Top Financial Advisors in Fort Wayne, IN

Find an Advisor

Phillips Financial Management is top firm on this list of the top advisors in Fort Wayne. The firm has several credentialed professionals on staff, including some who hold the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) designations.

However, some advisors on staff may earn commissions when selling insurance in their separate capacities as insurance agents, making Phillips Financial a fee-based practice. While commission-based compensation constitutes a conflict of interest, the firm is legally bound as a fiduciary to act in your best interests.

There is no minimum investment or account size requirement to be a client at Phillips Financial, although minimum fees may be due on a quarterly or annual basis. The firm works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, other investment advisors, corporations and businesses. 

Phillips Financial Management offers a wide range of services, including comprehensive financial planning and consulting, as well as both both discretionary and non-discretionary investment management. It also offers an automated investment program through Betterment and retirement plan advisory services and educational programs. Clients may access alternative and private investments, and in certain cases, see sub-advisors at other firms manage their accounts.

As for its investment strategy and process, the firm follows a strategic, long-term approach. The firm primarily uses mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETF), although it may individual bonds, CDs, private investments or alternative assets in client portfolios. Phillips Financial starts with model portfolios that specify target percentages for broad asset classes, and the firm customizes these portfolios to fit each client’s specific needs, goals and restrictions.

Find an Advisor

Formed in 2017, Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors is among the youngest firms on our list of the top financial advisors in Fort Wayne. While the firm does not have a minimum account size requirement, it primarily serves high-net-worth individuals. Vestia also works with non-high-net-worth individuals, pensions and profit-sharing plans. 

Vestia's team features such advisory certifications as Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and certified private wealth advisor (CPWA). The firm also has staff who hold the financial paraplanner qualified professional (FPQP), certified public accountant (CPA), chartered financial consultant (ChFC) and certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) designations.  

As a fee-based firm, certain advisors at Vestia can sell securities on a commission basis. While this induces a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty requires it to act in clients' best interests.

Vestia focuses on customized financial planning, portfolio management and business consulting services, as well as educational workshops that touch on topics related to investing and planning. The firm opens its advisory process with what it calls the Vestia Vue. This entails a one- to three-month review of your financial situation so the firm can get a grasp of your goals and needs. 

When it comes to investing, Vestia relies on several methodologies including modern portfolio theory (MPT), and the Fama-French Factor Model. The latter explores behavioral finance concepts. Depending on the level of wealth management you choose, your portfolio may consist of no-load mutual funds and exchange-traded funds or potentially alternative investments, private investments and private special purpose vehicles.

Find an Advisor

To become a client of the Wealth Advisors Group, you’ll typically need at least $100,000. This fee-based firm has multiple advisors, including some with the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) and accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) designations, among others. 

As a fee-based practice, advisors on staff may earn sales commissions when selling life insurance and annuity products in their separate capacities as insurance agents, which is is a potential conflict of interest. However, Wealth Advisors Group is a fiduciary and must always act in clients' best interests. 

Wealth Advisors Group has been in business since 1991. Clients are offered the following services: financial planning, investment management via wrap fee and non-wrap-fee accounts, specialized asset management services and IRA rollover recommendations. 

The firm conducts a risk management assessment of each new client with the understanding that clients have different return expectations, loss thresholds and risk comfort levels. The firm employs strategic and tactical asset allocation, using mutual funds, ETFs, and individual equities as core holdings, and may incorporate independent managers or model portfolios. Portfolios are reviewed regularly, with adjustments made as needed to align with clients’ long-term return and risk goals.

Find an Advisor

Galecki Financial Management is one of only three fee-only firms on our list. Unlike fee-based practices, Galecki advisors do not receive compensation from selling insurance products or securities to advisory clients. The only compensation advisors receive is from a percentage of your assets under management or fixed fees for standalone services. 

While the firm does not have a minimum account size requirement, there’s a minimum annual fee of $5,000 or quarterly fee of $1,250. As for its client base, Galecki works exclusively with high-net-worth individuals. 

Founded in 1990, Galecki Financial Management has a number of credentialed professionals on staff, including Certified Financial Planners (CFPs), financial paraplanner qualified professionals (FPQP), as well as a certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) and certified public accountant/personal financial specialist (CPA/PFS). 

Galecki's suite of services includes asset management, retirement plan consulting, as well as both ongoing and standalone financial planning. Their planning approach emphasizes cash-flow-based analysis over modular planning, addressing areas like retirement, tax, estate, insurance and education funding. Asset management clients receive integrated financial planning, while stand-alone planning and hourly consulting are available for those not using investment management.

This firm primarily uses technical analysis, which uses past market data to make price forecasts and investment decisions. While the firm provides advice on a large number of investments, your portfolio will generally consist of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds. The firm may also allocate your assets to common stocks, foreign ADRs, individual bonds, certificates of deposit (CDs), option contracts, structured notes and separately managed accounts (SMAs).

To build your portfolio, advisors will determine your financial objectives, risk tolerance, cash flow needs and time horizon. Your initial questionnaires and meetings will go over these topics so that your advisor can build a portfolio that matches your needs.

Find an Advisor

Monarch Capital Management, in operation since 1994, primarily offers investment management and financial advisory services. Monarch works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations and businesses. 

The firm's financial planning services may include budgeting, estate and wealth transfer analysis, investment allocation reviews, and guidance on major financial decisions, as well as retirement account rollover recommendations.

The firm does not have a minimum account size requirement, and as a fee-only practice, its advisors do not sell financial products for commissions. Instead, the firm and its advisors make money solely from the asset-based or fixed fees that advisory clients pay. 

Monarch builds portfolios primarily based on individual stocks and bonds. This differs from a large number of financial advisors that use mutual funds and ETFs almost exclusively. The firm aims to own these stocks and bonds for many years, with minimum turnover. The firm has four key methods to minimize risk of loss: “investing only in securities of profitable and established companies,” avoiding overpaying for stocks, diversifying and avoiding margin or leverage, according to paperwork filed with the SEC.

Find an Advisor

Dickmeyer Boyce Financial Management, is the third and final fee-only firm on our list. To open an account with Dickmeyer Boyce as an individual, you need a minimum investment of $500,000. In turn, the firm primarily works with individuals below the high-net-worth threshold but also serves high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations and businesses. 

As a fee-only firm, all of Dickmeyer Boyce's compensation comes from client-paid fees. Advisors here do not sell financial products for sales commissions. 

Dickmeyer Boyce was formed in 2002 by co-owners David Dickmeyer and Ian Boyce. While Boyce has been in the financial services industry since 1999, Dickmeyer got his start in wealth management in the early 2000s. Their team includes certifications like Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), retirement income certified professional (RICP) and financial paraplanner qualified professional (FPQP). 

As for services, Dickmeyer Boyce offers wealth management, which combines assets management services with comprehensive financial planning. 

Dickmeyer Boyce takes a passive approach to investing. In fact, the firm says on its website that “history shows us that attempting to time the investment market is fruitless. One cannot account for all the factors influencing the pricing of various investment options. History also shows us that the value of investments rise over the long term in spite of near term economic or geopolitical concerns.” 

Thus, Dickmeyer Boyce focuses on long-term investments and avoids frequent trading. It may invest in equities and fixed-income securities as well as mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) based on your risk appetite.

Find an Advisor

MariPau Wealth Management, also known as Collier Financial, is the second-youngest firm on our list, having been founded in 2020. The firm works exclusively with individuals and high-net-worth individuals, although the vast majority of clients fall below the high-net-worth threshold.

The firm, which doesn't have a minimum asset requirement for clients, has a chartered financial consultant (ChFC) on staff. As a fee-based practice, MariPau and its advisors may receive commissions from the sale of certain insurance products. Although this presents a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty requires it to act in clients' best interests at all times.

Clients are offered the following services: financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, selection of other advisors and educational workshops/seminars. On occasion, the firm may offer non-discretionary portfolio management, as well. 

The firm uses fundamental analysis to determine the essential value of securities through a review that consists of financial disclosures, the strength and track record of management personnel, the health of an industry, sector and overall economy. For technical analysis, the firm uses past market movements and apply that analysis to the current time to get a better idea of patterns of investor behavior and potentially try to predict future price movement.

Portfolios are typically build with mutual funds, ETFs, structured notes, individual debt and equity securities, insurance products, cash and cash equivalents.

Find an Advisor

Compass Financial Advisors is a fee-based firm with no asset minimum for clients, but it may set a base fee. Compass is open to working with individual clients above and below the high-net-worth threshold, as well as pensions and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, government entities and businesses. 

As a fee-based practice, advisors earn commissions when selling advisory clients insurance in their separate capacities as insurance agents. This is a potential conflict of interest, but the firm is legally bound to act in your best interest. 

Compass has an office in Fort Wayne and one in Chesterton, Indiana. The firm was founded in 1998 and received its SEC registration that year, making it one of the older practices on our list. It primarily works with clients to provide asset management services and financial planning services.

One member of the Compass team holds the accredited portfolio manager advisor (APMA) designation. 

Compass uses fundamental analysis, technical analysis, charting and cyclical analysis to evaluate securities for investment. Your financial information guides your portfolio’s asset allocation. Your net worth, financial goals, liquidity needs and risk tolerance are used to develop your investment policy statement, the document your advisor uses to choose assets for your portfolio. Compass allocates assets to stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, private placements and convertible securities when building your portfolio.

Find an Advisor

Apple Tree Asset Management founded in 2018, is another fee-based firm whose advisors may earn commissions for insurance product sales in addition to advisory fees. While this creates potential conflicts of interest, Apple Tree has a fiduciary duty to act in clients' best interests.

Apple Tree serves individuals, high-net-worth individuals, charities, corporations and pension/profit-sharing plans. It generally mandates a $50,000 account minimum, although the firm may waive this requirement. 

Services include both comprehensive and single-issue financial planning, ongoing portfolio management, recommendation and monitoring of third-party advisors, qualified retirement plan consulting and tax preparation. Planning topics may cover investments, retirement, education funding, insurance, estate and tax considerations. 

The firm typically uses proprietary model portfolios that are diversified across equities, fixed income, international securities and cash equivalents. The firm employs an asset allocation approach, balancing risk and reward while rebalancing as needed. More specifically, portfolios may comprise mutual funds, ETFs and individual stocks and bonds. 

Additionally, Apple Tree offers specialized services like Biblically Responsible Investment screening to other firms. 

Find an Advisor

Tradewell Securities (TWS), founded in July 2024, rounds out our list of the top-rated advisory firms in Fort Wayne. This fee-based registered investment advisor serves individuals and high-net-worth individuals, and generally requires a $500,000 account minimum, which can be waived.

The firm's primary services encompass investment management and personalized financial planning, including areas like cash flow management, tax planning, insurance review, retirement and estate planning, as well as education funding. 

Advisory fees are asset-based, with financial planning available for a fixed fee. As a fee-based firm, certain advisors may earn commissions on insurance or investment product sales, creating potential conflicts of interest. However, the firm has a fiduciary duty to disclose these conflicts and always act in clients' best interests. 

Investment strategies are customized to each client’s goals, risk tolerance and time horizon, documented in an investment policy statement. TWS employs fundamental, technical and cyclical methods of analysis, using strategies ranging from long-term purchases to options and margin trading. Portfolios may include mutual funds, equities, fixed income securities, ETFs (including precious metals), real estate funds and options.