Top Financial Advisors in Rochester, NY

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Novem Group is a fee-based firm with no account minimum. The firm primarily serves non-high-net-worth individuals. Novem Group says it also offers accounts that support anyone with a pension or profit-sharing plan, as well as businesses and corporations. The team at Novem has earned a number of ceritifications including Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), chartered life underwriter (CLU), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), chartered divorce financial analyst (CDFA), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) and chartered financial analyst (CFA).

Clients may be offered insurance policies if they open an account with this firm. If you accept, your advisor may make a commission. While this may pose a potential conflict of interest, the firm is a fiduciary, which means it’s required to act in your best financial interest at all times.

Individuals can take advantage of services such as investment management, estate planning, charitable gift planning, long-term care planning and insurance analysis. There are also many services available for businesses and business owners, including retirement and pension planning, business succession, payroll services, executive compensation plans, college education 529 plans and insurance coverage evaluation. 

The advisory team at Novem Group considers your time horizon and risk tolerance to determine which short-term, long-term and margin trading investment strategies make sense for your portfolio. The firm uses a short-term approach to satisfy more immediate liquidity needs.

The firm focuses on diversifying across multiple asset classes and selecting an appropriate asset allocation. Your assets will likely be invested in mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), bonds, equities, fixed income, debt securities, options, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and annuities.

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Howe and Rusling is a fee-only firm, meaning it only earns income from charging its clients management fees; this means it's not incentivized by commissions to sell you insurance or other financial products. The firm works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, investment companies, pension plans, insurance companies, charitable organizations and corporations.

The firm specializes in investment management, with a focus on large cap equities and intermediate fixed income. It also provides financial planning and consulting services.

When it comes to investment research, Howe & Rusling relies on what it calls “top-down” macroeconomic research and “bottom-up” fundamental analysis. Using its proprietary valuation model, the firm seeks out securities it deems to be undervalued. Then, the firm will make sure that the selected securities fit with a client’s risk profile and existing asset allocation.

When analyzing fixed income securities, the firm uses a proprietary econometric model, as well as yield curve analysis and monetary policy analysis.

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Whitney & Company is the next firm on our list with millions in assets under management. The firm has multiple advisors on staff, including a certified public accountant (CPA).

The firm works with just over 400 clients, including individuals, high-net-worth individuals, charitable organizations and corporations. You’ll need at least $500,000 in investable assets to be a client of this fee-only firm.

Whitney & Company centers its primary investment strategy around a simple concept: investing in quality securities that are selling below their economic value.

The firm primarily invests in equity securities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, corporate debt securities, municipal and U.S. government securities and money market instruments.

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Prentice Wealth Management is a fee-based firm headquartered in Rochester, New York. The firm provides investment management, financial planning and divorce consulting services to a broad range of clients, including non-high-net-worth individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, charitable organizations and small businesses. While Prentice describes itself as a fiduciary investment advisor, certain members of the team are also registered representatives of LPL Financial and may receive commissions for the sale of insurance or investment products.

PWM advisors may hold designations such as Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), enrolled agent (EA) or other credentials relevant to tax, estate and financial planning. 

There is no firmwide minimum investment requirement for standard asset management services. However, minimums apply to PWM’s Knightbridge Capital Management Program portfolios, ranging from $5,000 for cash management strategies to $500,000 for custom portfolios.

Prentice Wealth Management offers tailored financial strategies designed to help clients meet a wide variety of personal goals. Its asset management services include development of personal investment policies, portfolio construction and ongoing monitoring. 

In addition to traditional portfolio management, PWM offers specialized investment options through its Knightbridge Capital Management Program, which includes custom-built strategies, quantitative models, separately managed accounts, ESG-focused portfolios, and dividend strategies. The firm takes a disciplined approach to portfolio construction that blends strategic and tactical allocation with both fundamental and technical analysis.

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High Fall Advisors, Inc.’s serves primarily non-high-net-worth individuals, who comprise more than three-quarters of its client base. The firm requires a minimum account balance of $100,000.

While individual investors are its most common clients, the firm also works with charities, business owners and those with estates and trusts. Its advisors hold designations including Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), certified public accountant (CPA), certified business exit consultant (CBEC) and chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC).

High Fall Advisors, Inc. is a fee-based firm, and clients may be offered insurance policies which would earn advisors a commission. You are under no obligation to accept, and because the firm is a fiduciary, it is required to act in your best interest.

Clients who open individual accounts with this firm can get aid with retirement planning, estate planning, college planning, tax minimization and investment management. Business owners can also have plans built for the succession of their ownership. If advice is all you’re seeking, High Falls can oblige, and it offers advice on employee benefits, Social Security, insurance, tax preparation and health care.

The firm offers seven portfolio strategies: 401(k) management service, market trends account (MTA), sector rotation MTA, core market index portfolio, enhanced allocation strategy, select sector portfolio and personal securities portfolio. Each strategy uses varying types of investments and asset allocations.

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Seneca Financial Advisors, LLC manages millions in client assets. The firm’s team has certifications including Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), certified public accountant (CPA) and personal financial specialist (PFS). This is a fee-only firm.

Seneca Financial Advisors has a multi-family office, which gives investors the chance to take a holistic and strategic look at their family assets. But this is just one of the many client types the firm serves: Its clients also include individuals, businesses, charitable organizations, trust and estate holders and those with pension and profit-sharing plans.

There is no minimum asset level required to open an account. This firm serves more individuals than high-net-worth individuals.

This firm says that it customizes its traditional financial planning services based on your needs, goals and account size. This comprehensive offering includes all of the following services: tax minimization and planning, healthcare and insurance cost planning, retirement planning, investment management, estate/gift planning, higher education planning, employee benefits planning, banking choices and legal matters. 

Seneca Financial Advisors’ portfolios are built on an “open architecture platform,” which better enables firms to create portfolios fully in the clients’ best interests. The firm typically invests its clients’ assets in ETFs and mutual funds, and it also uses multiple account managers. This deeper application of diversification, which is used on top of the diversification of your investments, makes it so no one manager controls too much of your money at once.

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Rise Advisors, also known as RISE, is a fee-based advisory firm headquartered in Rochester, New York. The firm works with individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, retirement plans, plan participants and other business entities. There is no minimum asset level required to open or maintain an investment management, retirement plan consulting or financial planning relationship.

The firm provides financial planning and consulting, investment management, financial institution consulting and retirement plan services. Its financial planning services may address cash flow forecasting, insurance needs analysis, asset allocation, retirement plan analysis, estate planning, risk management, investment consulting and retirement income and distribution planning.

RISE generally builds portfolios based on each client’s goals, risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity needs. The firm may use custom portfolio strategies, model-based allocation strategies and third-party manager programs. Its analysis may include fundamental, cyclical and behavioral finance approaches.

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W&S Management Services is a fee-based firm with no set account minimum. The firm has four advisors on staff, with certifications including Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and certified public accountant (CPA). The firm works with individuals, families, trusts, estates and closely held businesses.

The firm offers a standard range of services to its clients, including wealth management, financial planning, tax planning, investment management, supervisory management of investment portfolios, customized investment plans, ongoing portfolio monitoring and hourly consulting. The firm may also vote proxies for clients upon request.

W&S Management Services primarily uses fundamental analysis when evaluating investments. This includes top-down analysis of industries and market sectors, as well as bottom-up analysis of individual companies, including financial statements, management, competitive advantages, competitors and markets.

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Boyd Capital Management is a fee-based firm with no account minimum. The Rochester, New York-based firm was founded in 2020. The firm does not list specific advisor certifications in the provided materials. The firm works with individuals, families, high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans and charitable organizations.

The firm provides ongoing portfolio management on a discretionary and non-discretionary basis. It also offers financial planning, retirement planning, college planning, debt and credit planning, life insurance planning, tax-related planning, employee benefits analysis and estate planning. The firm may also offer wrap fee program services and limited advisory services related to Qualified Opportunity Zone Funds.

Boyd Capital Management may use long-term trading, short-term trading and options strategies, depeding on the individual needs of the client. Options strategies may include covered options, uncovered options and spreading strategies.

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Core Alpha generally requires $25,000 for CORE portfolios, $2,000 for Explorer portfolios and $2,000 for SEI portfolios, though the firm may lower these minimums depending on a client’s circumstances. Available firm materials do not list professional designations such as Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA) or certified public accountant (CPA) for Core Alpha’s advisors. The firm works with individuals, trusts, small businesses and defined contribution plan participants with held-away accounts.

The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, dynamic asset allocation, participant account management for held-away assets, outsourced trading, personalized index management and estate planning services. It also offers financial planning through an affiliated entity, as well as access to SEI Managed Account Solutions, third-party model portfolios and certain independent managers.

Core Alpha uses a tactical asset allocation approach that may shift portfolio allocations as market conditions change. The firm offers risk-tiered portfolio options, including CORE portfolios, Explorer portfolios, American Funds portfolios and SEI Managed Account Solutions. The firm’s portfolios may use mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closed-end funds, interval funds, exchange-traded notes (ETNs), structured notes, variable annuity subaccounts and other investment products.