Finding a Top Financial Advisor Firm in Mississippi
Choosing a financial advisor to work with can be a stress-inducing venture. To help you sort through your options in Mississippi, SmartAsset created this list of the top financial advisor firms in the state. To help differentiate between the firms, our experts go over each entry’s typical investment strategy, client base, services and more. SmartAsset also developed a financial advisor matching tool that can set you up with as many as three advisors who serve in your area.
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We match nearly 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 | Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors, LLC Find an Advisor | $1,310,474,780 | $25,000 |
| Minimum Assets$25,000Financial Services
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| 2 | Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC Find an Advisor | $6,924,984,046 | $1,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$1,000,000Financial Services
|
| 3 | Financial Concepts Find an Advisor | $1,088,251,596 | $25,000 |
| Minimum Assets$25,000Financial Services
|
| 4 | Mag Cap Find an Advisor | $1,691,479,335 | No set account minimum |
| Minimum AssetsNo set account minimumFinancial Services
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| 5 | Hardy Reed, LLC Find an Advisor | $2,890,705,950 | No set account minimum |
| Minimum AssetsNo set account minimumFinancial Services
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| 6 | Ballew Advisors Inc. Find an Advisor | $1,101,192,631 | $100,000 |
| Minimum Assets$100,000Financial Services
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| 7 | Langley Wealth Management, LLC Find an Advisor | $370,645,602 | None |
| Minimum AssetsNoneFinancial Services
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| 8 | Element Wealth, LLC Find an Advisor | $743,663,309 | $250,000 |
| Minimum Assets$250,000Financial Services
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| 9 | Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. Find an Advisor | $424,500,000 | $100,000 |
| Minimum Assets$100,000Financial Services
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| 10 | Sound Financial Strategies Group, LLC Find an Advisor | $217,657,061 | $50,000 |
| Minimum Assets$50,000Financial Services
|
What We Use in Our Methodology
To find the top financial advisors in Mississippi, we first identified all firms registered with the SEC in the state. 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. -
Individual Client CountFirms who serve more individual clients (as opposed to institutional clients) are ranked higher. -
Clients Per AdvisorFirms with a lower ratio of clients per financial advisor are ranked higher. -
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.
Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors, LLC
Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors is headquartered in Clarksdale. The firm currently manages hundreds of millions in assets under management (AUM) from thousands of clients. The firm’s client base consists of individuals and high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, government entities, corporations, trusts, estates and partnerships. The firm has a $25,000 account minimum.
For investment management services, the firm will charge a fee as a percentage of AUM ranging from 0.40% to 1.25%. Fees for the two investment programs administered by Raymond James are also percentage-based and range from 1.25% to 2.25%. Financial planning fees are charged either as a fixed fee between $750 and $3,000 or as a $200 hourly fee.
Barnes Pettey Financial Advisors primarily recommends mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), but it will ultimately tailor its recommendations to fit each client’s objectives and risk tolerance. The firm takes into consideration each client’s investing timeline before formulating the appropriate strategy for their portfolio. Consequently, the firm doesn’t have a standard preference toward long- or short-term investing.
Smith Shellnut Wilson, LLC
Smith Shellnut Wilson is a fee-only firm with the largest amount of client assets on this list. For advisory services, the firm mainly generates compensation from asset-based fees and fixed fees. The firm imposes a minimum account size requirement of $1,000,000 on its client base of individuals, high-net-worth individuals, corporate entities, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable institutions, foundations, municipalities, trusts, insurance companies and other U.S. institutions.
Since 1995, SSW has provided financial planning, advisor selection, security ratings/pricing services and discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services. Frank W. Smith, III and William Parks Johnson Jr. are the firm’s primary owners.
SSW says it develops investment portfolios based on client needs and objectives. The firm selects securities using fundamental analysis, technical analysis and cyclical analysis. As for its asset types, SSW typically invests in U.S. government and agency bonds, exchange-traded equity securities, U.S. state and local bonds, investment-grade corporate bonds, cash and cash equivalents and securities issued by pooled investment vehicles.
Financial Concepts
Financial Concepts is a firm with two advisors that’s been doing business in Columbus since 2011. It has hundreds of millions in assets under management (AUM) and works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension plans and charitable organizations that comprise this client base.
Financial Concepts provides financial planning and individual portfolio management services. There is a $25,000 account minimum at this firm. Financial planning fees will typically come at a fixed rate, which can range from $1,000 to $5,000 depending on the scope of your services. Investment management fees will be 0.50% of your total AUM.
Financial Concepts typically invests client assets in a range of different mutual funds that represent a variety of asset classes. When analyzing potential funds, the firm employs fundamental analysis, looking at a fund’s financial statements and surrounding information in an attempt to gauge its intrinsic value.
The firm has a buy-and-hold investment strategy and makes recommendations for portfolio changes based on the client’s life circumstances rather than market fluctuations. It doesn’t believe that market timing can be a successful strategy, especially in the long term.
Mag Cap
Mag Cap, or Magnolia Capital Advisors, LLC, has been an investment advisor in Mississippi since 2018. Its clients include a majority of individuals, with some high-net-worth individuals and pension plans rounding it out. The firm has millions in assets under management (AUM), and it doesn’t impose an account minimum. Mag Cap provides investment management, financial planning and consulting services to its clients. The firm doesn’t impose any sort of account minimum.
Mag Cap gives clients the choice between a percentage-based fee or a flat fee when it comes to portfolio management services. Percentage-based fees typically won’t exceed 2.00% of your AUM. For financial planning services, there’s no additional charge for clients who already receive portfolio management. Stand-alone financial planning clients will pay a fixed fee between $2,500 and $25,000.
Most of Mag Cap’s investment recommendations revolve around money market funds and other cash instruments, exchange-listed securities, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closed-end fund shares, certificates of deposit (CDs), corporate debt securities, municipal securities, government securities, options, variable annuity products, private funds and private placements.
When analyzing potential funds to invest in, the firm looks at both the experience and track record of the fund manager, gauging if the manager has demonstrated an ability to invest over a while and in different economic conditions. Another important step is looking at the underlying assets in a fund to see if there is a significant overlap in the underlying investments held in other funds in the client's portfolio. This helps to promote in-depth diversification.
Hardy Reed
Hardy Reed, LLC is a wealth advisory firm that’s been around for longer than a decade. The firm has more than 200 clients that combine to hold billions in investable assets. The majority of Hardy Reed’s clients are individuals, but it also works with high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations and corporations. This is a fee-only firm.
The firm provides investment management and financial planning services, and it occasionally offers consulting services as well. The firm doesn’t impose an account minimum, but it does charge a minimum annual fee of $10,000, which may make its services cost-prohibitive for clients with smaller accounts.
Portfolio management services come with a fee based on a percentage of your assets under management (AUM). This can reach as low as 0.30% and as high as 1.25%, depending on the value of your assets. Financial planning fees are negotiable but typically vary from a $1,000 to $10,000 fixed fee or a $250 hourly fee based on the scope of your services.
Hardy Reed strongly prefers to develop a comprehensive picture of each client’s financial life before beginning the investment process. It does this to ensure that it fully understands the client’s risk profile, investment objectives, tax situation and liquidity and income needs before making any purchases. Hardy Reed normally invests client assets in a combination of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). On a more limited basis, the firm may allocate assets to third-party managers.
Ballew Advisors
Ballew Advisors, Inc. has been providing advisory services to clients in Jackson since 1991. The clients at the firm include individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations and corporations.
Fees for investment management tend to fall between 1.00% and 2.00% of your assets under management (AUM), although the firm may decide to negotiate a different arrangement. Financial planning fees can vary depending on the degree of responsibility involved and the amount of skill and work required, so there is no standard rate or fee.
Ballew Advisors has a number of core beliefs upon which it bases its investment approach. It believes that the most important decision to be made is how to allocate your assets among cash, bonds, stocks, real estate and any other primary securities. Additionally, the firm thinks that diversification among asset classes is the best method for limiting risk and increasing returns.
The firm primarily invests with a long-term perspective, both to keep down trading costs and because a portfolio that diversifies across asset classes should increase in value over a long time.
Langley Wealth Management
Langley Wealth Management is a fee-based financial advisor firm headquartered in Corinth, Mississippi. It works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, trusts and estates, and it manages $370.65 million in client assets. Langley Wealth Management generally does not impose a minimum relationship size.
The firm provides wealth management, discretionary investment management, financial planning and other advisory services. Its financial planning services may address investment planning, retirement planning, personal savings, education savings and insurance needs. Fees for advisory services are asset-based and generally range from 0.50% to 1.50% annually.
Langley Wealth Management primarily uses long-term investment strategies. Client portfolios may include exchange-traded funds (ETFs), open-end mutual funds, individual stocks, individual bonds, closed-end mutual funds, covered options and limited partnerships, where appropriate. The firm uses fundamental and technical analysis, along with strategic asset allocation, rebalancing, cash positioning, short-term trading when needed for rebalancing or liquidity, and capital gains or loss harvesting.
Element Wealth, LLC
Element Wealth, LLC has been providing investment advice to clients in Ridgeland since 2006. Its clients are a combination of individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension plans and charitable organizations. Element Wealth is a fee-based firm, and there is no minimum account size. The firm provides investment management to its clients, along with financial planning. Additionally, the firm occasionally acts as a sub-advisor for the clients of an independent advisory firm.
Fees for investment management services at the firm are charged as a percentage of client assets under management (AUM). The exact rate can vary from 0.40% to 1.00%, depending on the value of your assets, whether your assets are in an employer-sponsored retirement account or not and what asset classes make up your portfolio. Financial planning and other consulting services usually come with a $400 hourly fee.
Element Wealth prioritizes diversification across asset classes for each client portfolio. How much these portfolios are exposed to securities like equities, bonds, cash and alternative investments will depend on the client’s investment objectives, timeline and risk tolerance. The firm generally constructs smaller portfolios with a combination of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and larger portfolios with individual stocks and ETFs. Some portfolios will feature all three of these investment types.
Mascagni Wealth Management
Mascagni Wealth Management is a fee-based firm working mostly with individuals who do not have a high net worth, though some high-net-worth investors are on the rolls, along with some corporations. Some advisors at the firm are also insurance agents and can earn commissions. This is a conflict of interest, but all advisors must still act in the best interest of the client. The minimum account size is $100,000.
Fees are fixed for financial planning and a wrap fee program is available for all services, based on a percentage of assets under management.
The firm's security analysis methods include charting and fundamental analysis. The main sources of information the firm uses are "financial newspapers and magazines, research materials prepared by others, corporate rating services and annual reports, prospectuses, and/or filings with the SEC."
Sound Financial Strategies Group
Sound Financial Strategies Group is a fee-based advisory firm headquartered in Madison, Mississippi. Founded in 2017, the firm works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, small business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations and not-for-profit entities. It generally requires a minimum investment portfolio size of $50,000 for investment management accounts, though it may waive this minimum at its discretion.
The firm provides discretionary investment management, wrap fee program services, financial planning and insurance-related services. Its planning services may cover retirement planning, investment planning, cash flow analysis, education planning, estate planning coordination, business valuation, tax planning strategies, insurance and risk management analysis and charitable planning.
The firm typically uses model portfolios built around strategic asset allocation, tactical model selections, fund selection and ongoing monitoring. Portfolios may include mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), equities, debt securities, alternative investments, closed-end funds, private funds and REITs.