Top Financial Advisors in Boston, MA

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GW&K Investment Management is a very large firm based in the heart of Boston. In terms of individual clients, the firm exclusively works with high-net-worth people, with tens of thousands being clients of the firm. GW&K also works with institutional clients, such as investment companies, pooled investment vehicles, businesses, government entities, retirement plans and more.

There is no single account minimum needed to work with this firm, though many of its programs have their own individual minimums. Based on the complexion of the firm's client base though, it would seem it works with most wealthy clients. This is a fee-only firm, which means its advisors do not receive compensation beyond client-paid fees. A fee-based firm, on the other hand, has advisors who can receive commissions from the sale of things like insurance or securities, which can cause a potential conflict of interest.

GW&K Investment Management employs many different investment strategies across its operations. At a high level, these strategies are organized into five main categories: domestic equities, global equities, taxable bonds, muni bonds and mutual funds. Within each of these are anywhere from two to nine sub-strategies. However, the firm also realizes that each client has their own needs and goals. As a result, the firm states in its Form ADV that it will modify its strategies as necessary to meet these factors.

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SCS Financial works with high-net-worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations and sovereign wealth funds and foreign official institutions. The firm generally requires clients to have a minimum of $25 million in assets under management (AUM). Fees for wealth management are charged as a percentage of assets under management, and certain funds charge a performance fee.

Advisors at SCS do not make commissions for selling products to clients, but the parent company of the firm does own broker-dealers. Services offered by the firm include wealth management, fund of funds, tax planning and philanthropic strategy. 

SCS develops a strategy that makes sense for each individual investor. It especially considers asset allocation and portfolio design, taking both risk tolerance and return objectives into consideration to make the best possible choices for each person. The firm uses several funds of hedge funds as an investment for its clients, all of whom are high-net-worth and likely can invest in hedge funds, which often have high barriers for entry. There are also funds of private equity funds.

Castle Rock Advisors is the newest firm on the list, as it was founded in 2024. The firm provides financial planning, investment advisory and family office services to a variety of client types. Client types fo rinvestment advisory services include high-net-worth, their families and estate planning vehicles. 

The firm also coordinates services for its clients that include service provides such as attorneys, accountants, insurance brokers and other specialized financial advisors, as needed. Fees at eh firm can vary widely and can include either fixed or variable fee arrangements. 

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Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors, LLP (LWC) is a multi-family office that’s a pioneer in socially responsible investing. To be a client, you’ll need at least $2 million in investable assets. The fee-only firm principally serves high-net-worth individuals.

LWC aims to encompass every detail of a family's financial life in its integrated wealth management solutions. The firm provides family office services, estate planning and settlement services, financial planning, tax planning and preparation and philanthropic strategies.

The group fuses sustainability issues with fundamental analysis and consideration of individual clients' goals, needs and priorities. Its approach is three-part.

First, portfolios are managed on a standalone basis and are structured around sustainability themes, like socially responsible companies or sustainable technology. Next, LWC uses its standing as shareholders to hold companies accountable and to push them to do the right thing. Finally, the Sustainability Group's clients invest in credit unions, loan funds, community banks and international microfinance institutions, all of which are investments that LWC believes can drive positive change by providing access to capital.

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The Bollard Group LLC is a fee-only firm that works with a very small number of high-net-worth clients. The minimum account size for clients is $25 million. The firm also manages money for pooled investment vehicles. Advisors do not make commissions for selling financial products to clients.Services from Bollard include discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory, portfolio management and alternative investments.

Fees are based on a percentage of assets under management, and the minimum fee is $75,000 per year. Some services are billed at an hourly rate. Advisors may recommend clients invest in funds from the firm’s sister company Spinnaker Capital, which will charge a performance-based fee.

The firm uses charting, fundamental analysis and technical analysis to make investment decisions for clients. Risk tolerance and other factors unique to each client are considered when constructing client portfolios. Several asset types are used, including equities, fixed-income securities, options, futures, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and concentrated holdings. Short sales and leverage could be used for some clients.

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Cambridge Associates Limited operates on a fee-only basis and primarily serves colleges and universities, foundations and other non-profit institutions, private clients, family offices, and corporations. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet the diverse needs of its clients.

These services include strategic and tactical asset allocation advice, manager selection, and participation in committee meetings. Clients also benefit from access to research services and performance reporting. Investment services cover areas such as socially responsible investing, ESG, and impact investing, alongside the selection of diverse managers. 

The firm employs a multifaceted investment approach that includes strategic and tactical asset allocation, socially responsible and ESG-focused investing, as well as co-investment opportunities in a variety of assets such as individual companies, ETFs, equity and bond futures, and secondary market offerings of privately placed investment funds. When managing client portfolios, the firm considers each client's specific investment objectives, risk tolerance and spending needs to tailor investment strategies that align with their financial goals.

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This fee-only firm requires that you have at least $2 million in assets to open an account, though it is willing to negotiate that minimum sometimes. Welch & Forbes has a client base made up of a mix of individuals and high-net-worth individuals, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, other advisors and corporations.

The staff at this firm includes chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and certified public accountants (CPAs). Fees paid for investment management are based on a percentage of assets under management. No advisers at the firm are registered as representatives of a broker-dealer and they do not make money from commissions for selling securities or insurance products.

Advisors at Welch & Forbes can create a portfolio for any client, but there are some models the firm notes as common that include multi-cap core equity, with investments in stocks (domestic and international), specialty, income and alternative investments.

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Crestwood Advisors Group, LLC works with high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth clients, as well as pensions, profit-sharing plans, charities and businesses. You'll need an account of at least $1 million to work with the firm. Crestwood works to provide clients with comprehensive wealth management solutions. It also provides an automated investment strategy platform.

Crestwood Advisors crafts individualized investment strategies to help clients meet their individual financial needs and objectives. Because the firm's advisory services are comprehensive, each client relationship involves a series of information-gathering meetings in order to properly assess and take note of each client's risk tolerance, liquidity needs, investment history and, and other relevant information.

Crestwood advises on any type of investment held in a client's portfolio but mainly invests in equity and debt securities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), exchange-traded notes (ETNs), mutual funds and equity options. Advisors rely primarily on fundamental methods of analysis to help them inform investment decisions.

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Choate Investment Advisors LLC is a fee-only firm. Its clients include both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as pooled investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans and charitable organizations. The firm prefers new relationships with a minimum account size of $10 million, though it sometimes accepts accounts of lesser value.

Fees for investment management are based on a percentage of assets under management. Some consulting and financial planning services are billed at an hourly rate. Advisors are not paid commissions for selling products or securities to clients.

The investment strategies available include all bond, conservative income, income and growth, balanced, growth, aggressive growth and opportunisitic growth. They aim to create an investment strategy that works with the individual needs of each client.

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TwinFocus Capital Partners is a fee-only firm that works mainly with high-net-worth clients, though there are some individual clients who are beneath the high-net-worth threshold. The firm also works with pooled investment vehicles and other institutional clients. Fees can be annual, based on a percentage of assets under management or some combination of both.

There is a very high minimum account size at the firm of $100 million. Services offered to clients include wealth management, family office services corporate consulting services, investment management, financial planning, estate planning and tax planning.

Pooled investment vehicles, which include investments like hedge funds, take up around a third of the client asset pool at TwinFocus. Given the high barrier to entry for these funds, it makes sense that the majority of TwinFocus clients have very big portfolios. Mutual funds, stocks, bonds and cash holds are also used.