Top Financial Advisors in Chattanooga, TN

Find an Advisor

HHM Wealth Advisors is the No. 1 firm on our list of the top financial advisors in Chattanooga. HHM's team includes advisors with several types of financial certifications. Such certifications include the certified financial planner (CFP), certified public accountant (CPA) and accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) designations. To gain access to these advisors, however, you will need a minimum of $250,000 in investable assets. The firm also charges a minimum annual fee of $2,500.

The majority of this firm’s current client base consists of non-high-net-worth individuals. HHM also manages assets for high-net-worth individuals, businesses, pensions, profit-sharing plans and charitable organizations.

As a client of this fee-based firm, you may be offered insurance by your advisor, which may result in commissions for them. While this is a conflict of interest, the firm is an SEC-registered fiduciary, so it’s required to act in your best interest.

HHM Wealth Advisors Background

Founded in 1999, HHM Wealth Advisors is one of the older firms on this list. Managing partner and wealth advisor Travis Hutchinson and accounting firm CPA Group, LLC -- which conducts business as Henderson Hutcherson and McCullough, PLLC -- are joint owners of this firm.

HHM Wealth Advisors offers individualized services to its clients, including financial planning, investment management, retirement planning, estate planning, tax minimization, insurance analysis, 401(k) consulting and transition planning.

HHM Wealth Advisors Investment Strategy

Before you even discuss the specifics of your financial situation, HHM Wealth Advisors prefers to have a personal meeting during which you and your prospective advisor will get to know each other. Following this meeting, you’ll clarify your current and future financial goals and priorities, as well as your risk tolerance. The firm determines this information through communication with you and a deep analysis of your financial documents.

The firm will then come up with a plan, implement it and begin monitoring your portfolio for any possibly necessary rebalancing. HHM uses a wide variety of investments in client portfolios. These include individual corporate domestic and international securities, municipal securities, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), REITs and master limited partnerships (MLPs), certificates of deposit (CDs) and alternative investments.

Find an Advisor

Patton, Albertson & Miller Group (PAM Group) says it’s focused on assisting “affluent individuals and families throughout the U.S.” with their financial situations. Although this fee-only firm is primarily committed to serving those with a high net worth, it also works with individual clients below the high-net-worth threshold, as well as corporations and charitable organizations. PAM Group doesn't require a stated minimum investment to begin a relationship, but there is a minimum annual fee of $10,000.

PAM Group boasts several financial certifications, including the certified financial planner (CFP), chartered financial analyst (CFA), chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC) and financial paraplanner qualified professional (FPQP) designations.

As a fee-only practice, neither the PAM Group as a firm nor its advisors earn sales commissions. 

Patton, Albertson & Miller Group Background

Founded in 2015, PAM Group quickly grew to be a large advisory firm. The firm is a subsidiary of the holding company Focus Operation, LLC., which in turn is owned indirectly by funds affiliated with Stone Point Capital, LLC.

PAM Group offers a variety services, depending on what you’re most in need of in your current financial situation. Its services include:

• Investment management
• Estate planning
• Cash flow management
• Risk management
• Tax planning
• Trust and fiduciary services
• Merger and acquisition
• Business succession planning

Patton, Albertson & Miller Group Investment Strategy

PAM Group commonly invests its clients’ assets in mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks and individual bonds. For some clients, the firm may invest in hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate investments and structured notes. 

Because this firm tends to focus on a long-term approach, it reviews its client portfolios on an annual basis. During this evaluation, the firm may change your investment plan and/or the investment types in your portfolio, rebalance your account or some combination of the above.

Find an Advisor

The Patten Group is a fee-only financial advisory firm that has relationships with a wide range of clients. Its clients include individuals and their families, pensions, profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, foundations, charitable organizations and endowments. Individuals are the firm’s most common clients, and more than half of its individual clients do not have a high net worth. The firm does not have a set account minimum but charges a minimum annual fee of $2,000.

The Patten Group has several chartered financial analysts (CFAs), certified financial planners (CFPs) and certified divorce financial analysts (CDFAs) on staff.

The Patten Group Background

Chief executive officer Ashlee B. Patten owns and operates The Patten Group, a firm that has been in business since 2014. The firm’s services include investment planning, multi-generational wealth transfer, estate planning review, risk management review, employee stock ownership advice, college funding, charitable giving and philanthropic planning, as well as advice on credit sourcing or debt paydown and consolidation.

The Patten Group Investment Strategy

Your time horizon and liquidity needs are especially important to The Patten Group, and it will take into account your risk tolerance when it constructs your portfolio. This firm also allows its clients to impose investment restrictions on their portfolios in an effort to accommodate clients as fully as possible.

Typically, the firm uses exchange-traded funds (ETFs), options, fixed-income securities, mutual funds and individual equity securities. The firm says that it will usually only select investments that it plans to keep for at least a year. 

Find an Advisor

Acumen Wealth Advisors is an SEC-registered firm that provides financial planning and technology-driven portfolio management services to its clients. According to SEC records, the firm works mostly with individuals and high-net-worth individuals. However, it is one of the smaller firms on this list as far as individual client base goes. Acumen also serves pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, corporations and at least one pooled investment vehicle.

The minimum account size is $500,000. This fee-based firm has a variety of credentialed professionals, including advisors with the certified financial planner (CFP), chartered financial analyst (CFA), investment adviser certified compliance professional (IACCP) and certified trust and financial advisor (CTFA) designations.

However, certain advisors on staff may earn commissions when selling insurance policies to clients in their separate roles as insurance agents. These payments from third parties are in addition to the fees that advisory clients pay. This is a conflict of interest, but the firm's fiduciary duty compels it to act in clients' best interests.

Acumen Wealth Advisors Background

Reese Veltenaar formed Acumen Wealth Advisors in 2011. The firm has been active as a registered investment advisor (RIA) since 2016. Veltenaar currently serves as Acumen’s wealth strategist and managing partner.

The firm's services range from investment management and financial planning to active tax and business advisory services. The firm also offers retirement planning, philanthropic planning and real estate advice. 

Acumen Wealth Advisors Investing Strategy and Resources

Acumen Wealth Advisors offers an asset management program combined with financial planning services around topics like tax and estate planning. The firm utilizes investment models to create customized portfolios based on your investment objectives and household risk tolerance. These models reflect the following risk profiles: 

• Extremely Aggressive
• Aggressive
• Moderate
• Moderately Conservative
• Conservative
• Extremely Conservative

Aggressive portfolios tend to focus more on growth-oriented securities like stocks and stock funds, while conservative ones generally rely more on securities like bonds. 

In addition, the firm uses financial management software called Tamarac to guide investment decisions based on your circumstances. The Tamarac software allows Acumen to monitor your investment portfolio and make tactical decisions and enables clients to access their accounts. For instance, its tax optimization feature lets the firm screen for the type of assets most likely to be tax-efficient for different account registrations.

Acumen states on its website: “We customize client portfolios leveraging tax optimization, monitor their accounts for trading triggers, make tactical trades, execute trades directly with our custodian, Schwab, reconcile trades from the previous day, and leverage tax loss harvesting strategies."

Find an Advisor

Guardian Wealth Management has one of the smallest advisory teams on this list. But despite its small size, the fee-only firm has employees that hold several certifications, including the certified public accountant (CPA) and certified financial planner (CFPs) designations, among several other more niche certifications.

This fee-only firm requires a $500,000 account minimum and charges a minimum annual fee of $5,000. The firm primarily manages individual accounts, the majority of which belong to non-high-net-worth individuals. The firm also manages money for pension and profit-sharing plans, as well as corporations. 

Guardian Wealth Management Background

CEO Donald VanLandingham and CFO Kathy Lee VanLandingham founded Guardian Wealth Management, Inc. in 1997. The duo still independently owns the firm.

Guardian Wealth Management offers a plethora of client services, including:

• Retirement planning
• Charitable giving
• Estate planning
• Investment planning
• Corporate and personal tax mitigation
• Business and personal financial planning
• Corporate structure analysis
• Insurance analysis
• Real estate analysis
• Mortgage/debt analysis

Guardian Wealth Management Investment Strategy

Guardian Wealth Management typically uses exchange-traded funds (ETFs), index funds and mutual funds in its client portfolios. However, clients’ exact asset allocations are determined based on their financial objectives and risk tolerance.

Once a portfolio plan has been implemented, it’s reviewed a minimum of four times a year to ensure that the original strategy is still on track. If it isn’t, the firm will rebalance your funds.

Find an Advisor

Wealth Preservation Advisors does not require a set account minimum to start an account, though it primarily serves high-net-worth individuals. More specifically, its individual clients include business owners, corporate executives, healthcare professionals, retirees and their families. It also serves trusts, estates, 401(k) plans, SIMPLE and SEP IRA plans.

If you choose to become a client of this fee-based firm, you may be offered insurance in conjunction with your advisory account. Sales could result in commissions for your advisor, which creates a conflict of interset. However, the firm is a fiduciary and therefore is required to act in your best interest.

There is no minimum account size requirement at Wealth Preservation Advisors. 

Wealth Preservation Advisors Background

Wealth Preservation Advisors is wholly owned by holding company HTP Enterprises, LLC. which is owned by the firm's' president, Gene Rice. Though the firm was founded in 2013, its team averages over two decades of experience in the field.

The firm offers portfolio management in combination with financial planning. The latter portion may include education planning, portfolio management, retirement planning, fixed-income services, estate and trust creation, charitable gift planning, education planning, banking and lending solutions and alternative investment opportunities.

Wealth Preservation Advisors Investment Strategy

Wealth Preservation Advisors’ first step in beginning a relationship with a new client is determining your risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity needs. Based on its proprietary research and market analysis, the firm will then implement a plan that it believes will enable you to achieve your financial objectives. 

Typically, Wealth Preservation Advisors invests client assets in individual stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), bonds, mutual funds, options and a mix of public and private securities. The firm regularly evaluates portfolio progress and identifies whether or not to rebalance. 

Find an Advisor

Capital Square is a fee-based financial advisor firm focused on serving individuals’ retirement needs. Aside from retirement-minded individuals, the firm works with trusts and estates. As a fee-based firm, advisors can earn commissions from selling financial products, but the firm is still a fiduciary that is legally obligated to act in the best interest of clients.

If you’d like to become a client of this firm, there is no minimum amount of assets needed to open an account. There are several certified financial planners (CFPs) on staff.

Capital Square Background

One of the youngest firms on this list, Capital Square was established in 2017. Founding partner and chief compliance officer Sandy Maddox, founding partner Stacy Eaton and partner Jeff Shelton are the owners of the firm.

The firm says that it offers estate and trust planning, retirement planning, general portfolio management, 401(k) solution analysis, education cost planning and annuity analysis.

Capital Square Investment Strategy

Though Capital Square does use predetermined investment models, it aims to personalize portfolios according to your financial objectives, risk tolerance and time horizon. This is done to try to ensure that the firm’s “world-class research” can be applied appropriately based on your ultimate needs.

“Time in the market, not timing the market” is another saying that the firm says it lives by. It believes a long-term approach to investing will help weed out weaker investments that are focused on short-term financial gain rather than on stable, consistent growth.

Find an Advisor

Evergreen Advisors is a fee-based firm with advisory certifications on staff that include certified financial planner (CFP) and certified public accountant (CPA). Many of the firm’s clients are individuals, and it primarily serves non-high-net-worth individuals. However, the firm also works with high-net-worth individuals, pensions and profit-sharing plans. There is not a set account minimum at Evergreen, but there is a minimum annual fee of $2,000.

You may be offered insurance or securities if you work with this firm and its advisors may earn commissions from sales. But keep in mind, like all the firms on this list, Evergreen is a registered fiduciary that is legally obligated to act in your best interests.

Evergreen Advisors Background

Evergreen Advisors was created in 2009. It’s principally owned by Jim Place, the firm’s managing member, and chief compliance officer Jayme Place O'Donnell. The firm’s advisory team has been in the financial industry for much longer than that though, boasting an average of over two decades of experience.

The services that Evergreen has available for its clients are categorized into the following overarching groups:

• Personal: budgeting, liability, financial goals
• Tax & cash flow: planning for the future
• Investing: alternative investments for client portfolios
• Retirement: various strategies for retirement goals
• Estate: living, trusts, wills, power of attorney, asset protection, nursing homes
• Insurance: life, health, disability, long-term care
• Death & disability: income needs for surviving dependents, disability income

Place and O’Donnell, partner, co-host an hour-long weekday radio show titled “Let’s Talk Money,” which clients can use to stay up-to-date with the financial industry.

Evergreen Advisors Investment Strategy

Evergreen Advisors primarily uses equities, fixed income and cash when investing its client assets. However, how the firm divides your money among these asset classes depends on your time horizon, targeted return level and risk tolerance. The firm chooses specific money managers and investment strategies depending on how it thinks it can best help you achieve your financial goals.

The process isn’t complete after your funds have been invested. The firm evaluates your portfolio often, measuring its progress against benchmarks that reveal how well it’s performing. Some clients may see their assets allocated to one of the firm's model portfolios.

Find an Advisor

High-net-worth individuals make up a majority of Barnett & Co.'s client base. However, the firm does not have a stated minimum investment requirement to open an account, and as a result, also works with non-high-net-worth individuals and charitable organizations 

The small team at Barnett & Co. features a certified financial planner (CFP) and a chartered financial analyst (CFA). As a fee-only firm, Barnett & Co. does not offer insurance policies and sales that could result in commissions. Instead, the firm makes its money solely from the asset-based fees, hourly charges and fixed fees that advisory clients pay.

Barnett & Co. Background

Barnett & Co. is principally owned by Warren Barnett, its founder, president and one of two portfolio managers on staff. He founded his namesake firm in 1983, making it the oldest practice on this list. Its team averages more than 25 years of experience in finance.

Barnett & Co.'s services are general in nature, as it lists portfolio management and financial planning as the basis of its service offerings. 

Barnett & Co. Investment Strategy

Barnett & Co.’s philosophy is to find investments that investors will want to own in the future, as opposed to investments that are popular in the present. The firm believes that by following this principle, it can achieve long-term growth, which fits into its overall style of long-term investing. 

The firm says that its “bottom-line goal when buying a stock for appreciation is for it to double its value in three to five years.” Regardless of whether it actually achieves this goal, the firm says that it drives its investment choices.

Find an Advisor

Apex Strategic Wealth concludes out list of the top financial advisors in Chattanooga. The firm requires clients to meet a minimum annual fee of $2,000, while some investment programs have their own minimum account sizes ranging from $5,000 to $250,000. The firm's client base is almost exclusively comprised of individuals, with most of them coming in below the high-net-worth threshold. Apex also works with several business clients, charitable organizations and retirement plans. 

As a fee-based firm, certain advisors at Apex Strategic Wealth can sell insurance products on a commission basis. While this creates a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty requires it to act in clients' best interests at all times.

Apex Strategic Wealth Background

Apex Strategic Wealth is a young firm, as it first opened for business in 2020. The firm is principally owned by an entity called Solomon Wood, LLC. CEO William Stuart Wood also owns part of the firm, though.

Investment management on an individual basis and through model portfolios offered by LPL Financial. The firm also has a selection of financial planning services, like retirement planning, death and disability planning, estate planning and insurance review. 

Apex Strategic Wealth Investing Strategy

Apex Strategic Wealth works with clients to build an investment strategy that works for them. This involves accounting for their risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs, short- and long-term goals and more. Prior investment history and your family composition may also be accounted for in this plan.

The specific assets that comprise your portfolio will vary depending on which LPL Financial advisory program you're enrolled in. However, you can typically expect your assets to be invested in a variety of mutual funds and/or ETFs.