Top 10 Financial Advisors in Boulder, CO

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Wealthgate Family Office is a fee-only firm working with only a handful of clients, most of whom are high-net-worth. The firm also works with a trust company. Fees may be fixed or based on a percentage of assets under management, and will be spelled out in each client agreement.

The minimum account size is $10 million. There is not a list of certifications earned by advisors at the firm.

Wealthgate Family Office Background

Wealthgate was founded in 2020 and is principally owned by founder Alexander Paul, who also serves as the firm's CEO.

Services include wealth management, asset allocation, selection and oversight of third-party managers, portfolio monitoring and consolidated reporting.

Wealthgate Family Office Investment Strategy

Hedge funds and other pooled investment vehicles are most common investment at Wealthgate, which makes sense for a firm with such a high minimum asset level. Stocks, bonds and mutual funds are also used.

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Fee-only Colorado Financial Management, LLC comes next on our list. More than 95% of the firm’s client base consists of individuals, families and high-net-worth individuals, and its minimum initial investment is $500,000. The firm also maintains accounts for charitable organizations.

The staff at the firm boasts several advisory certifications. You’ll find a handful of certified financial planners (CFPs) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs), along with one certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA).

Colorado Financial Management Background

The history of Colorado Financial Management can be traced back to 1988, when the firm was founded by Mike Sargent. In 1996, the firm transitioned to the name Sargent Bickham Lagudis (SBL). It was only in 2016 that SBL transitioned to its current name of Colorado Financial Management. Today, the firm is under the ownership of CIO Bradley Bickham and senior financial advisors Joshua Miller, Meagan D’Angelo, Luke Daniel and Christopher Lagudis.

Most of what Colorado Financial does involves either financial planning or investment management. Here are a few of its services:

• Risk-adjusted portfolio planning
• Retirement planning
• Estate planning
• Insurance needs review and analysis
• Tax management

Colorado Financial Management Client Experience

In order to build an investment portfolio that’s in line with your personal needs, Colorado Financial Management will meet with you to determine your risk tolerance, liquidity needs and time horizon. Based on the specifics of your situation, the firm will formulate an asset allocation that it believes will ultimately help you reach your goals.

As your portfolio matures, the returns and losses it garners will eventually shift your asset allocation. To keep this from changing your target asset allocation too much, the firm will monitor and rebalance your investments as needed.

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BSW Wealth Partners has a large collection of advisory certifications across its team of financial advisors. This includes certified financial planners (CFPs) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs). Other certifications include certified public accountant (CPA) and certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA). This is a fee-only firm.

BSW does not institute any sort of minimum investable asset requirement. Regardless, the firm serves mostly high-net-worth individuals. Its client base also includes families, non-high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and businesses.

BSW Wealth Partners Background

As an employee-owned firm, BSW Wealth Partners is owned by ten individuals. CEO David Wolf is the only owner with a more than 25% stake. BSW brands itself as “independent, employee-owned, woman-founded, and built to last.” It has been in business since 1992.

If you’re looking to invest, BSW Wealth Partners offers extensive investment management services that take care of everything from strategy implementation to portfolio reporting. For financial planning clients, services include wealth planning, employee stock option planning, retirement planning and college fund planning.

BSW Wealth Partners Investing Strategy

BSW Wealth Partners utilizes a long-term investment ideology that focuses on diversifying widely across multiple asset classes. To ensure your portfolio is as diversified as possible, the firm will look to invest your assets in non-correlated markets. Some of BSW’s typical investments include equities, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), real estate, hedge funds and private equity placements.

In order to keep your asset allocation intact and take into account other economic conditions, BSW will perform portfolio rebalances no more than twice per year. In the case that the firm has identified opportunistic investments, your allocation may shift a bit.

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Ultra-high-net-worth individuals comprise almost all of Schoolcraft Capital, LLC’s client base. In turn, the firm calls for a minimum investment of $10 million from new clients. In addition to individual clients, the fee-only firm is also known to maintain advisory relationships with families, foundations, private investment funds and pooled investment vehicles.

The firm employs a small team of financial advisors. Schoolcraft Capital is one of two firms on this list that charges performance-based fees as part of its client fee schedule.

Schoolcraft Capital Background

Although Schoolcraft Capital was organized in 2014, the firm didn’t actually begin advising clients until 2015. The firm is under the principal ownership of portfolio managers Michael Sherman and Theodore Harris.

The services at Schoolcraft consist almost entirely of investment planning and management. That means the firm can create an asset allocation tailored to your needs and then closely monitor how your investments are performing.

Schoolcraft Capital Investing Strategy

Since Schoolcraft Capital caters to high-net-worth clients, all investment portfolios are tailored to its clients.

The firm prefers passive investing for traditional asset classes, as it believes this strategy is best-suited for inefficient, liquid markets. So rather than investing in individual stocks and bonds, it uses mutual funds and ETFs to gain access to the equity and bond markets. The firm does this for a number of reasons, such as low trading fees, income tax efficiency and strong liquidity.

For less traditional asset classes, such as private equity, venture capital, distressed debt, natural resources and real estate, the firm seeks out active managers to diversify and compound capital over time. 

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Next on the list is The Millstone Evans Group. There is no minimum account size. Most clients are non-high-net-worth individuals, with high-net-worth clients on the rolls as well. Institutional clients include pension and profit sharing plans, charitable organizations and corporations. Most clients pay an asset-based fee for all services.

The firm’s team includes two accredited asset management specialists (AAMses),  one chartered divorce financial analyst (CDFA) and one certified financial planner (CFP). As a fee-based firm, some advisors are also insurance agents and can earn commissions. This is a conflict of interest, but all advisors are still bound by fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the client. 

The Millstone Evans Group Background

Millstone Evans was founded in 2020. Sacha Millstone and Gregory Evans are the primary owners of the firm.

Services include financial planning, portfolio management and a wrap program

The Millstone Evans Group Investment Strategy

Long- and short-term purchases are used at Millstone Evans, along with trading and options writing. Mutual funds make up around two-thirds of investments, with individual stocks representing a bit less than a quarter. Bonds and cash holdings make up the rest.

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Meridian Wealth Management, LLC has a small team of advisors, including three certified financial planners (CFPs). This fits in well with the firm’s premier services of asset management, wealth planning and retirement planning.

Meridian Wealth Management works with more than twice as many individuals as it does high-net-worth individuals. The firm also has a history of working with trusts, estates, businesses, charitable organizations and retirement plans. The minimum investment varies based on account type.

Meridian is a fee-based firm, meaning it employs advisors who can earn commissions for the sale of specific insurance products or securities. While such commissions represent a potential conflict of interest, the firm still abides by fiduciary duty, legally binding it to act in clients’ best interests.

Meridian Wealth Management Background

This firm was founded in 2012 by three members of its current staff: CEO David Hansen and managing partners Tanya Matthews, Richard “Chip” Mower and Richard Weintraub. It remains independently owned to this day. Collectively, Meridian Wealth Management has about 100 years of experience in the field of financial services.

The firm has a wide range of advisory services, like:

• Investment planning
• College savings planning
• Retirement planning
• Cash flow analysis
• Financial goal planning
• Estate planning
• Business exit planning
• Insurance planning

Meridian Wealth Management Investing Strategy

When you begin your client-advisor relationship with Meridian Wealth Management, the firm will work with you to identify your personal risk tolerance, time horizon and investment goals. Based on this all-important information, you’ll be paired with a specific management program. These include “income with capital preservation,” “income with moderate growth,” “growth with income” and “aggressive growth.”

Depending on where you ultimately fit in, the firm will invest your assets in securities accordingly. Meridian states in its Form ADV that it often uses mutual funds, ETFs, variable annuities, options, alternative investments and individual stocks and bonds.

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Ranking seventh on the list is fee-only firm Colorado Capital Management (CCM). The fee-only firm has an individual-centric client base that’s divided nearly evenly between individuals with and without a high net worth. The firm also has a few clients that are charitable organizations. The minimum account size is $1,000,000.

The group of advisors at Colorado Capital Management hold financial certifications such a certified financial planner (CFP), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and chartered financial consultant (ChFC).

Colorado Capital Management Background

Colorado Capital Management has been in business for two decades, having been founded in 2000 by firm president and co-owner Steven Ellis. Ellis has worked in the financial services industry for around 30 years. Financial advisors Lee Strongwater and Randall L. Kryszak also own shares of CCM.

Like most advisory firms, Colorado Capital offers both financial planning and investment management. Here’s an overview:

• Asset allocation planning
• Ongoing portfolio monitoring
• Estate planning
• Cash flow management
• Retirement planning
• Income tax planning

Colorado Capital Management Investing Strategy

Colorado Capital Management’s Form ADV specifies that nearly three-quarters of the firm’s time is spent researching investment markets and managing current clients’ portfolios. This proprietary analysis involves reviewing financial documents, news and other important data to gain insight into the underlying fundamental characteristics of investments.

At its core, CCM’s investing philosophy is based on a long-term approach that involves holding onto securities for years at a time. When applicable, though, the firm will execute some shorter-term trades. Securities that the firm typically uses include stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, CDs, annuities, warrants, options, real estate, hedge funds, derivatives and more.

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Harbor Financial Group, a fee-only firm, has no minimum initial investment requirements. It works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals. Other clients include businesses and pension and profit-sharing plans.

Despite being a fraction of the size of some of the larger firms on this list, Harbor Wealth boasts several advisory certifications. The firm employs certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered retirement planning counselors (CRPCs) and even a certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA).

Harbor Wealth Management Background

Harbor Wealth Management is one of the oldest firms on this list, with a founding date of 1988. It’s also the only firm that has a largely female staff. Elyse Foster, Harbor’s founder, owns the firm entirely and has more than 30 years’ experience in the advisory business.

Harbor boils down its advisory offerings to about 10 different services, including:

• Personal financial planning
• Investment management
• Retirement planning
• Portfolio performance reporting
• Insurance analysis and planning
• Estate planning
• Tax and cash flow planning
• Education fund planning
• Investment analysis

Harbor Wealth Management Investing Strategy

Similar to many other financial advisor firms, Harbor Wealth Management believes a diversified portfolio that features long-term securities holdings will help to attain simultaneous capital preservation and appreciation. To achieve this, the firm thinks diversification is a necessary part of the portfolio construction process.

In the interest of wide-ranging diversification, Harbor avoids utilizing just a simple mix of equities and fixed-income securities. As a result, alternative investments have become an integral part of the firm’s asset allocations, as have international holdings.

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Consilium is a fee-only firm with a very small client base -- fewer than a dozen individuals, the majority of whom are high net worth. There are a few institutional clients as well, all either corporations or pension/profit sharing plans.

Fees are based on a percentage of assets under management. The minimum account size is $250,000.

Consilium Background

Consilium was founded in 2019 and is owned by principal David Halseth.

The firm’s services include investment management, retirement plan consulting and portfolio rebalancing.

Consilium Investment Strategy

A number of factors contribute to Consilium’s investment choices for clients, but keeping costs low is chief among them. There are two basic strategic categories employed at the firm: total return strategies and short horizon strategies. Both base investment strategies on diversification and asset allocation that aligns with a client's objectives, risk tolerance and time horizon.

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The Wealth Conservancy is a fee-only firm that works with almost exclusively individuals, split fairly evenly between high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth clients. The only institutional clients at the firm are corporations and charities.

There is no minimum account size, but the minimum quarterly fee for asset management is $1,350. The team at The Wealth Conservancy includes one certified financial planner (CFP) and one certified professional career coach (CPCC).

The Wealth Conservancy Background

TWC was founded in 1983 and is principally owned by Myra Salzer, who also serves as the firm’s president.

Services include portfolio management, financial planning, tax planning, cash flow management, insurance review and estate planning.

The Wealth Conservancy Investment Strategy

The Wealth Conservancy utilizes a number of investment strategies based on charting, fundamental, technical and cyclical analysis. Possible investments at TWC include stocks, bonds, foreign investments, commercial paper, CDs, variable annuities and mutual funds. Both long- and short-term purchases may be used, depending on a client's risk tolerance and time horizon.