Top Financial Advisor Firms in Portage, MI

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Zhang Financial, a fee-only firm, is the top-ranked financial advisory practice in Portage. The practice features an advisory team that holds the the certified financial planner (CFP), certified public accountant (CPA), chartered financial analyst (CFA), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) and chartered life underwriters (CLU) designations. 

A majority of Zhang Financial clients are individuals and high-net-worth individuals. However, you need a minimum investment of $1 million to establish an account. The practice also offers its services to trusts, estates, charitable organizations, pension and profit-sharing plans and municipal government entities.

As a fee-only practice, Zhang Financial and its advisors do not sell financial products for commissions. 

Zhang Financial Background 

Zhang Financial has been operating as a registered investment advisor since 2012. It is headquartered in Portage and has four other Michigan branches in Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Grand Rapids and Troy, as well as an office in Naples, Florida. Founder and CEO Charles Zhang is the principal owner.

The firm provides investment management services on a discretionary basis, including a wrap fee program. It also advises clients on a non-discretionary basis. Additionally, it offers financial planning and consulting on topics including retirement saving, estate planning and managing trusts. What's more, the firm acts as sub-advisor to pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and municipal government entities.

Zhang Financial Investment Strategy 

Zhang Financial primarily provides advice on: 

• Stocks 
• Bonds
• Exchange-traded funds (ETFs)
• Mutual funds
• Options 

However, the firm would consider other types of securities if it deems them suitable to help you meet your investment goals. When selecting investments, Zhang Financial applies fundamental, technical and cyclical methods of analysis. It uses long-term purchases (securities held for at least a year), short-term purchases (securities sold within a year), trading (securities sold within 30 days), margin transactions and option writing.

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Sanford Advisory Services is a fee-based firm with a relatively small staff that includes several certified financial planners (CFPs). Some of the firm's representatives are individual licensed insurance agents who may recommend the purchase of certain insurance-related products on a commission basis. This presents a potential conflict of interest, but the firm is obligated to uphold its fiduciary duty to keep clients' best interests in mind.

To open an account with the firm, you do not need a minimum investment amount. Most of its individual clients do not have a high net worth. It also offers services to qualified retirement plans, business entities, trusts, estates or others such as educational, governmental and medical institutions.

Sanford Advisory Services Background

The firm was founded in 2009 and became a registered investment advisor (RIA) with the state of Michigan in 2010. It received its SEC registration in 2020. Its principal owner is Todd Sanford, who is also its managing member.

Services include investment advisory services, retirement plan services, financial planning/consulting services (which may be provided on a stand-alone basis) and actively managed retirement accounts by TIAA and Fidelity.

Sanford Advisory Services Investment Strategy 

Sanford Advisory services uses both fundamental and technical analysis in its approach to evaluate securities. Investment strategies include both long- and short-term purchases. It primarily recomments that clients allocate assets across a variety of stocks, bonds, fixed-income securities, mutual funds, ETFs and/or ETNs.

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At fee-based Bright Financial Advisors, certain members of the team hold professional designations such as certified financial planner (CFP) and financial paraplanner qualified professional (FPQP). They may also be insurance agents who receive commissions from third parties. This is a potential conflict of interest, but all advisors are bound to act in the best interest of the client.

While the fee does not impose an account size minimum, it does require a minimum annual fee of $500 for financial planning and a minimum annual fee of $5,000 for portfolio management. It follows, then, that most of its individual clients do not have a high net worth. Bright Financial also works with pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations and other business entities.

Bright Financial Advisors Background 

Bright Financial Advisors formed in 1996. Its founder retired in 2019. Andrew M. Price, who started working at the firm as an intern in 1999, currently owns the business and serves as president and financial advisor.

The firm specializes in the following services: 

• Financial planning
• Portfolio management
• Selection of other advisors

Bright Financial Advisors Investment Strategy

Bright Financial Advisors focuses on providing long-term investment advice. It recommends clients stay invested in a full market cycle. But it will consider your overall liquidity needs and investment goals. The firm doesn’t solely use specific types of securities; it will analyze your entire financial outlook in order to establish an asset allocation that adheres to your risk tolerance.

The firm uses fundamental analysis, long- and short-term purchasing as well as margin transactions in order to formulate strategy. Depending on your needs, it may utilize the following securities:

• Stocks 
• Bonds
• Mutual funds
• Exchange-traded funds

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Cahill Wealth Management is a fee-only firm with a team that features the chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified financial planner (CFP) designations. (Advisors may have more than one credential.)

Most clients are individuals, including high-net-worth ones. However, the firm also serves pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations and other business entities. Cahill Wealth does not have a minimum account requirement, but it does have an annual management fee of $7,500, which may not be cost-effective for small accounts. The firm reserves the right to waive this minimum at its discretion.

As a fee-only firm, Cahill Wealth only receives client-paid fees, not third-party commissions for selling financial products. 

Cahill Wealth Management Background 

Ryan D. Cahill founded his namesake firm in 2005. He co-owns it with Lisa A. Cahill and serves as president and wealth manager.

The boutique practice offers the following services: 

• Financial planning services
• Wealth management and portfolio management services
• Family office and wealth planning services

Cahill Wealth Management Investment Strategy

In formulating its investment advice, Cahill Wealth may apply fundamental, charting, technical and cyclical securities analysis. It primarily makes long-term purchases (securities are held for at least one year), but may make short-term purchases (securities are sold within a year). Asset allocations are customized to client profiles and goals.

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626 Financial is a fee-based advisory firm that works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, corporations and businesses. The firm does not have a minimum account size that clients must maintain. 

As a fee-based practice, 626 Financial advisors may receive commissions on insurance transactions, which are in addition to the fees the firm collects directly from clients. This can lead to a conflict of interest, since advisors have a financial incentive to recommend certain products and services over others. However, the firm must abide by fiduciary duty and always act in its clients best interests. 

There is one certified financial planner (CFP) on staff at 626 Financial. 

626 Financial Background

626 Financial was founded in 2010 and became a registered investment advisor with the SEC in January 2021. The family-run business is owned by managing director/chief compliance officer Thomas W. Anderton, and his cousin Brant Shrimplin, who serves as a managing director.

626 Financial offers investment management, financial planning and retirement plan advisory services. Financial planning may encompass investment planning, retirement planning, personal savings, education savings, insurance needs and other needs. 

626 Financial Investment Strategy

While 626 Financial typically gears its investment strategies for the long term, advisors may buy, sell or re-allocate positions that have been held for less than one year to meet the objectives of a client or to respond to market conditions.

The firm considers a client's investment goals and risk tolerance when it comes time to put their portfolio together. Portfolios may be built using exchange-traded funds, diversified mutual funds, individual stocks and/or individual bonds, as well as options, real estate investment trusts, alternative investments and independent managers.

Haverdink Financial Management, a fee-only financial advisory firm, is the sixth and final practice on our Portage list. The firm does not have a website.

To open an account with the firm, you’ll generally need a minimum investment of $100,000. Haverdink Financial, though, may waive this requirement at its discretion. While the firm currently only works with individuals and high-net-worth individuals, it offers services to pension and profit sharing plans, trusts, estates and charitable organizations, as well as corporations or other business entities.

Haverdink Financial Management Background

Kevin and Laura Haverdink launched their namesake firm in 2004. Their trust, the Kevin and Laura Haverdink Revocable Trust, owns 100% of the business. 

Haverdink Financial provides customized investment management on a discretionary basis. It also offers financial planning and consultative services, covering such topics as cash flow analysis, education funding, retirement savings and more. Additionally, it offers educational workshops and seminars on investing.

Haverdink Financial Management Investment Strategy 

Haverdink Financial holds meetings with clients to gather important information such as the client's investing goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. It uses this information to create diversified portfolios on behalf of their clients. The firm typically invests in mutual funds, index funds, exchange-traded funds, individual equities, U.S. government securities, municipal bonds and other fixed income securities.