Top Financial Advisors in Fort Wayne, IN

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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 Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF), chartered financial consultant (ChFC) and chartered life underwriter (CLU) designations.

However, some advisors on staff may earn commissions when selling insurance in their separate capacities as insurance agents. While this is 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 Background

Richard Phillips is the majority owner, founder and CEO of Phillips Financial. He’s worked in financial services since 1979 and is a CFP®. Shannon Hardiek owns the second-largest number of company shares and is the firm’s CFO. Hardiek also works as a financial advisor.  

This fee-based firm offers financial planning, asset management, insurance management, retirement planning assistance and more.

Phillips Financial Investment Strategy

When you become a client, one of the first things you’ll do is answer a risk tolerance questionnaire. You’ll also discuss your current financial situation as well as your financial goals and objectives. You and your advisor will select a model portfolio that makes the most sense for your needs and your money will be invested. 

Your advisor can make adjustments to the model portfolio to more closely align with your objectives, if necessary. In general, Phillips Financial uses mutual funds and ETFs for portfolios. In some cases, individual stocks and bonds may be bought or sold, but for the majority of clients, the firm “follows an investment philosophy of passive investing,” according to paperwork filed with the SEC.

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Formed in 2017, Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors is the second youngest firm 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), 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 Personal Wealth Advisors Background

Vestia formed as an SEC-registered advisor in 2017. It’s a subsidiary of Vestia Holdings, LLC. Shares of this parent company are owned by eight holding companies, as well as other minority shareholders.

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. 

Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors Investment Strategy

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.

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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®) designation and others with the accredited fiduciary advisor (AIF) and other certifications.  

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 Background

Wealth Advisors Group has been in business since 1991. Mark VanderHagen, Patrick O’Connell, Joseph Dewald, Alex Budzon and Christopher Slyby own the firm. Vanderhagen serves as majority shareholder. He is a CFP®, AIF and has worked in the financial industry for more than 30 years. 

Clients are offered the following services: financial planning, investment management and wrap fee programs, estate planning, tax planning and risk management.

Wealth Advisors Group Investment Strategy

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. According to the firm, their investment strategy allows them to decrease portfolio risk when the firm deems the corresponding expected returns to be insufficient given the level of risk and vice versa. In the firm's investment process, they look at a wider net of investment opportunities beyond stocks and bonds.

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Howard Bailey Securities is a fee-based firm providing several types of wealth management and asset management services to its clients. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth individuals and corporate pension and profit-sharing plans.

Howard Bailey’s staff of advisors includes advisory certifications such as Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), retirement income certified professional (RICP), chartered life underwriter (CLU) and more.

For its advisory services, this firm charges asset-based fees, hourly fees and fixed fees. As a fee-based firm, advisors can receive commissions from selling financial products. However, as a fiduciary, the firm is legally obligated to act in the best interests of clients.

Howard Bailey Securities Background

Founded in 2016, Howard Bailey provides portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, selection of other advisors and sub-advisory services. Casey B. Weade owns the firm and serves as CEO. The firm became an SEC-registered investment advisor in 2019, after previously being registered with a number of individual states.

Howard Bailey Securities Investment Strategy

Howard Bailey forms its investment management decisions through modern portfolio theory (MPT), fundamental analysis and technical analysis. The firm says in its brochure that it performs its analysis by using resources like Morningstar, financial newspapers and magazines, annual reports and company press releases and websites.

Howard Bailey’s engages in long-term purchases, short-term purchases and trading. Portfolios are built using mutual funds, stocks, bonds and other assets. 

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Galecki Financial Management is a fee-only firm whose advisors do not receive compensation from selling you insurance products or mutual funds or other products. 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. 

Galecki Financial Management Background

Founded in 1990, Galecki Financial Management has several main shareholders: Albert Kohout, Brady McArdle, Melanie Colwell, Kevin Chandler, Andrew Young and Chloe Blythe. All are Certified Financial Planners (CFPs®). Colwell is a certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA), while Young also has the certified public accountant/personal financial specialist (CPA/PFS) designation. 

Galecki's suite of services includes asset management, retirement plan consulting and financial planning, which may touch on tax planning, estate planning and other areas of need. 

Galecki Financial Management Investment Strategy

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.

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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 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 Capital Management Background

Monarch has three owners: David Meyer, John D. Meyer and Katherine K. Moenter. David Meyer has more than 50 years of financial services experience and has a master’s degree from Ball State University. John Meyer has over 25 years of experience and previously worked at Salomon Smith Barney and Frye-Louis Capital Management before joining the firm. Moenter runs foundation services.

The firm’s additional employees have credentials ranging from a doctorate from MIT to an MBA.

Monarch Capital Management Investment Strategy

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.

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MariPau Wealth Management, also known as Collier Financial, is the youngest firm on our list, having been founded in 2020. The firm works exclusively with individuals both with and without a high net worth, although the vast majority of clients are 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.

MariPau Wealth Management Background 

Founded in 2020, MariPu's principal owners are Caleb Collier, Benjamin Collier and Jonah Collier. The firm is an independent advisor that is registered with the SEC. 

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. 

MariPau Wealth Management Investment Strategy

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, exchange-traded funds, structured notes, individual debt and equity securities, insurance products, cash and cash equivalents.

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Dickmeyer Boyce Financial Management, a fee-only firm, is up next 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 Background 

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 pairs assets management services with comprehensive financial planning. However, the firm also offers standalone asset management, financial planning and retirement plan advisory services. 

Dickmeyer Boyce Investment Strategy

Unlike several firms on our list, Dickmeyer Boyce takes a more 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 political catastrophes.” 

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.

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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 ask in your best interest. 

Compass has an office in Fort Wayne and one Chesterton, Indiana. 

Compass Financial Advisors Background

The firm was founded in 1998 and received its SEC registration that year, making it one of the older practices on our list. Compass has several owners: Cliff Malings, James Bobos, David Fought and Lynn Fisel. It primarily works with clients to provide asset management services and financial planning services.

Compass Financial Advisors Investment Strategy

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 uses stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, private placements and convertible securities when building your portfolio.