McAdam, LLC is a Philadelphia-based financial advisor firm. In fact, it's on SmartAsset's lists of the top financial advisors in Philadelphia and top financial advisors in Pennsylvania. In addition, Inc. 5000 named the firm as one of its fastest-growing companies in the U.S. for 2020.
In total, this financial advisor firm has hundreds of millions in client assets under management (AUM) and offers a variety of advisory services, which include financial planning, consulting and investment management services.
It is a fee-based firm that works with non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans, charities and businesses.
McAdam Background
Michael McAdam founded McAdam in 2014 after spending several years as an advisor and field vice president at Ameriprise Financial. The firm started out as a traditional broker-dealer, and it acquired registered investment advisor (RIA) status later on. It is wholly owned by Michael McAdam, who's still the firm's CEO.
The senior leadership at McAdam includes two certified financial planners (CFPs). Some members of its advisory team also hold certifications, including certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and chartered retirement planning counselors (CRPCs).
McAdam Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
McAdam works with a range of individuals without a high net worth, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations and other business entities.
McAdam doesn’t impose a minimum account value or a minimum fee. However, if the firm decides that some portion of your assets should be invested with an independent investment manager, these managers may call for a minimum.
Services Offered by McAdam
McAdam offers financial planning services covering a wide range of topics, in addition to standard consulting and investment management services. Services include, but are not limited to:
- Investment management services
- Consulting services
- Financial planning services
- Business planning
- Cash flow forecasting
- Trust and estate planning
- Retirement planning
- Risk management
- Insurance planning
- Charitable giving planning
- Tax planning
McAdam Investment Philosophy
When it comes to investment advice, McAdam tailors its services to the specific needs of each client. Advisors consult with clients at the outset of their relationship to gain an understanding of risk tolerance, time horizon and other factors that may impact the clients’ investment needs. As your investment characteristics change over time, your advisor will re-evaluate your portfolio's construction.
The firm invests primarily in a blend of mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as well as some limited investments in individual stocks and bonds.
When analyzing securities, the firm will typically arrive at a valuation through fundamental analysis, which involves looking at a company's balance sheets and key financial metrics, as well as management and past performance.
Fees Under McAdam
The investment management services at McAdam come with a negotiable fee schedule. These fees are charged in advance, based on the market value of the assets being managed by McAdam on the last day of the previous billing period. However, specific fees range up to 2.50% and are determined by individual factors such as total AUM, the scope of services and future earning capacity.
For financial planning and consulting clients, McAdam generally charges a fixed fee or a fee based upon the net worth or assets held by the client (even if not managed by McAdam). These fees are negotiable and could change from client to client depending upon the scope and complexity of the services. Fixed-fee rates range from $500 to $25,000, while net worth and asset-based fees could be up to 2.00%.
What to Watch Out For
McAdam has no legal or regulatory disclosures listed on its SEC-filed Form ADV.
As a fee-based firm, certain advisors at McAdam are also registered broker-dealers or insurance agents. In turn, they can earn commissions via certain security and insurance product transactions. This could potentially cause a conflict of interest. However, all McAdam advisors are obligated to act in their clients’ best interests at all times, as they are legally bound by fiduciary duty.
Opening an Account With McAdam
If you're interested in working with McAdam, you can get in touch in a number of ways. You can either call the firm's headquarters at (888) 614-5323, or you can email consultation@mcadamfa.com. If you prefer to do things in person, you can also stop by one of the firm’s offices.
All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.
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