resnick and Jonathan Yolles, who serves as the firm's president of private client services. While Goldberg and Yolles remain on senior leadership team, Resnick is no longer with the firm. Focus Financial Partners Inc., a network of registered investment advisors (RIAs), owns GYL through a series of subsidiaries. 

The firm provides investment management and financial planning services to individual clients through a company it operates called GYL Resnick. These services include:

• Retirement planning
• Risk management
• Cash flow planning
• Charitable giving
• Next generation planning

Its investment management services are available on both a discretionary and non-discretionary basis, meaning some clients give GYL full authority to manage their accounts, while others require the firm to consult them when making portfolio decisions. 

GYL Financial Synergies Investment Strategy

GYL advisors begin each relationship by defining a client's goals and expectations. Based on these factors, advisors will come up with an investment plan and portfolio that fit the client's risk tolerance, time horizon, income requirements and more. Each client has the right to make amendments to their investment plan at any time.

The firm tends to pursue long-term strategies based on asset allocation rather than market timing and stock picking. To do this, it relies on the principles of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), which seeks to optimize the balance between risk and expected returns.

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Apella Capital, located in West Hartford, primarily advises individuals and high-net-worth individuals. However, the firm's client base also comprises pension and profit-sharing plans, as well as corporations and businesses. With no minimum account requirement, Apella has nearly twice as many individual clients who don't have a high net worth as those who do. 

Apella's team includes one Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and one chartered financial analyst (CFA). While advisors previously earned commissions for selling insurance policies, the firm has since discontinued this practice and no longer works under a fee-based structure, reducing its conflicts of interest. 

Apella Capital Background

Established in Glastonbury in 2013, Apella also has offices in Arizona, California, Florida, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington. Founded by David Connelly Jr. and Patrick Sweeny, the firm remains under the pair's ownership through Strategic Holdings, LLC.

Apella Capital provides investment management on both a discretionary and non-discretionary basis. It also offers financial planning services and retirement plan solutions. 

Apella Capital Investment Strategy

Apella formulates investment strategies and advice based on its clients' financial circumstances, objectives and risk tolerance. The firm has model portfolios constructed for each investment strategy that it uses and then tailors those portfolios to the needs of individual clients.

These model portfolios comprise a range of investments including equities and fixed-income allocations in varying percentages. They typically include mutual funds, ETFs and other products. Some of the model portfolios that Apella uses are designed and maintained by the investment committee at Symmetry Partners, another Connecticut-based advisory firm that Sweeny and Connelly founded.

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Johnson Brunetti, a fee-based firm with headquarters in Wethersfield, has a massive list of individual clients who fall below the high-net-worth threshold. Despite not having a minimum account size requirement, the firm also advises high-net-worth investors, corporations and business entities. 

All three of the firm's partners are Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®). Because some advisors are also licensed insurance agents, they can earn additional compensation for selling policies to clients, creating a potential conflict of interest. However, Johnson Brunetti is required to act in the clients' best interests as a fiduciary despite this potential conflict.

Johnson Brunetti Background

Founded in 2003, Johnson Brunetti has been a registered investment advisor since 2014. The firm is 100% owned by Financial Retirement Solutions LLC. 

With offices throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts and Atlanta, Johnson Brunetti offers a variety of services to clients, including:

• Retirement planning
• Estate planning
• Asset management
• 401(k) guidance
• Wealth protection
• Long-term care insurance options

Johnson Brunetti Investment Strategy

Johnson Brunetti generally uses fundamental analysis when evaluating investments and advising clients. This commonly used method of analysis attempts to measure the intrinsic value of a security by looking at a host of factors, including the overall economy and industry conditions, as well as the management and financial condition of the asset itself. 

The firm typically provides investment advice on ETFs, securities traded over the counter, foreign issues, U.S. government securities and partnerships that invest in real estate. Johnson Brunetti does not attempt to time the market, but it may increase cash holdings when it deems appropriate. 

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Northeast Financial is a multi-family office that primarily works with high-net-worth individuals but also advises individuals beneath the high-net-worth threshold.

Northeast Financial, the top-rated advisory firm in Westport, does not require clients to maintain a minimum account size. Its team of advisors features a chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified public accountant (CPA). 

As a fee-only firm, Northeast Financial makes its money from client fees, not commissions or other hidden forms of compensation for selling third-party products and services. 

Northeast Financial Background

Independently owned, Northeast Financial has been in business since 1983. Elwood Davis, NFC's current president, founded the firm after spending nine years working in the financial services industry.

Northeast Financial offers the following services:

• Investment management
• Retirement planning
• Estate planning
• Tax planning and management
• Family office services
• Legacy planning
• Special needs planning
• Employee benefits planning
• Risk management
• Alternative investments

Northeast Financial Investment Strategy

When you become a client at Northeast Financial, your advisor will work with you to define your risk tolerance and time horizon. The firm notes in its Form ADV brochure that "we are not 'traders.'" Instead, NFC typically assumes a long-term investment view and relies on asset allocation to guide investment choices and portoflio construction. 

Clients with substantial income needs will have fixed-income securities in their portfolios. When investing in equities, the firm usually relies on mutual funds and ETFs. 

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Connecticut Wealth Management (CTWM) comes next on our list of the state's top financial advisors. This Farmington-based firm works mainly with individuals, those both with and without a high net worth. CTWM also works with charitable organizations and businesses, as well as a single government entity. The firm has a $1 million minimum investment requirement.

CTWM's team of advisors has certifications like the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), certified public accountant (CPA), certified investment management analysts (CIMA) and certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) designations.

As a fee-based firm, some CTWM advisors earn commissions from the sale of securities or insurance products on top of their client fees. While this presents a potential conflict of interest, the firm is a fiduciary and is therefore legally bound to act with clients' best interests in mind at all times.

Connecticut Wealth Management Background

CTWM was founded in 2010. The principal owners of the firm are CEO Kevin C. Leahy, Denis M. Horrigan and CFO Michael A. Tedone. The trio has around 80 years of combined experience in financial services.

CTWM provides financial planning and consulting services, along with retirement plan advising and investment management. The firm can specifically offer clients help with:

• Business succession planning
• Retirement planning/retirement income
• Inherited wealth
• Executive compensation and stock options
• Tax planning
• Estate and wealth transfer
• Philanthropic giving
• Insurance and risk management
• College planning
• Long-term care
• Trust services

Connecticut Wealth Management Investment Strategy

CTWM works with each client to determine their financial needs and objectives so that its advisors can craft an appropriate portfolio strategy to help clients meet their goals. The firm examines your risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity preferences. Advisors typically use a range of mutual funds and ETFs with a long-term investing mindset when constructing portfolios. Portfolios may also include individual stocks, bonds, certificates of deposits and alternative investments. From there, your portfolio will receive ongoing monitoring.

CTWM generally relies on fundamental analysis when evaluating investments for clients' portfolios and asset allocation when managing portfolios. 

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Moneco Advisors is a fee-based financial advisory firm that offers investment management, retirement planning, insurance services, legacy planning and other services primarily to individual clients above and below the high-net-worth mark. 

As a fee-based firm it may receive compensation from third parties for the sale of insurance products like annuities. However, as a fiduciary Moneco is obliged to put every client's best interest first, at all times.

Most client assets are managed on a discretionary basis, but a significant portion of assets under management are handled on a non-discretionary basis.

Moneco Advisors Background

Christopher J. Neubert founded the firm in 1980 and owns an 8.28% stake in the firm. Charles Rocco is the president and holds a 16.82% stake in Moneco. 

Advisors hold numerous professional certifications, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), chartered life underwriter (CLU) and certified investment management analyst (CIMA) designations, among others.

Moneco Advisors Investment Strategies

Clients' individual investment strategies are tailored to their specific needs. Their portfolios typically consist of individual stocks or bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, options and other public and private securities or investments, as appropriate for each client.

Suitable securities are identified by a variety of tools, including fundamental, technical and cyclical analysis.

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Integra Global Advisors, a fee-based firm in Stamford, has a relatively small client base made up of high-net-worth individuals, investment companies and funds, retirement plans and charities. 

The firm has two service offerings, each aimed at clients with different levels of wealth. The firm’s Integra Global Advisors line of business is designed for institutions, family offices and high-net-worth individuals with at least $20 million in assets. Meanwhile, the Integra Private Wealth line is intended for high-net-worth individuals who have less than $20 million in assets.  

Integral Global Advisors offers wealth planning services for an asset-based fee that’s assess as a percentage of assets under management. However, certain advisors on staff can also earn third-party compensation for selling financial products to advisory clients. While  this constitutes a conflict of interest, the firm is a fiduciary and must act in clients’ best interests.  

Integra Global Advisors Background

Integral Global Advisors was founded in 2017. The firm is jointly owned by Gil Orbach and Jonathan Plumb, who collectively manage the company's operations.

Services offered by the firm encompass a broad range of financial advisory and management solutions tailored to meet the diverse needs of its clients. These services include constructing portfolios for private investment funds, managing risk for non-discretionary client portfolios, ongoing monitoring and tracking of third-party managers and client portfolios.

Additionally, clients receive customized monthly reports on portfolio performance and analysis, and investment advice concerning allocations to private investment funds. The firm also offers discretionary advisory services. 

Integral Global Advisors Investment Strategy

Integral Global Advisors’ approach to managing investments includes strategic allocation studies and active management of asset allocations. The firm holds full discretion over both strategic and tactical asset allocation decisions, ensuring diversified exposure across various asset classes and focusing on specific sectors within the global capital markets. 

Their investment vehicles include equities, fixed income securities, real estate, commodities and foreign exchange. Additionally, Integral Global Advisors invests in ETFs, mutual funds and external private investment funds, such as hedge funds, private equity funds and venture capital funds.

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Coastal Bridge Advisors rounds out our list of the top-rated advisors in the Constitution State. This fee-based practice requires a minimum initial investment of $5 million. As a result, a majority of clients are high-net-worth individuals, although the firm also works with non-high-net-worth investors, insurance companies, corporations and businesses.

The firm's staff has a wide array of financial certifications, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified investment management analyst (CIMA) designations., among others.  

Because some of its advisors can sell insurance products for a commission, Coastal Bridge Advisors is a fee-based firm. While this creates a potential conflict of interest, the firm abides by its fiduciary duty to act in your best interest at all times.

Coastal Bridge Advisors Background

Founding partners Kevin Burns, Jim Pratt-Heaney and Bill Loftus opened the firm in 2009. The trio has a combined 90 years worth of experience managing clients’ money and investments. Coast Bridge Advisors is owned by Focus Financial Partners, LLC.

Coastal Bridge Advisors offers clients financial planning services, investment management (including a wrap program), advice to retirement plan participants and retirement plan consulting. 

Coastal Bridge Advisors Investment Strategy

When formulating the composition of a client’s portfolio, Coastal Bridge Advisors will first talk with them about their risk tolerance, liquidity needs and time horizon. Through these conversations, the firm will create a template by which it can determine whether a specific investment falls in line with the client's personal needs. 

The firm states in its Form ADV brochure that it believes the most effective asset management strategy is selecting independent managers for its clients. Coastal Bridge Advisors takes into account the investment strategies, past performance and risk results of an independent manager when choosing one for a client.