Top Financial Advisors in Wilmington, DE

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Affinity Wealth Management is a fee-based firm that works with a wide range of clients, though the vast majority are non-high-net-worth individuals. It also works with a handful of high-net-worth individuals, pensions, profit-sharing plans, charities and government entities. This firm does not a have a set account minimum.

Advisors at Affinity are also registered broker-dealer representatives or insurance agents. They may receive commissions from the sale of insurance or securities to clients, making the firm fee-based and subjecting it to a potential conflict of interest. However, the firm is bound by fiduciary duty, making it obligated to act in the best interests of clients at all times.

Affinity Wealth Management Background

Affinity Wealth Management was founded in 2017, making it one of the youngest firms on our list. The firm is owned and operated by two employees. They are James Hall, chairman and Michael Sicuranza, CEO. Hall and Sicuranza are both also certified financial planners (CFP).

Affinity provides both investment management and financial planning services to its clients. It also provides retirement plan advisory services. It does provide a wrap fee program and it manages the vast majority of its assets on a discretionary basis.

Affinity Wealth Management Investing Strategy

Affinity Wealth Management, like many firms on our list, tailors its investment strategies to the needs of clients. This may involve creating an investment program from scratch or placing clients into a preformed model portfolio that is designed to best fit their needs. When creating an investment plan for clients, advisors at the firm take into account their investment goals, desired strategies, tolerance for risk and any other pertinent information.

Investment portfolios consist mainly of mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), bonds, stocks, options contracts, certificates of deposit (CDs), foreign securities, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and other alternative investments. When it comes to evaluating potential investments, advisors use fundamental, technical, cyclical and charting analysis methods. 

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Veery Capital's team includes accredited investment fiduciaries (AIFs) and certified financial planners (CFPs). Other certifications at the firm include chartered financial consultant (ChFC) and registered financial (RFC). Veery’s individual clients are almost all non-high-net-worth. There is no minimum investment requirement, though certain investments may require a minimum in order to be effective.

This is a fee-based firm that may receive commissions from the sale of financial products to clients. Despite this potential conflict of itnerest, the firm is legally bound by fiduciary duty to act in clients' best interests.

Veery Capital Background

As mentioned earlier, Veery Capital (formerly Blue Rock Avenue One) was established in 2018. It’s owned by co-managing partners D. Christopher Benfer, Matthew MacNeal, Kathleen Townsend and Cortney Milner. 

The firm offers investment management, financial planning and retirement plan advisory services. It offers a wrap fee program for certain clients, which means that it includes securities transaction fees together with its investment advisory fees as a single asset-based fee. 

Veery Capital Investment Strategy

Veery Capital generally uses a long-term investment strategy, depending on clients’ financial goals. This usually involves holding securities for more than a year, but may hold for shorter periods to rebalance or meet a client’s cash needs. The firm may also take short-term positions. The majority of its assets are held in mutual funds.

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Clariti Wealth Advisors was founded in 1983. According to its website, that makes it the first fee-only fiduciary firm in the state. It  has a team consisting of certified financial planners (CFPs), certified divorce financial analysts (CDFAs), accredited asset management specialists (AAMSs) and certified public accountants (CPAs).

The firm's client base consists mostly of high-net-worth individuals, as well as non-high-net-worth individuals, businesses and charities. There is no minimum investment requirement, though most accounts hold at least $1,000,000.

Clariti Wealth Advisors Background

Clariti Wealth Advisors is owned by Ravi Dattani, one of its founders. Financial planning is its core service, which includes investment management, cash management, debt planning, education expense funding, insurance and risk management, employee benefit reviews, income tax planning, retirement or longevity planning, and estate planning. The practice also offers investment advisory services to qualified retirement plans (under ERISA), trusts and non-profits.

Clariti Wealth Advisors Investment Strategy

Once the firm has identified an asset allocation it deems appropriate to a client’s goals and circumstances, it will invest in a diversified basket of stocks, bonds, alternatives and real assets. Clariti primarily uses mutual funds to do this, along with passive and active strategies. By active, it means an approach “that does not strictly adhere to a market benchmark.” As of its most recent SEC filings, the firm was invested 100% in securities issued by registered investment companies (such as mutual funds) or business development companies.

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Daniels + Tansey (D+T) is a fee-based firm that employs advisors with certifications like certified public accountant (CPA), certified financial planner (CFP) and chartered financial analyst (CFA).

The firm primarily works with individuals, both high-net-worth and not, along with pension and profit-sharing plans, estates, trusts, businesses and charitable organizations. The vast majority of accounts are on a discretionary basis. D+T requires a minimum $500,000 investment for new accounts, though it may waive it.

As a fee-based firm, certain on-staff advisors may have the ability to earn commissions from insurance sales. Despite this, the firm is legally required to act in clients' best interests.

Daniels + Tansey Background

Founded in 2004, Daniels + Tansey is a family shop. In addition to owners Christopher and Devon Daniels, two more Danielses work in the office. Adele McIntosh have minority stakes in the firm. 

D+T offers five main services: wealth management, investment advisory, multi-family office, financial planning and matrimonial financial planning.

Daniels + Tansey Investing Strategy

D+T looks to avoid risk and volatility when selecting investments for client portfolios. This is done mostly through diversification that’s specifically chosen based on your inherent risk tolerance, need for liquidity, time horizon and other factors.

This firm invests in many different styles of securities in order to achieve optimal diversification. For example, this might include exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, equity and index options, fixed income securities, CDs, commercial paper, warrants and foreign/domestic equities. According to its most recent SEC filings, stocks were the most common investment at the firm, with bonds also featured prominently.

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Crowley Wealth Management, Inc. is the next firm on our list. This fee-only is run by brother duo Frederick and Robert Crowley, both of whom are certified financial planners (CFPs), run the firm.

Crowley Wealth serves individual clients with and without a high net worth. There are no investment minimums.

Crowley Wealth Management Background

The Crowley brothers formed Crowley Wealth Management in 1980. They are the sole owners to this day.

The firm works in a multitude of different financial areas, such as retirement planning, wealth management, estate planning, tax management, insurance planning and cash flow management.

Crowley Wealth Management Investment Strategy

The practice does not subscribe to short-term investing ideologies because of the inherent associated risks. Instead, it centers its investment choices around the long term and very rarely makes inter-portfolio trades once it has put its original plan into place.

When it comes to actual investment types, Crowley Wealth mostly works within individual equities, bonds and mutual funds. However, its choices are not limited to these, as exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options, government securities, warrants, certificates of deposit (CDs) and commercial paper may make it into your portfolio. Investment-grade corporate bonds are the most used investment at Crowely Wealth.

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RiversEdge Advisors' team of advisors have multiple professional accreditations, including certified financial planner (CFP), accredited investment fiduciarie (AIF), chartered financial consultant (ChFC) and many more. Clients of RiversEdge are mostly non-high-net-worth. The firm also serves high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, businesses and insurance companies. It doesn’t have a minimum investment size, but certain investments and strategies may require a minimum to be effective.

Some of the advisors who work at this fee-based firm can receive commissions from the sale of certain insurance products or securities. This creates a potential conflict of interest, which is mitigated by the fact that the firm is legally bound to act in clients' best interests due to its fiduciary duty.

RiversEdge Advisors Background

RiversEdge Advisors, a boutique firm, was founded in 2018 by Brian Carney and Jarrett Morris. Together, they are co-managing partners and owners.

This firm offers investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting and other consulting services.

RiversEdge Advisors Investment Strategy

When designing clients’ portfolios, the firm takes into account specifics such as risk planning, accumulation/distribution planning, cash flow, tax planning, and more. It primarily uses fundamental analysis methods and employs a long-term investment strategy that involves holding all or a portion of a security for more than a year. It primarily invests in exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

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Westover Capital Advisors is a family shop, with Harold Murray Sawyer and his son “Chip” Sawyer working together at the firm. The senior Murray founded the fee-only practice in 1999.

Westover serves roughly the same number of high-net-worth individual clients as non-high-net-worth ones. It also advises estates, trusts, charitable organizations, foundations and pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm does have a $1 million minimum, though this may be negotiable.

The firm employs one chartered financial analyst (CFA), one certified financial planner (CFP) and one certified public accountant (CPA).

Westover Capital Advisors Background

The Sawyers still own Westover Capital Advisors since its founding in 1999. Murray Sawyer has decades of experience in the financial services industry.

In addition to investment management, the firm offers wealth advisory and consulting services, including investment strategy and research; investment implementation; life planning; tax planning; charity and charitable trust planning; retirement planning; Social Security planning and estate, wealth transfer and legacy planning.

Westover Capital Advisors Investment Strategy

The firm says that it does not “subscribe to any single style, size or philosophy when it comes to building and protecting” client assets. “This gives us the freedom to construct, then modify portfolios as market cycles and conditions dictate.” 

Westover uses what it calls a “diversified all-cap portfolio approach,” with an emphasis on large-cap US companies. It should be noted that the firm does not favor mutual funds, particularly passive ones, because they just add an extra layer of fees.

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The letters in BCM Wealth Management come from Biddle Capital Management, which is its legal name. As a fee-based firm, certain advisors here can sell financial products on a commission basis. While this presents a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty means it must act in clients' best interests.

The majority of the firm's assets belong to pensions and profit-sharing plans, as the firm has a division called BCM Retirement Solutions. However, it also serves high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals. It also generally requires a minimum $500,000 investment, but may waive the requirement under certain circumstances.

BCM Wealth Management Background

Firm president George Biddle established the practice in 1996. He is an accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) and remains the principal owner, along with the G. David Biddle Family Trust.

The firm offers financial planning, investment management, asset allocation services and pension consulting.

BCM Wealth Management Investment Strategy

BCM Wealth Management primarily uses Modern Portfolio Theory, which is the basis for diversification. It also utilizes fundamental analysis and generally makes long-term purchases with the expectation that the security will rise in value over time.

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Donald W. Nicholson & Associates does not have a minimum investment requirements for new clients. The firm's client base is comprised almost entirely of individuals, with a slight majority being high-net-worth. The firm's other clients include charitable organizations and businesses.

This is a fee-only firm, meaning all of its compensation comes from client-paid fees. The advisory team here includes one certified financial planner (CFP) and one accredited asset management specialist (AAMS).

Donald W. Nicholson & Associates Background

Donald W. Nicholson & Associates has been in business since way back in 1987. The firm's president, Donald W. Nicholson, Sr., owns the firm entirely.

Portfolio management and financial planning are the primary services at the firm. The latter includes things like budeting, tax planning, estate planning, business planning, insurance planning and more.

Donald W. Nicholson & Associates Investing Strategy

Donald W. Nicholson & Associates builds clients portfolios on an individual basis. This means that the advisor and client will personally meet to discuss what type of investor they are, and therefore what their portfolio's construction and management style should look like. Some factors that stand out as especially important during this process include risk tolerance, time horizon, financial goals and liquidity/income needs.

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Pillar Wealth Advisors has a team that includes certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered financial consultants (ChFCs), chartered life underwriters (CLUs), certified public accountants (CPAs) and more. The fee-based firm’s individual clients are both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth. The vast majority of accounts are managed on a discretionary basis. There is no minimum investment requirement.

Certain advisors who work at this firm can receive commissions when they sell specific insurance products or securities to clients. Despite this, the firm is legally required to act in clients' best interests.

Pillar Wealth Advisors Background

Firm president Michael Bree and senior vice president Richard Clark co-founded the firm in 2011. They are the only owners to this day.

Pillar offers an array of wealth management services, including financial planning, retirement plan consulting and portfolio management. It participates in a wrap fee program, which means that the firm’s advisory fee and transaction fees charged by the account custodian are bundled into one fee.

Pillar Wealth Advisors Investment Strategy

The firm primarily uses a fundamental analytical approach toward investments. It generally employs exchange-traded funds (ETFs), stocks, unit investment trusts (UITs), closed-end funds, mutual funds, bonds and structured products which are designed to achieve clients’ stated goal.