Top Financial Advisors in Delaware

Find an Advisor

Diversified is a fee-based financial advisory firm. The firm caters to a diverse clientele including individuals, high-net-worth individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, as well as trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and pooled investment vehicles. Notably, Diversified does not require a minimum account size, though they do have an initial financial planning fee of $500.00, which may be waived or reduced at their discretion. 

As a fee-based firm, there is the potential for a conflict of interest as the firm and its advisors may earn commissions on the sale of certain securities. However, the firm is bound by a fiduciary duty to put the needs of the client first. 

Diversified Background

Diversified was founded in 1982. The firm is jointly controlled by David Levy and Andrew Rosen, who both share equal ownership. Today, the firm manages more than $1.5 billion across its 22 advisors, with more than 1,400 clients. 

Diversified Investment Strategy

The firm employs a comprehensive investment approach that includes global asset allocation, diversification, long-term investment strategies, and adherence to Modern Portfolio Theory. The firm tailors investment portfolios to each client's unique financial situation, predefined objectives and risk tolerance. Other critical factors considered include the client's time horizon, financial information, liquidity needs, suitability factors, any restrictions and guidelines set by the client.

Find an Advisor

Affinity Wealth Management in Wilmington leads off our Delaware list. This large fee-based firm works mainly with non-high-net-worth individuals. It also works with high-net-worth individuals, pensions, profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and government entities. There is no set account minimum.

Some advisors at Affinity may receive commissions from the sale of insurance or securities to clients. This is what makes the firm fee-based. As a result, it is subject to a potential conflict of interest. The firm, however, is bound by fiduciary duty and is obligated to always act in the best interests of clients.

Affinity Wealth Management Background

Affinity Wealth Management was founded in 2017. It is owned by CEO Michael Sicuranza, an advisor who holds the certified financial planner (CFP) designation. 

Affinity provides investment management services, financial planning services and retirement plan advisory services. It provides a wrap fee program and the vast majority of its assets are managed on a discretionary basis.

Affinity Wealth Management Investment Strategy

Investment strategies at Affinity Wealth Management are tailored to the needs of clients. This process includes creating an investment program or placing clients into a model portfolio. When it comes to creating an investment plan, advisors take into account investment goals, desired investment strategies, risk tolerance and more.

Investment portfolios typically consist 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. Advisors use fundamental, technical, cyclical and charting analysis methods to evaluate potential investments, and typically take a long-term approach to investing. 

Find an Advisor

Veery Capital’s individual clients primarily do not have a high net worth. This fee-based firm also works with a number of high-net-worth investors. Investment accounts are managed mostly on a non-discretionary basis. There is no minimum investment requirement, though some investments may require a minimum in order to be effective.

As a fee-based firm, certain on-staff advisors at Veery may be able to earn commissions from the sale of specific securities or insurance products. While this is a potential conflict of interest, the firm is legally required to act in clients' best interests.

Located in Wilmington, Veery's team includes accredited investment fiduciaries (AIFs) and Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), among other credentialed advisors.

Veery Capital Background

Established in 2018, Veery Capital is owned by partners D. Christopher Benfer, Matthew MacNeal, Kathleen Simolike 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 bundles security transaction fees together with its investment advisory fee for 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 firm's investment strategy is largely driven by fundamental analysis, which seeks to identify the intrinsic value of an asset by analyzing the financial profile of a company and broader economic data.

Find an Advisor

This Wilmington-based firm works with a few hundred individual clients with and without a high net worth, as well as a handful of pension plans, insurance companies and businesses. The firm doesn't have a minimum investment requirement.

The advisory staff here also holds a wide range of certifications. These include Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), chartered financial analyst (CFA), certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA), accredited portfolio management advisor (APMA) and more.

Some of the advisors at this firm can sell insurance and securities for commissions, which is a potential conflict of interest. However, the firm's fiduciary duty means it must act in clients' best interests though.

RiversEdge Advisors Background

RiversEdge Advisors was founded in 2018 by co-owners Jarrett Morris and Brian Carney. 

Generally speaking, investment management and financial planning are the two main offerings at RiversEdge. According to the firm's website, it typically services individuals like entrepreneurs, executives, retirees, pre-retirees and young professionals.

RiversEdge Advisors Investment Strategy

RiversEdge Advisors works with its clients to develop an investor profile before allocating any of their funds to various assets. This involves discussing clients' risk tolerance, time horizon, income and liquidity needs and overall financial goals. From this, a portfolio plan is built according to your needs.

According to its Form ADV, RiversEdge uses modern portfolio theory as the basis for its investment planning. This award-winning theory focuses on maximizing returns for a given risk level. The firm tends to invest in ETFs, but may also incorporate open-end mutual funds, individual stocks, and individual fixed-income securities. When investing in mutual funds, the firm typically favors passive managers and seeks institutional share classes. 

Find an Advisor

A Wilmington-based financial advisor firm, Clariti Wealth Advisors is next on our list. While it does not technically have a minimum investment requirement, its clients generally have at least $1 million in assets or will be reaching that level soon. Clariti advises mostly high-net-worth individuals, though it does also work with individual investors who don't have a high net worth. The firm also serves charities and businesses.

The advisor has a small team of advisors on staff. The advisors at the firm have amassed a number of certifications, including Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®)), certified public accountant (CPA), certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) and more. 

Clariti Wealth Advisors is a fee-only firm, with fees based on a client's amount of assets under management.

Clariti Wealth Advisors Background

Clariti Wealth Advisors was founded by Vincent A. Schiavi in 1983. Ravi Dattani joined in 1998 and is the firm's sole owner today.

The following services are offered by Clariti:

• Financial planning
• Estate tax planning
• Portfolio monitoring
• Investment management

Clariti Wealth Advisors Investment Strategy

Diversification is the most important part of Clariti Wealth Advisors' investment strategy. The firm invests in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, alternatives and other appropriate investments. It looks to establish cash flow for clients in retirement. 

With regards to mutual funds and ETFs, both passively and actively managed funds are considered. Within actively managed funds, the firm uses a number of styles, market caps and investing methodologies.

Find an Advisor

Crowley Wealth Management is next on our firm. Individual investors who don't have a high net worth make up the majority of the firm's client base. However, high-net-worth individuals and a single pension plan round out the firm's client list.

Crowley has one of the smallest advisory staffs on this list. Their team includes Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), as well as one chartered financial analyst (CFA). This fee-only financial advisor firm is located in Wilmington and has no account minimum.

Crowley Wealth Management Background

Principals Frederick and Robert Crowley aren’t just co-owners of Crowley Wealth Management, they’re also brothers. This duo has spent decades working in financial management, as they created the firm in 1980.

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

Crowley Wealth Management Investment Strategy

Crowley Wealth Management primarily assumes a long-term approach to investing but may incorporate short-term strategies at certain times. When it comes to actual investment types, Crowley mostly works within individual equities, bonds and mutual funds. However, its choices are not limited to just these, as ETFs, options, government securities, warrants, CDs and commercial paper may make it into your portfolio.

Find an Advisor

Westover Capital Advisors recommends that you have at least $1 million ready to invest prior to opening a relationship with one of its advisors. This firm’s headquarters is in Wilmington, and it is fee-only, meaning all of its compensation comes from client-paid fees.

The firm works both with high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individual clients. Charitable organizations, pensions and profit-sharing plans are also among the clients of this firm. 

Westover Capital Advisors Background

Father and son Harold Murray Sawyer Jr. and Harold Murray Sawyer III are the president and vice president of Westover Capital Advisors. The Sawyers own the firm with the director of wealth management and chief compliance officer Matthew Beardwood. Westover Capital Advisors opened for business in 1999.

The advisory services available through this firm include:

• Financial planning
• Retirement planning
• Insurance planning
• Social Security planning
• Estate planning
• Trust planning
• Tax minimization
• Charitable gift planning

Westover Capital Advisors Investment Strategy

Many firms avoid using short-term investment strategies, as they’re generally riskier. But Westover Capital Advisors combines the principles of long-term and short-term investing to attempt to match the risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity needs of clients.

Westover will use as many investment types as necessary to flesh out its client portfolios, provided that they fit what’s needed to meet client's needs and objectives. So be prepared to see everything from individual securities and options to ETFs and mutual funds. 

Find an Advisor

BDFS Capital LLC, which markets itself as Black Diamond Financial Services, rounds out our list of the top financial advisors in Delaware. This fee-based firm does not impose a minimum account size requirement. The vast majority of BDFS Capital's client base comprises individuals without a high net worth. However, the firm also works with some high-net-worth clients, as well as a handful of charitable organizations. 

Located in Rehoboth Beach, BDFS Capital charges asset-based fees for portfolio management, and either fixed or hourly fees for standalone financial planning. Fixed fees can range from $500 to $5,000 while hourly rates are typically between $100 and $250.

Keep in mind that BDFS Capital is a fee-based firm whose advisors may earn third-party compensation when selling securities or insurance products. These sales commissions come on top of the fees you pay as an advisory client. While this extra compensation may be a conflict of interest, the firm is a fiduciary and must act in your best interests. 

The BDFS Capital team includes advisors with a range of financial credentials, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), enrolled agent (EA), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC) and accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) designations. 

BDFS Capital Background

Founded in 2017, BDFS Capital is owned by Black Diamon Financial Solutions Inc. Jeffrey Puglia is the firm's president while Mark Nehra is chief compliance officer. 

While the firm offers traditional portfolio management and sponsors a wrap-fee program, it may allocate your assets to model portfolios on the Betterment platform, a robo-advisor. When it comes to specific services, the firm can help with financial planning, retirement planning, insurance planning, tax planning and estate planning.

BDFS Capital Investment Strategy 

BDFS Capital typically limits its investment advice to mutual funds, fixed-income securities, real estate funds (including REITs), equities, private equity funds, ETFs (including those that invest in gold and precious metal sectors), treasury inflation-protected/inflation-linked bonds, commodities, non-U.S. securities, venture capital funds and private placements. The firm may incorporate other securities into your portfolio to increase diversification. 

Find an Advisor

Lokken Investment Group is a fee-only firm that caters to a diverse clientele including individuals, high net-worth individuals, corporations, private funds, and charitable organizations. The minimum investment requirement is set at $100,000, although exceptions can be made at the discretion of the firm. 

This firm assists clients in identifying and achieving their financial objectives through comprehensive planning. Services include reviewing insurance policies to ensure adequate coverage across various areas such as life, health, disability, long-term care, liability, home and automobile. The firm also specializes in investment analysis, offering asset allocation strategies, insights on investment vehicles and support in setting up investment accounts. 

Lokken Background

Lokken Investment Group was founded in 2008. The firm is solely owned and operated by Jonathan Lokken. The firm currently manages more than $301 million across its four advisors with more than 490 clients. 

Lokken Investment Strategy

The firm employs a comprehensive investment approach that includes fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis. The firm tailors its strategies to align with each client's unique financial landscape, which encompasses their income, tax levels, risk tolerance, individual objectives and time horizons. The firm typically invests in stocks, bonds, commodities, mutual funds and ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) to diversify and optimize investment portfolios.

Find an Advisor

Big Investment Services is a fee-only advisory firm offers a comprehensive suite of services tailored to enhance financial health and strategic planning. These services include business planning, cash flow and debt management, setting and achieving financial goals, insurance solutions, investment analysis, college savings plans, optimizing employee benefits and estate planning.

While the firm typically requires a minimum investment of $250,000, it retains the flexibility to waive this minimum under certain circumstances. The specific client types served by the firm are not detailed in the available information.

Big Investment Services Background

Big Investment Services was founded in 2005. The firm is solely owned and operated by David F. Boothe. Today, the firm manages more than $238 million in assets under management (AUM) with more than 500 clients. 

Big Investment Services Investment Strategy

The firm employs a multifaceted approach to investment management, incorporating strategies such as Tactical Index Investment, Fundamental Analysis, Technical Analysis and Cyclical Analysis. The firm tailors its investment strategies to align with the unique needs of each client, considering factors such as their individual objectives, time horizons, risk tolerance, liquidity needs, prior investment history, family composition and background, income and tax levels. 

The firm typical investment vehicles encompass index mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual equities and various types of bonds including fixed-income securities, common stocks, corporate bonds and commercial paper.