Top Financial Advisors in Saratoga Springs, NY

Find an Advisor

Shade Tree Advisors, LLC was established in 2017. According to its SEC-filed Form ADV, the firm currently works with just a handful of high-net-worth individuals and pooled investment vehicles.

The fee-only firm provides a plethora of services, such as investment advice, family office services, financial planning and estate planning. Shade Tree normally offers non-discretionary investment advice, but it may provide discretionary management as well.

The firm doesn’t have any official account minimum. However, it prefers to work with wealthy individuals and families that are looking for the best long-term investment approach rather than the cheapest.

Shade Tree Advisors Background

Shade Tree Advisors was founded in 2017, and it’s currently owned by Oak Leaf Holdings, LLC. Oak Leaf Holdings is itself owned by Jesse O. George, Amy Seagroatt, Adriene Knapp and Kyle P. Boni. 

Management fees at Shade Tree Advisors are typically fixed and negotiable. They usually come out to between $40,000 and $700,000 annually. The fees are usually paid quarterly, but other arrangements can be made depending on your situation.

Shade Tree Advisors Investment Philosophy

Shade Tree Advisors relies on modern portfolio theory (MPT) among other methods of analysis, to guide its investment advice. MPT is the idea that expected return can be optimized for a given level of risk, typically through broad asset allocation.

The firm uses each client’s long-term investing goals, time horizon, liquidity needs, comfort with risk and other financial factors to come up with the proper asset allocation for their portfolio. Each portfolio is diversified globally and across many different markets. Shade Tree doesn’t usually limit the types of securities or investments for which it will provide advice to clients.

Find an Advisor

Minich MacGregor Wealth Management, LLC has been around since 2009. Today, the firm’s clients include a mix of non-high-net-worth individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans.

The firm offers financial planning and consulting, investment portfolio management, independent advisor selection and consulting for retirement plan sponsors and participants. The firm doesn’t have a minimum account size for new clients.

This firm is fee-based, as some advisors are separately licensed to sell insurance products and securities on a commission basis. While this creates the potential for a conflict of interest, the firm is bound by fiduciary duty to always act in its client’s best interests.

Minich MacGregor Wealth Management Background

Minich MacGregor Wealth Management was formed in 2009 by principals James F. Minich and Jason K. MacGregor. The two are still the owners of the firm, and they serve as two of the firm’s advisors. The firm's team includes accredited investment fiduciaries (AIF) and certified financial planners (CFP).

For investment management services, the firm will typically charge you 0.5% to 2.35% of your invested assets. Financial planning fees can take the form of a fixed rate or an hourly rate. Fixed fees range from $750 to $5,000, and hourly fees range from $200 to $300. Additionally, if you have a net worth greater than $2 million or the firm manages more than $1 million of your assets, the firm may charge a negotiable performance-based fee that’s tied to the appreciation of the assets in your account.

Minich MacGregor Wealth Management Investment Philosophy

A key aspect of the Minich MacGregor Wealth Management investment process is fitting its strategy to individualized factors like your time horizon, need for liquidity, risk tolerance and investment goals. For most clients, the firm will construct a portfolio consisting of mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and investments with third-party advisors.

When analyzing potential investment options for client portfolios, Minich MacGregor will employ a wide range of methods, including examining historical price and volume data, looking at a fund manager’s past performance or a company’s financial statements and examining cyclical price data in an attempt to discern predictable patterns.

Find an Advisor

Sage Hill Advisory and Management, LLC has been providing investment advice to clients in the Saratoga Springs area since 2009. All of its individual clients have a high net worth. At $1 million, Sage Hill also has the highest account minimum of any firm on this list, though this requirement is waivable.

The firm provides financial planning and consulting services to its clients, on top of investment management. On occasion, the firm may also offer consulting services to various types of pension plans.

Some Sage Hill advisors are separately licensed to sell financial products on a commission basis, which creates a potential conflict of interest. However, it remains that this fee-based firm has a fiduciary duty to act in its clients’ best interests at all times.

Sage Hill Advisory and Management Background

Sage Hill Advisory and Management was founded in 2009. The firm's principal owners are Philip J. Toffel and Frank M. Antalek, who are also its advisors. Toffel is the firm’s CEO and managing parter, and Antalek, a chartered financial consultant (ChFC), is the firm’s president and chief portfolio strategist.

Fees for investment advisory services are charged as a percentage of your assets under management (AUM). Rates can vary from 0.6% to 1.35%. Financial planning services typically come with a fixed fee that can be anywhere from $5,000 to $500,000.

Sage Hill Advisory and Management Investment Philosophy

Sage Hill Advisory and Management primarily invests in a mix of mutual funds, equities, bonds, fixed-income, debt securities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), real estate, hedge funds, third-party money managers, real estate investment trusts (REITs), insurance products including annuities, private placements and government securities.

Sage Hill advisors employ fundamental analysis when it comes to evaluating securities. Fundamental analysis is the attempt to discern a company’s intrinsic economic value by analyzing things like its balance sheet, management and other financial documents, rather than focusing only on the movement of its stock price.

Find an Advisor

Sterling Manor Financial, LLC has been an investment advisor in New York state since 2006. Its clients are a mix of non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as charitable organizations.

The firm provides portfolio management services through a wrap fee program, meaning all brokerage, administrative and advisory fees are combined into a single rate. The firm also offers a selection of financial planning and consulting services, including retirement planning. The firm doesn’t typically impose a minimum account size for new clients.

Certain Sterling Manor advisors are registered representatives of a broker-dealer, which means they may earn commissions for conducting securities transactions. Additionally, some advisors are separately licensed to sell insurance products, which may also generate commissions. These commissions create the potential for a conflict of interest, but the fee-based firm is still bound by fiduciary duty to always act in your best interest.

Sterling Manor Financial Background

Sterling Manor Financial was formed in 2006. Currently, its principal owners are partners Stephen M. Kyne, Stephen A. Jenkins and Adam F. Doig. Each member of this trio serves as an advisor at the firm. Kyne is a certified financial planner (CFP), Doig holds a certified long-term care (CLTC) designation and Jenkins is an accredited asset management specialist (AAMS).

Sterling Manor calculates investment management fees as a percentage of your AUM. The exact percentage is negotiable, but it won’t exceed 2% annually. Financial planning and consulting clients will be charged either a fixed fee between $250 and $2,000 or an hourly fee between $75 and $250.

Sterling Manor Financial Investment Philosophy

Sterling Manor Financial’s investment approach for each client uses the tenets of modern portfolio theory (MPT), which espouses that the best way to optimize a portfolio for a given risk level is through broad diversification across many different asset classes.

Securities used in Sterling Manor’s portfolios may include mutual funds, fixed-income securities, insurance products like annuities, equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or treasury inflation-protected/inflation-linked bonds.

Crescent Hill Partners is a fee-only firm that serves 228 clients who are a mix of both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals.

Services include asset allocation, portfolio management, risk assessment, financial planning and investment management.

Crescent Hill Partners Background

Crescent Hill Partners was established in 2012 and the principle owner is Raymond Martin. 

Clients typically have a minimum account size of $100,000. And depending on needs and goals, pay between $5,000 and $50,000 in fees. The firm's brochure says that fees are negotiable.  

Crescent Hill Partners Investment Philosophy

Crescent Hill Partners fundamental analysis and technical analysis methods to determine the general financial health of potential investments and identify management and competitive advantages.

Investment strategies are tailored to client needs and goals, which are outlined in the Investment Policy Statement.

In addition to long-term trading, portfolio strategies may also include short-term trading, margin transactions and options writing (which could combine covered options, uncovered options or spreading strategies). 

Crescent Hill Partners invests in a mix of mutual funds, equity, treasury-protected inflation and inflation-linked bonds, fixed incomes, debt securities, ETFs, real estate, hedge funds, REITs and other financial investments.

Find an Advisor

Founded in 1986, Vahanian & Associates Financial Planning, Inc. serves a mix of non-high-net-worth individuals and high-net-worth individuals.

The firm offers financial planning, investment management and consulting services for individuals. Typically, the firm expects new clients to have at least $500,000 in investable assets.

Vahanian is a fee-based firm, meaning its advisors may earn commissions on top of standard advisory fees, either through certain securities transactions or the sale of insurance products. While this may create a potential conflict of interest, the firm has a fiduciary duty to always act in your best interest.

Vahanian & Associates Financial Planning Background

Vahanian & Associates Financial Planning was established in 1986. The firm is owned by Jeffrey C. Vahanian, who also serves as the firm’s president. Additionally, there are other certified financial planners (CFPs) working at this firm.

For investment management services, the firm charges a percentage of your assets under management (AUM), which is typically 1.25%. For financial planning and consulting services, the firm will charge an hourly fee of $250. These fees are non-negotiable, except in very limited circumstances.

Vahanian & Associates Financial Planning Investment Philosophy

Vahanian & Associates Financial Planning usually invests in mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), provided that these securities fit in with a client’s risk tolerance and overall investment goals. The firm may also invest in individual equities and fixed-income securities to a lesser extent.

When deciding on what to invest in, the firm will examine a fund’s historical performance, management and investment style, as well as other fundamental factors. To determine the proper asset allocation, advisors will consider the client’s risk tolerance, investment objectives, time horizon, income needs and tax circumstances.

Find an Advisor

Continuum Wealth Advisors, LLC is a small financial advisor firm that was founded in 2010. It has a mixed client base of non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit sharing plans.

The firm provides financial planning services, along with investment management, consulting for retirement plans and selection of external advisors. There is a $100,000 minimum relationship size at Continuum, though this is a waivable requirement.

As a fee-based firm, some advisors here may earn commissions from selling insurance products, thus creating a potential conflict of interest. Despite this, the firm is legally required to act in the best interests of clients due to its overarching fiduciary duty.

Continuum Wealth Advisors Background

Continuum Wealth Advisors was created in 2010. The firm is principally owned by Timothy Smith, who also acts as CEO and chief compliance officer (CCO). Smith is also a member of the financial advisor team at the firm, which includes chartered retirement plan specialists (CRPS), accredited asset management specialists (AAMS), certified public accountants (CPA) and chartered financial analysts (CFA). 

Management fees at the firm tend to fall between 0.3% and 1% of your overall assets under management (AUM). These fees cover both investment management and financial planning services. Only in limited circumstances will the firm charge a separate fee for financial planning.

Continuum Wealth Advisors Investment Philosophy

Continuum Wealth Advisors primarily invests client assets in some combination of mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), debt securities, equity securities and independent investment managers.

Continuum invests assets with a long-term perspective most of the time, although it may oversee short-term transactions per a client’s request or for the purposes of rebalancing a client’s portfolio to its target asset allocation.

Family CFO is a fee-only advisor firm that was founded in 2002. Clients include both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as charitable organizations.

The firm provides investment management and investment planning services.

As a fee-only firm, advisors do not earn commissions from selling insurance products, and therefore avoid creating potential conflicts of interest.

Family CFO Background

Family CFO has been in business for two decades. The firm is managed by Jane S. Murphy and Heather L. Micati.

Management fees at the firm tend to fall between 0.35% and 1% of your overall assets under management (AUM). Fees for financial advice are billed at an hourly rate of $375 (principal) and $200 (associate). 

Family CFO Investment Philosophy

Family CFO uses both fundamental and quantitative analysis. Asset allocation strategies are based on the client's overall financial goal while minimizing risk.

Portfolio assets are spread across diverse investment categories. These could include stocks, bonds, foreign and domestic investments, as well as small and large cap investments. 

Find an Advisor

Saratoga Wealth Advisors, LLC serves both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals. This is a fee-only firm, as all of its compensation comes from client-paid fees.

Saratoga Wealth Advisors provides portfolio management, investment consulting, financial planning and outside manager selection services. The firm doesn’t maintain any sort of account minimum, so technically anyone can become a client.

Saratoga Wealth Advisors Background

Saratoga Wealth Advisors was established back in 2003. Its principal owner is Jeffrey A. Trowbridge, who helped found the firm and serves as its sole advisor.

Financial planning fees can come in the form of a fixed fee between $6,000 and $40,000 or an hourly fee between $85 and $325. The exact rate you'll pay depends on the scope of the services needed and the complexity of your financial situation. Investment management fees are based on a percentage of your AUM, and they usually fall between 0.25% and 1%.

Saratoga Wealth Advisors Investment Philosophy

Saratoga Wealth Advisors works to personalize its investment strategy to each client by sitting down with them and establishing their risk tolerance, financial needs, investment objectives, time horizon and other relevant factors. The firm takes this information and uses it to create an asset allocation and strategy that’s best equipped to produce success over the long term.

Saratoga Wealth Advisors typically invests in a combination of exchange-listed securities, securities traded over-the-counter, foreign issuers, warrants, corporate debt securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit (CDs), municipal securities, variable annuities, mutual funds, government securities, options contracts on securities, options contracts on commodities and more.

Find an Advisor

Lee Investment Management, LLC has been doing business in Saratoga Springs since 1998. Like many of the firms on this list, its clients are a mix of non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals.

This firm primarily provides asset management, financial planning and consulting services to its clients. Typically, a minimum of $500,000 in investable assets is required to work with the firm, though clients with less may be accepted. This is a fee-only firm.

Lee Investment Management Background

Lee Investment Management was formed in 1998 by James W. Lee, who is also the firm’s president, principal owner and sole advisor. Lee is a certified financial planner (CFP).

This firm charges its investment management fees as a percentage of your AUM, with rates ranging from 1% to 1.2% depending on the value of your portfolio. For clients with more than $500,000 in assets, the exact percentage is negotiable. For financial planning services, the firm will charge an hourly fee of $250, with a minimum of $500.

Lee Investment Management Investment Philosophy

Lee Investment Management creates investment strategies that are tailored to each client and are centered around strategic asset allocation. The goal of strategic asset allocation is to invest across many different asset classes so you can minimize risk exposure while maximizing chances for long-term success.

The firm advises clients on equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), corporate debt securities, commercial paper, certificates of deposit (CDs), municipal securities, investment company securities and United States government securities.