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Great Valley Advisor Group Review

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This review was produced by SmartAsset based on publicly available information. The named firm and its financial professionals have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed this review and are not responsible for its accuracy. Review content is produced by SmartAsset independently of any business relationships that might exist between SmartAsset and the named firm and its financial professionals, and firms and financial professionals having business relationships with SmartAsset receive no special treatment or consideration in SmartAsset’s reviews. This page contains links to SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool, which may or may not match you with the firm mentioned in this review or its financial professionals.

Financial advisor firm Great Valley Advisor Group, Inc. (GVA) is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. The firm has been in business for nearly 40 years, and it offers various advisory services to thousands of clients. The firm employs a large staff of advisors who manage billions of dollars in client assets under management (AUM).

As a fee-based firm, certain advisors at GVA can receive third-party compensation in addition to client-paid fees. A fee-only firm, on the other hand, earns only client-paid fees as income.

Great Valley Advisor Group Background 

Founded in 1986 by Alan Peters, GVA functions as a full-service registered investment advisor (RIA). Though based in Delaware, the firm also has three Pennsylvania offices: one in Chester Springs and two in Paoli. The firm is now equally owned by CEO Ryan C. Todd and chief operating officer (COO) James J. Spinelli.

GVA’s team includes two chartered financial consultants (ChFCs), two accredited investment fiduciaries (AIFs), one chartered life underwriter (CLU), one chartered financial analyst (CFA) and two certified public accountants (CPAs). 

Great Valley Advisor Group Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes

Non-high-net-worth individuals make up the majority of GVA’s client base, but the firm also advises high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans and profit-sharing plans.

The firm generally doesn’t impose a minimum account size requirement for new clients. The firm can set a minimum account value for each of its services that depend on the client and the scope of work being done.  

Services Offered by Great Valley Advisor Group

GVA offers its clients the following advisory services:

  • Portfolio management
  • Financial planning
    • Net worth calculation
    • Cash flow planning
    • Retirement planning
    • Estate planning
    • Income tax planning
    • Investment plannin
  • Educational seminars/workshops
  • Consulting services

Great Valley Advisor Group Investment Philosophy

GVA’s firm brochure says its investment approach is characterized by portfolio management tailored to the long-term goals of each client. In offering its clients investment recommendations, the firm utilizes in-house portfolio strategies. These include several options which are available in three categories: equity-only, ETF-only or blend. Here's a brief breakdown of each:

  • Anchor (very conservative): ETF and blended portfolio made up of 10% equity and 90% fixed-income
  • True North (conservative): ETF and blended portfolio made up of 25% equity and 75% fixed-income
  • Oasis (balanced): ETF and blended portfolio made up of 50% equity and 50% fixed-income
  • Windward (aggressive): ETF and blended portfolio made up of 75% equity and 25% fixed-income
  • Titan (very aggressive): ETF and blended portfolio made up of 90% equity and 10% fixed-income
  • Triumph: equity-only portfolio focused on large-cap stocks
  • Trident: equity-only portfolio focused on mid-cap stocks
  • Divided-Focused: equity-only portfolio focused on dividend stocks

Fees Under Great Valley Advisor Group

GVA primarily earns its compensation from asset-based fees, hourly charges and fixed fees. Fees are billed quarterly in advance or arrears, and fees vary for non-wrap fee and wrap fee arrangements. Non-wrap fee clients pay investment advisory fees ranging up to 2.50%.

Great Valley Advisor Group Fee Schedule
AUM Annual Fee
$0 – $500,000 2.50%
$500,001 – $1,000,000 2.25%
$1,000,000 – $3,000,000 2.00%
$3,000,001+ Negotiable

Below is an overview of about what you can expect to pay for advisory services at GVA:

*Estimated investment management fees do not include brokerage, custodial, third-party manager or other fees, which can vary in amount.
Estimated Investment Management Fees at Great Valley Advisor Group*
Your Assets Great Valley Advisor Group Fee Amounts
$500K $12,500
$1MM $22,500
$5MM Negotiable
$10MM Negotiable

For financial planning and/or consulting services, the firm charges a negotiable fixed fee ranging from $250 to $16,000. Clients requiring ongoing financial planning services generally pay a recurring fee up to $2,500 per year.

What to Watch Out For

Great Valley Advisor Group’s Form ADV doesn’t list any disclosures. 

Potential conflicts of interest can arise at GVA, as advisors here earn additional compensation from recommending and selling certain investment products and services. However, the firm’s fiduciary duty prevents advisors from favoring such products over client needs.

Opening an Account With Great Valley Advisor Group

GVA offers several different ways to get in touch. If you’re interested in setting up an account, you can email the firm or fill out its contact form on its website. You can also contact GVA at (302) 483-7200.

All information was accurate as of the writing of this article.

Tips for Investing

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How Long $1mm Lasts in Retirement

SmartAsset's interactive map highlights places where $1 million will last the longest in retirement. Zoom between states and the national map to see the top spots in each region. Also, scroll over any city to learn about the cost of living in retirement for that location.

Least
Most
Rank City Housing Expenses Food Expenses Healthcare Expenses Utilities Expenses Transportation Expenses

Methodology We analyzed data on average expenditures for seniors, cost of living and investment returns to determine how many years of retirement a $1 million nest egg would cover in cities across America.

First, we looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the average annual expenditures of seniors. We then applied cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to adjust those national average spending levels based on the costs of each expense category (housing, food, healthcare, utilities, transportation and other) in each city. Using this data, SmartAsset calculated the average cost of living for retirees in the largest U.S. cities.

We assumed the $1 million would grow at a real return (interest minus inflation) of 2%. Then, we divided $1 million by the sum of each of those annual numbers to determine how long $1 million would cover retirement expenses in each of the cities in our study. Cities where $1 million lasted the longest ranked the highest in the study.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Council for Community and Economic Research