Finding a Top Financial Advisor Firm in Huntsville, Alabama
Choosing the right financial advisor is a difficult decision. SmartAsset dedicated hours to researching the firms in Huntsville, Alabama, to determine the top Huntsville financial advisor firms. In the table and reviews below, we overview each of the top Huntsville firms so you can easily compare and contrast what each firm has to offer. SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool can connect you with advisors who serve your area.
Find a Fiduciary Financial Advisor
We match more than 50,000 people with financial advisors per month. Get connected to an advisor that serves your area today.| Rank | Financial Advisor | Assets Managed | Minimum Assets | Financial Services | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keel Point, LLC  Find an Advisor | $ 2,940,456,131 | Varies by account type |
| Minimum AssetsVaries by account typeFinancial Services
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| 2 | Smith Thornton Advisors, LLC  Find an Advisor | $ 735,361,770 | No set account minimum |
| Minimum AssetsNo set account minimumFinancial Services
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| 3 | Longview Financial Advisors, Inc.  Find an Advisor | $180,533,743 | Not set account minimum |
| Minimum AssetsNot set account minimumFinancial Services
|
What We Use in Our Methodology
To find the top financial advisors in Huntsville, we first identified all firms registered with the SEC in the city. Next, we filtered out firms that don't offer financial planning services, those that don't serve primarily individual clients and those that have disclosures on their record. The qualifying firms were then ranked according to the following criteria:
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AUMFirms with more total assets under management are ranked higher. -
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Individual Client CountFirms who serve more individual clients (as opposed to institutional clients) are ranked higher. -
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Clients Per AdvisorFirms with a lower ratio of clients per financial advisor are ranked higher. -
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Age of FirmFirms that have been in business longer are ranked higher.
All information is obtained through public records and is updated annually after the firms’ form ADV filing. This list may include firms that have a business relationship with SmartAsset, in which SmartAsset is compensated for lead referrals. Such relationships have no impact on our rankings, and firms are included and ranked based strictly on the above criteria. SmartAsset is not a client of the aforementioned firms, and did not receive compensation for including any of the firms on the aforementioned list.
Keel Point, LLC
Keel Point, which ranks first on our list of the top Huntsville firms, manages billions in client assets. The firm has by far the largest advisory team, with numerous staff members serving in advisory roles in offices around the country.
Keel Point has Certified Financial Planner™ (CFPs®) working out of its Huntsville office, as well as chartered retirement planning counselors (CRPCs) and accredited investment fiduciary analysts (AIFAs).
The firm's account minimums may vary by account type. The firm also serves high-net-worth individuals, individuals, institutions, pension and corporate retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations and small businesses.
As a fee-based firm, some Keel Point advisors may receive additional compensation for selling insurance or financial products to clients, creating a conflict of interest. However, the firm does have a fiduciary duty to put clients’ best interests ahead of its own.
Not only is Keel Point Huntsville's top-rated firm but it is also ranked among the top firms in the state of Alabama.
Keel Point Background
Founded in 2003, the firm's home office is located in Huntsville. However, Keel Point also has branch offices in Birmingham, Alabama; Leawood, Kansas; Nashville, Tennessee; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Greenville, North Carolina; and Vienna, Virginia.
Keel Point is wholly owned by Keel Point Partners, LLC, which is owned by management team members and certain client-investors. Keel Point Partners also owns Keel Point Insurance Advisors, LLC. Additionally, the firm has a subsidiary, Keel Point Capital, LLC, through which it provides brokerage services to its clients.
The firm has four primary service platforms for its discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management:
- Keel Point Private Client Services: Investment advisory services for individuals and families
- Keel Point Horizon Services: Family office services for ultra-high-net-worth families
- Keel Point Corporate Services: Group retirement and benefits solutions for businesses
- Keel Point Asset Management: Outsourced chief investment officer and investment consulting services for institutions, foundations, endowments and third-party investment advisers.
Keel Point Investment Strategy
Keel Point clients have access to six distinct investment strategies that the firm uses for both active and passive portfolio management. These programs invest client assets in a variety asset classes, including mutual funds, fixed-income securities, alternative investments and at least one separately managed account.
As for research and analysis, Keel Point uses a team-driven fundamental and quantitative process to design diversified long-term and tactical portfolios. The firm analyzes both short- and long-term economic trends and employs quantitative modeling to assure client portfolios are within predefined risk tolerances.
Smith Thornton Advisors, LLC
Smith Thornton Advisors (STA), a fee-based firm, is the No. 2 financial advisor practice in Huntsville. STA works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, investment companies, pension plans, insurance companies as well as corporations and other businesses. STA does not impose a minimum account size requirement.
However, some advisors may earn commissions when selling investment products. This creates a potential conflict of interest, since the advisor may have a financial incentive to recommend certain investments over others. Then again, the firm and its advisors must abide by fiduciary duty and always act in your best interests.
As for professional credentials, the STA team features chartered financial analysts (CFAs), accredited investment fiduciaries (AIFs) and certified plan fiduciary advisors (CPFAs).
Smith Thornton Advisors Background
Having been founded in February 2021, STA is the youngest firm on our list. STA is owned by Steven C. Thornton, Richard J. Smith, and William P. Smith.
The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, as well as financial planning and retirement plan consulting.
Smith Thornton Advisors Investment Strategy
STA’s methods of analysis and investment strategies incorporate the client’s needs, investment objectives, time horizon and risk tolerance. However, the firm is not bound or limited to a particular strategy. Instead, it relies on a client's risk tolerance levels, which are determined when they open an account at the firm.
As for securities, STA typically invests client assets in a combination of cash, stocks, mutual funds, bonds and annuities. The right investment strategy depends on the client's unique needs.
Longview Financial Advisors, Inc.
Longview Financial Advisors, the third firm on our list of the top Huntsville firms, is dedicated to providing financial planning and portfolio management to clients. The Longview staff boasts an impressive array of certifications, an important thing to consider when choosing a financial advisor.
At the firm, there are Certified Financial Planner™ (CFPs®), two certified investment management analysts (CIMAs), chartered life underwriters (CLUs), accredited estate planners (AEPs), chartered advisors in philanthropy (CAPs), certified private wealth advisors (CPWAs) and enrolled agents (EAs).
Notably, Longview Financial Advisors is the only fee-only firm on this list, so its advisors do not earn commissions when recommending certain products and services. The firm offers financial planning and portfolio management services to individuals as well as their trusts and estates. The firm says its clients are primarily business owners, professionals and retirees. It also serves corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable institutions, foundations and endowments.
The firm does not have a set account minimum.
Longview Financial Advisors Background
Longview Financial Advisors was founded in 1994 as West Financial Consulting, Inc. In 2010, the firm changed its name to Longview Financial Advisors to reflect its emphasis on "taking the long view of clients financial goals."
Longview is an employee-owned firm. Its principal owners are Jeff Cedarholm, president and chief investment officer, and Larry West, who was the president of West Financial Consulting.
Longview's financial planning services may address goal determination, retirement planning, cash flow, insurance review and risk mitigation, education planning, estate planning, charitable gifting and philanthropy, tax planning and investment management.
Longview Financial Advisors Investment Strategy
As is the case with most financial advisor firms, Longview Financial Advisors believes that wide diversification is crucial to controlling risk and increasing portfolio performance potential. Longview employs a research-based methodology to select investments, with the investment team focusing on how markets will respond to global economic factors and business cycles.
The asset classes the firm typically invests in include domestic stock, international stock, real estate stocks, market sectors, commodities, hedging strategies/liquid alternatives, fixed income and cash and/or cash equivalents. However, the firm says that it principally invests its clients in exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and/or mutual funds.
Longview has developed portfolios based on the five major categories of risk tolerance that it believes most clients fall into. These categories include aggressive, moderate-aggressive, moderate, conservative-moderate and conservative. Notably, Longview does not allow clients to impose restrictions on their portfolios.
