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Top Financial Advisors in Madison, WI

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This review was produced by SmartAsset based on publicly available information. The named firm and its financial professionals have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed this review and are not responsible for its accuracy. Review content is produced by SmartAsset independently of any business relationships that might exist between SmartAsset and the named firm and its financial professionals, and firms and financial professionals having business relationships with SmartAsset receive no special treatment or consideration in SmartAsset’s reviews. This page contains links to SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool, which may or may not match you with the firm mentioned in this review or its financial professionals.

Finding a Top Financial Advisor Firm in Madison, Wisconsin

If you're looking for a financial advisor, narrowing down your options and choosing an advisor can be difficult. That’s why SmartAsset did the work for you, researching the top candidates in Madison, Wisconsin and assembling essential info about the top firms. You can also use our financial advisor matching tool to get connected with advisors who serve your area and choose the one who best fits your needs.

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Rank Financial Advisor Assets Managed Minimum Assets Financial Services More Information
1 Madison Investment Advisors, LLC Madison Investment Advisors, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$12,949,877,511 Varies based on account type
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Selection of other advisors
  • Subadvisor

Minimum Assets

Varies based on account type

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Selection of other advisors
  • Subadvisor
2 Baker Tilly Wealth Management, LLC Baker Tilly Wealth Management, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$3,911,868,384 No set account minimum
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
  • Educational seminars/workshops
  • Investment consulting

Minimum Assets

No set account minimum

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
  • Educational seminars/workshops
  • Investment consulting
3 John F. Suby Wealth Management, LLC John F. Suby Wealth Management, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$1,750,916,698 No set account minimum
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)

Minimum Assets

No set account minimum

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
4 Resonant Capital Advisors, LLC Resonant Capital Advisors, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$1,345,426,552 $5,000
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
  • Investment and institutional consulting services

Minimum Assets

$5,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
  • Investment and institutional consulting services
5 Isthmus Partners, LLC Isthmus Partners, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$977,296,272 Varies based on account type
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management

Minimum Assets

Varies based on account type

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
6 Goldstein Advisors, LLC Goldstein Advisors, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$634,882,604 None
  • Asset management
  • Corporate retirement plans
  • Financial planning

Minimum Assets

None

Financial Services

  • Asset management
  • Corporate retirement plans
  • Financial planning
7 Madison Partners Madison Partners logo Find an Advisor

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$461,551,362 No set account minimum
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting

Minimum Assets

No set account minimum

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
8 Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$486,677,461 $500,000
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
  • Educational workshops/seminars

Minimum Assets

$500,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors (including private fund managers)
  • Educational workshops/seminars
9 WEA Financial Advisors, Inc. Find an Advisor

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$400,469,937 No set minimum
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Retirement income and distribution analysis
  • Personal investment accounts

Minimum Assets

No set minimum

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Retirement income and distribution analysis
  • Personal investment accounts
10 EnRich Financial Partners EnRich Financial Partners logo Find an Advisor

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$347,100,571

$250,000

  • Investment management
  • Financial planning
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors

Minimum Assets

$250,000

Financial Services

  • Investment management
  • Financial planning
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors

What We Use in Our Methodology

To find the top financial advisors in Madison, 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:

  • AUM
    Firms with more total assets under management are ranked higher.
  • Individual Client Count
    Firms who serve more individual clients (as opposed to institutional clients) are ranked higher.
  • Clients Per Advisor
    Firms with a lower ratio of clients per financial advisor are ranked higher.
  • Age of Firm
    Firms that have been in business longer are ranked higher.
  • Fee Structure
    Firms with a fee-only (as opposed to fee-based) compensation structure 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.

Madison Investment Advisors, LLC

Madison Investment Advisors, the No. 1 firm in Madison, is by far the oldest and largest financial advisor on our list. Madison specializes in managed account services, so it may be a more suitable firm for individuals who seek a strategically managed investment portfolio as opposed to general financial planning advice. 

Madison provides these services on a wrap-fee basis. Account minimums for its equity portfolio management are generally $500,000 while the minimum for its fixed-income portfolio is typically $1 million.

Madison has a massive client base primarily made up of individuals without a high net worth. However, the firm also works with a substantial number of high-net-worth individuals, as well as banking institutions, retirement plans, charitable organizations, government entitites, insurance companies, businesses and other investment advisors.  

The firm has a large team of advisors that includes 33 chartered financial analysts (CFAs), as well as two certified financial planners (CFPs). This firm is fee-only.

Madison Investment Advisors Background 

Madison Investment Advisors is a wholly owned subsidiary of Madison Asset Management, LLC, which in turn is a subsidiary of Madison Investment Holdings, Inc. The parent company has been in business since 1974. 

Today, Madison Investment Advisors is privately held and its employees are shareholders. In addition to its headquarters in Wisconsin, the firm has offices in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Toronto, Canada.

Madison Investment Advisors Investment Strategy

The firm's core expertise lies in active bond management (including corporate, government, and municipal bonds), risk managed equity management (primarily common stocks), and customized multi-asset portfolios.

When it comes to equity strategies, Madison is a bottom-up stock picker focused on high-quality consistent growth companies that trade at reasonable valuations. For fixed income, Madison employs a top-down investment process that prioritizes capital preservation through active management. 

Some clients receive asset allocation recommendations that include a wide range of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). To be recommended to clients, an investment must meet certain objective criteria, including performance, expenses, volatility and other factors. 

Baker Tilly Wealth Management, LLC

Baker Tilly Wealth Management is another large firm based in Madison with billions of dollars in assets under management. The firm does not have a specific minimum investment required of new clients, and it works primarily with individuals. High-net-worth individuals make up the largest portion of the firm's client base, with non-high-net-worth individuals coming in a close second. The firm also maintains advisory relationships with government entities and retirement plans.

Outside of its Wisconsin offices, Baker Tilly has advisors stationed in 16 other states, as well as Washington, D.C. The firm even has an international presence, with offices in Australia, the Cayman Islands, Chile, Germany, Singapore, Dubai and the U.K.

Certain advisors who work at Baker Tilly have the ability to receive commissions from insurance policy sales to clients. While this can induce a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty requires it to act in clients' best interests no matter what. This fee structure is different from a fee-only firm, which only collects payments from advisory clients, not third parties. 

Baker Tilly Wealth Management Background

Baker Tilly Wealth Management was technically founded in 2013. However, the firm is owned by parent company Baker Tilly U.S., LLC, which has been in business since way back in 1931. Today, the firm is run by executive managing director Alec Abbott.

Baker Tilly's services can be divided into two main categories: consulting and portfolio management. The former is focused on clients' various financial planning needs, like retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning, education planning, insurance needs analysis and divorce planning. Portfolio management is obviously centered around investing and building a personalized portfolio for you.

Baker Tilly Wealth Management Investment Strategy

As soon as you become a client of Baker Tilly Wealth Management, the firm will build an investment policy statement for you. This will detail exactly what type of investor you are, how much risk you're willing to incur, what your time horizon is and more. Based on these insights, your advisor will construct you an investment strategy and asset allocation. Then, your advisor may allocate your assets to mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), model portfolios, as well as individual debt and equity securities. The firm may also recommend the use of a third-party managers or private placements. 

Just because your assets are invested doesn't mean your Baker Tilly advisor will stop looking at your portfolio. In fact, the firm consistently monitors client portfolios, making adjustments on an as-needed basis. These changes could be induced by market conditions or your changing needs.

John F. Suby Wealth Management, LLC

John F. Suby Wealth Management, the next firm on our list of the top practices in Madison, is a fee-only financial advisor that mainly works with individual clients. The firm also serves high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations and businesses. 

The team at Suby features a certified wealth strategist (CWS) and two certified public accountants (CPAs). Fees for investment management are based on a percentage of assets under management. The firm also charges hourly and flat fees for consulting.

However, as a fee-only firm, John F. Suby Wealth Management does not sell securities or insurance for commissions. Instead, its compensation comes solely from the fees that clients pay for advisory services. There is no set account balance minimum.

John F. Suby Wealth Management Background

The firm’s namesake, John Suby, has worked in Madison’s financial industry for more than 40 years. He has been a certified public accountant since 1972, and at Suby Wealth Management, he focuses on estate planning and business succession planning.

The firm is part of a larger company called The Suby Group, which offers financial planning, tax preparation and planning, retirement planning, restaurant and business bookkeeping services and corporate financial planning. You can find Suby Group offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Rockford, Illinois. Suby Wealth Management offers investment management and monitoring, retirement planning, estate plan review and financial statement review to clients

John F. Suby Wealth Management Investment Strategy

You’ll find that the advisors at Suby look to match “efficient, diversified portfolios” with your investment needs and risk tolerance. As a new client, you’ll answer questions focused on your projected retirement year, cash-flow needs, investment objectives and risk tolerance. The firm uses sub-advisors and third-party managers for investment management. Your portfolio will mainly consists of mutual funds, ETFs and individual stocks. 

Resonant Capital Advisors, LLC

Despite a low minimum account size of $5,000, Resonant Capital Advisors mainly works with high-net-worth individuals. This fee-based firm also serves individual clients below the high-net-worth threshold, as well as pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and insurane companies.

Fees are generally charged either hourly or based on a percentage of assets under management. At least one advisor can earn commissions, though, which may pose a conflict of interest. But as fiduciaries,  Resonant advisors must act in the best interest of their clients.

Advisors at the firm have earned various certifications including certified financial planner (CFP), chartered financial consultant (ChFC) and chartered financial advisor (CFA).

Resonant Capital Advisors Background

Resonant was founded in 2018 and is principally owned by Benjamin Dickey and Walter Dewey.
 
Services offered at the firm include portfolio management, financial planning, investment consulting, insurance planning, retirement planning, charitable giving, tax planning, estate planning and others. While each service is offered on a standalone basis, some of them are included in comprehensive wealth management. 

Resonant Capital Advisors Investment Strategy

The firm uses a variety of strategies to build portfolios. Asset allocation is at the center, with four basic types of investments: cash and equivalents, fixed income, equities and non-traditional or alternative assets. When investing in individual securities, the firm primarily focuses on companies with at least $10 billion in market value. When investing in smaller companies, Resonant relies on mutual funds. However, the firm limit its mutual fund recommendations to classes of shares that are not subject to front-end sales loads or 12-b1 fees.

Isthmus Partners, LLC

Isthmus Partners, a fee-only firm, is the No. 5-rated advisor in Madison. The minimum account size for clients varies based on account type, but it starts at $2 million. As you may suspect from the high asset minimum, the firm primarily works with high-net-worth individuals and families. However, Isthmus also has non-high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charities and businesses as clients.

As a fee-only firm, Isthmus advisors do not earn commissions. Fees are generally based on a percentage of assets under management.

The team, which serves clients across the country out of an office in Madison, includes advisors who are chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and certified financial planners (CFPs).

Isthmus Partners Background

In 2014, David Hackworthy, Victor Rodriguez, Frank Gambino and Joel McNeil founded Isthmus Partners after working together for over a decade. They remain the owners of the firm, along with Jeremy Baier. 

Isthmus Partners offers portfolio management, investment advice, financial planning and institutional portfolios.

Isthmus Partners Investment Strategy

This firm has two main strategies of portfolio management for individual clients: a large cap core equity counseled portfolio and a small cap core equity counseled portfolio. 

Large cap targets 35 to 45 large-capitalization U.S. stocks that have a market cap greater than $2 billion at the time of initial purchase. This strategy uses the S&P 500 Index and is managed with tax efficiency in mind. Small cap core equity will generally contain 55 to 65 small-capitalization U.S. stocks with a market cap between $100 million and $2 billion. The benchmark for small cap core equity is the Russell 2000 Index. 

The firm may also invest in:

  • Mutual fund securities
  • Exchange-traded funds
  • Fixed income securities
  • Municipal securities
  • Corporate debt obligations
  • Real estate investment trusts (REITs)

Goldstein Advisors

Goldstein Advisors is a fee-based financial advisory firm that offers services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, corporations and other business entities. The firm typically does not impose a minimum account size in order to work with its advisors.

As a fee-based advisory firm, its advisors may earn a commission for the sale of certain securities. While this may create a potential conflict of interest, the firm is bound by a fiduciary duty. This means that it and its advisors must put the needs of the individual client first.

Goldstein Advisors Background

Goldstein Advisors was founded in 1998. Jon Goldstein serves as a principal advisor today with the firm totaling more than $600 million in assets under management (AUM) spread across its 8 advisors. 

Goldstein Advisors Investment Strategy

The advisors at Goldstein determine an investment strategy for each individual client based on their specific financial situation. Investment strategies and allocations are determined by pre-determined objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon, financial information, liquidity needs and other factors. The client's individual restrictions may affect the composition of the overall portfolio. 

Madison Partners

Madison Partners, the No. 6 firm on our list of top advisors in Madison, is a fee-only practice that primarily works with individual clients below the high-net-worth threshold. However, the firm also serves high-net-worth individuals. 

As a fee-only firm, Madison Partners and its advisors do not sell securities or insurance. As a result, the firm's compensation comes solely from the fees that clients pay for advisory services, not third-party commissions. Those fees are based on a percentage of a client's assets under management

Madison Partners, which does not impose a minimum account size, has three advisors on staff who hold the certified financial planner (CFP) designation. Another member of the team is an accredited asset management specialist (AAMS). 

Madison Partners Background

Madison Partners is a relatively young firm, having first opened its doors for business in January 2020. The practice registered with the SEC as an investment advisor in March 2020. The firm is owned and operated by Shane D. Kieler and Mark P. McFarland, who both serve as co-CEOs. 

Madison Partners specializes in wealth management, an offering the combines portfolio management and financial planning. The firm also provides retirement plan advisory services, which may include vendor analysis, plan participant enrollment tracking, investment oversight and other options. 

Madison Partners Investment Strategy

Madison Partners works closely with each client to identify their investment goals and objectives, assessing both their risk tolerance and overall financial situation. The firm then uses this information to design an investment portfolio that consists of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and/or mutual funds. Advisors may also incorporate individual stocks, bonds, alternative investments and other types of assets into a client's portfolios. 

When it comes to selecting individual securities for clients, the firm relies on both fundamental analysis and technical analysis. While the former involves analyzing economic and business indicators to determine the intrinsic value of a company, the latter focuses on past market data and trends. 

 

Walkner Condon Financial Advisors LLC

Walkner Condon Financial Advisors is a fee-only firm that requires a minimum account size of $500,000. As a result, a substaintial portfolio of its client base comprises high-net-worth individuals. However, a majority of Walkner Condon clients fall below the high-net-worth threshold. The firm also works with charitable organizations. 

The firm's relatively small staff includes three certified financial planners (CFPs), a chartered financial analyst (CFA) and a certified exit planning advisor (CEPA).

Walkner Condon Financial Advisors Background

Walkner Condon was founded in 2011. The firm's principal owners are Clinton Thomas Walkner, Nathan Michael Condon and Jonathon Thomas Jordan.

Services that the firm offers include portfolio management services, the selection of other advisors, financial planning and pension consulting. Its ongoing portfolio management services are based on the individual goals, objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance of each client, and may include investment strategy, personal investment policy, asset allocation, asset selection, risk tolerance and regular portfolio monitoring.

Walkner Condon Financial Advisors Investment Strategy

The main strategies that Walkner Condon advisors use are modern portfolio theory (maximizing a portfolio's expected return for a given amount of risk, or minimizing risk for a given level of expected return) and long-term trading. A majority of assets under the firm's management are invested in exchange-traded equity securities.

WEA Financial Advisors, Inc.

WEA Financial Advisors is a fee-based firm that has no set account minimum for clients. While clients at WEA Financial Advisors are primarily individuals, the firm also has a small number of pension and profit-sharing plan clients.

Because certain employees are registered insurance agents and/or registered representatives of an affiliated broker-dealer, the firm is classifed as fee-based.

The firm has several advisors who hold financial certifications, including the certified financial planner (CFP) and chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC) designations. 

WEA Financial Advisors Background

WEA Financial Advisors was founded in 2007. The firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of WEA Member Benefit Trust, which is a trust created to provide products and services to active, members of the Wisconsin Education Association, WEA Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) account holders, as well as employees of various entities affiliated with the Wisconsin Education Association. 

Services that the firm offers (to these types of eligible clients named above) are portfolio analysis, retirement income projections and retirement income analysis. It also offers personal investment accounts as well as WEA Model Portfolios.

WEA Financial Advisors Investment Strategy

In order to execute the services named above, the firm will prepare a special Morningstar report and use the information from that report plus data collected from the client to assess the client's current situation and make further recommendations.

Before opening a personal investment account (PIA), a client will also complete an Investor Suitability Profile Questionnaire. The advisor uses this completed risk profile assessment to help the client select one of the following model portfolios: ultra conservative, conservative, moderately conservative, moderate, moderately aggressive or aggressive. Clients may also select a PIA model portfolio that does not match their own personal tolerance for risk. All PIA model portfolios solely comprise pre-screened mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

EnRich Financial Partners

EnRich Financial Partners is a fee-based financial advisory firm that offers services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations and other business entities. The firm typically imposes an account minimum of $250,000. 

As a fee-based advisory firm, its advisors may earn a commission for the sale of certain securities. While this may create a potential conflict of interest, the firm and its advisors are bound by a fiduciary duty that requires that the client's needs take precedence above all else. 

EnRich Financial Partners Background

EnRich Financial Partners was founded in 2003 by Christopher D. Rich and Elaine B. Rich. The firm's four advisors currently serve more than 375 clients with nearly $350 million in assets under management (AUM). Currently, all advisors at the firm have earned the accreditation of a certified financial planner (CFP).  

EnRich Financial Partners Investment Strategy

All clients start working with the firm by conducting a discovery meeting to best understand the individual's needs, goals, values and more. This helps the advisors create a financial profile for that client before ever investing. Then the client will go through a number of specific meetings starting with a wealth planning meeting, then investment strategy and finally a meeting on their estate plan. This helps give each area of their financial picture the right attention that it needs. The specific investments depends on all of the factors covered in these meetings and is always individualized. 

How Long $1mm Lasts in Retirement

SmartAsset's interactive map highlights places where $1 million will last the longest in retirement. Zoom between states and the national map to see the top spots in each region. Also, scroll over any city to learn about the cost of living in retirement for that location.

Least
Most
Rank City Housing Expenses Food Expenses Healthcare Expenses Utilities Expenses Transportation Expenses

Methodology We analyzed data on average expenditures for seniors, cost of living and investment returns to determine how many years of retirement a $1 million nest egg would cover in cities across America.

First, we looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the average annual expenditures of seniors. We then applied cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to adjust those national average spending levels based on the costs of each expense category (housing, food, healthcare, utilities, transportation and other) in each city. Using this data, SmartAsset calculated the average cost of living for retirees in the largest U.S. cities.

We assumed the $1 million would grow at a real return (interest minus inflation) of 2%. Then, we divided $1 million by the sum of each of those annual numbers to determine how long $1 million would cover retirement expenses in each of the cities in our study. Cities where $1 million lasted the longest ranked the highest in the study.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Council for Community and Economic Research