Top Financial Advisors in Lexington, KY

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MCF Advisors is a fee-based advisory firm that leads off our list of the top financial advisors in Lexington. The firm receives compensation primarily through asset-based and fixed fees, but some of its advisors are also licensed insurance agents and may earn commissions for insurance products. Despite the conflict of interest that sales commissions create, the firm has a fiduciary duty to act in its clients' best interests at all time. 

MCF works with a range of clients, including individuals, high-net-worth individuals, small businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable institutions, corporations and other organizations. The firm does not impose a strict account minimum, although clients with less than $500,000 in assets under management pay a higher advisory fee, and certain services, such as Envestnet platform accounts, require a $50 annual minimum fee.

The MCF team comprising a number of credentialed professionals, including Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®), Chartered Financial Analysts® (CFA®), certified public accountant (CPA), chartered retirement planning counselors (CRPC), among others. 

MCF provides a broad scope of services through both its wealth management and institutional divisions. Services include financial planning, investment management, retirement and pension consulting, selection and monitoring of outside managers, estate planning consultation, business advisory support, tax preparation and personal CFO and accounting services. The firm emphasizes customized planning and offers clients the option to engage services separately or in a comprehensive package.

Its investment approach focuses on tactical asset allocation, meaning portfolios are adjusted over time based on economic and market conditions rather than being left static. MCF diversifies across different asset types, including mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual stocks and bonds, and, for qualified clients, private funds or alternative investments. The aim is to balance growth with risk management while tailoring portfolios to each client’s goals and tolerance for risk.

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Keystone Financial Group, founded in 2015, manages nearly $2 billion in client assets. The firm has several other offices throughout Kentucky, in Louisville, Somerset, Ashland, Leitchfield and Mt. Sterling. The Lexington office has financial advisors on staff who hold the accredited asset management specialist (AAMSs) and Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designations. 

Minimum investment requirements range from as little as $5,000 for the firm's Guided Wealth Portfolios robo-advisor service to as much as $250,000 for its Personal Wealth Portfolios Program. Keystone is a fee-based practice that primarily serves individuals who do not have a high net worth. It also has charitable organizations, corporations and business entities as clients.

Toby Jenkins, Mike Kretz and Tim Jenkins founded Keystone in 2008. The three are equal partners and work as advisors for the firm. 

The firm sponsors a wrap-fee and non-wrap-fee asset management program using LPL Financial Corporation’s Strategic Wealth Management platform. The firm also offers financial planning services that may touch on retirement planning, estate planning, insurance reviews and tax planning. 

As a fee-based advisory practice, advisors can also earn commissions from selling insurance or securities, which creates potential conflicts of interest. However, the firm has a fiduciary duty to disclose these conflicts and always act in your best interests as the client. 

The practice uses charting, fundamental and technical methods of analysis. The firm states in its Form ADV Part 2A (firm brochure) that “it is not our typical investment strategy to attempt to time the market, but we may increase cash holdings modestly as deemed appropriate based on your risk tolerance and our expectations of market behavior.” 

Keystone primarily invests in exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, equities, fixed-income securities and alternative investments. The firm emphasizes long-term investing, strategic allocation and diversification as core principles of its portfolio construction.

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Ballast, founded in 2010, is a fee-based advisory firm. Its advisors may receive both advisory fees and commissions from insurance sales, which creates potential conflicts of interest. However, the firm's fiduciary duty requires it to act in clients best interests. Ballast serves individuals, families, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, businesses, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and 529 plans. The firm does not require a minimum account size, and its planning and consulting fees are negotiated based on complexity and scope.

Services include customized investment management, retirement plan consulting, financial planning and business consulting. Its planning services address a wide range of needs, including retirement, education savings, insurance reviews, and estate and legacy planning.

John Boardman founded the firm’s predecessor, Boardman Wealth Planning, in 2005. The firm has multiple Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®) and certified private wealth advisors (CPWA) on staff, among other credentialed professionals.  

The firm’s investment philosophy emphasizes long-term strategies, diversification and alignment with each client’s goals and risk tolerance. Portfolios may include mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks and bonds, options and alternative investments such as real estate investment trusts (REITs) or limited partnerships for qualified investors. Ballast applies both fundamental and technical analysis in evaluating investments and may make shorter-term adjustments based on client needs or market conditions.

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Founded in 1995, D. Scott Neal (DSN) is the second-oldest advisory practice on this list after Moneywatch Advisors. The firm offers investment management, financial planning and consulting services to clients across the U.S. The firm doesn't have any minimum asset requirements. 

Typical clients include individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations and trusts. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. acquired DSN in its entirety on March 31, 2025. 

The DSN team features Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®) and certified public accountants (CPA). 

DSN’s investment philosophy emphasizes flexibility and adaptability to changing economic and market conditions. The firm constructs investment strategies tailored to each client’s risk profile and goals, using mutual funds, ETFs, individual equities, U.S. Treasury securities, investment-grade corporate bonds and certificates of deposit.

The firm offers four primary investment strategies: Traditional (diversified asset allocation), Select (stock selection blended with fixed income), Market Stability (adjusting exposure based on market volatility) and Fixed Income (income and principal stability through bonds). Portfolios may use long-term, short-term or trading approaches depending on client needs.

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Founded in 1980, Moneywatch Advisors is the oldest firm on our list. The client base of this fee-only practice is made up entirely of individual clients below the high-net-worth mark. While Moneywatch does not have a minimum account size, the firm does charge a minimum quarterly fee of $250.

The firm provides ongoing investment management and financial planning. Services include retirement and education funding, estate and trust planning, banking and credit guidance, and advice on a wide range of assets such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, annuities, real estate and stock options. Each client receives a tailored plan based on income needs, preservation of capital and growth objectives.

The Moneywatch team includes several Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®).

Its investment philosophy emphasizes long-term management over short-term trading. Portfolios typically balance income-oriented investments like bonds, CDs and annuities with growth investments, such as equities and equity funds. The firm uses fundamental analysis supported by research tools, and reviews portfolios quarterly to rebalance when necessary.

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Investments & Financial Planning is a fee-based firm providing a range of advisory services to both individuals and charitable organizations.

As a fee-based firm, Investments & Financial Planning charges asset-based and fixed financial planning fees, but its advisors are also licensed insurance agents who may earn commissions on insurance product sales. Despite the conflict of interest that commission-based compensation creates, the firm has a fiduciary duty to act in your best interests. 

The firm has no set account minimum. Certain members of its team hold professional designations such as Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), certified fund specialist (CFS), chartered financial consultant (ChFC) and retirement income certified professional (RICP). (Advisors may hold more than one designation.)

Founded in 2012, the firm offers portfolio management and financial planning to its clients. Investments & Financial Planning also offers a wrap fee program, which bundles advisory fees and brokerage charges into a consolidated fee.  Financial planning may cover areas such as retirement, tax and cash flow, estate considerations and insurance analysis. Assets are often managed through American Funds or custodians like Schwab, Fidelity or TIAA-CREF. The firm also uses a third-party platform to manage held-away accounts, including workplace retirement plans.

The firm primarily invests in mutual funds, ETFs and money market funds, but may advise on other securities as appropriate. Investment strategies incorporate technical and fundamental analysis, along with both long-term and short-term purchase approaches. Portfolios are tailored to client objectives, risk tolerance and financial situation.

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Paragon Private Wealth Management is another fee-based firm that serves individuals and high-net-worth individuals. However, the practice is also open to working with charitable organizations, government entities, corporations and other businesses. In terms of high-net-worth individuals, the firm also markets its services to professional athletes.

The firm doesn't have a minimum requirement to open an account, although it reserves the right to terminate accounts. 

Founded in 2021, Paragon Private Wealth Management is the youngest firm on our Lexington list. The firm has two Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®) on staff, one of whom is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). However, several advisors  can earn commissions for selling advisory clients insurance in their separate capacities as licensed insurance agents. This compensation is in addition to standard advisory fees that clients pay, giving them a financial incentive to make certain recommendations. While this is a conflict of interest, the firm has a fiduciary duty to act in the clients' best interests.

The firm offers clients a broad range of financial planning and consulting services, which include any or all of the following functions: business planning, cash flow analysis, estate planning, insurance planning, retirement planning, bill paying, tax planning investment reporting on alternatives and education planning.

The firm pairs fundamental analysis with an asset allocation strategy that is based on a derivative of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT). According to the firm, when using this strategy, the process "typically involves an analysis of an issuer’s management team, investment strategies, style drift, past performance, reputation and financial strength in relation to the asset class concentrations and risk exposures of the firm’s model asset allocations."

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Alpha Financial Partners is a fee-based firm providing a range of advisory services to individuals and high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, estates and retirement plans. 

As a fee-based firm, certain advisors on staff may sell insurance or securities on a commission basis, which creates a conflict of interest. Like the other fee-based practices on this list, the firm is obligated to act in clients' best interests, however.

The firm has no set account minimum, but it does require a minimum quarterly fee of $250 to maintain an advisory relationship. Certain members of its team hold professional designations such as Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), accredited wealth management advisor (AWMA), certified exit planning advisor (CEPA) and chartered retirement plans specialist (CRPS). (Advisors may hold more than one designation.)

Alpha Financial Partners was founded in 2019 and also became a registered investment advisor (RIA) in the same year. The firm applies investment analyses such as fundamental analysis and technical analysis. When putting together a client's portfolio, the firm may invest in mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks and bonds, as well as options, leveraged and inverse ETFs, as well as private investments. epending on clients' goals and other fundamental factors.

In terms of investment strategies, it generally uses long-term purchases. It may hold securities for shorter time periods in order to rebalance a portfolio or meet clients' cash needs. The firm may buy and sell positions that are more short-term dThe firm offers investment management through wrap fee programs. 

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Invest Inc. is a fee-only firm that's been in business for nearly three decades. The firm currently works solely with individuals who fall below the high-net-worth threshold. However, Invest Inc. is open to serving corporations and businesses, as well. 

Founded in 1996 by John D. Thompson, Invest Inc. does not impose a minimum account size requirement. The firm's services center on portfolio management, investment advice and financial planning, which can extend to areas such as taxation, estate planning and trust services.

Invest Inc.'s small team of advisors features both Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®) and certified public accountants (CPA).

The firm's primary investment strategy is strategic asset allocation using mutual funds. According to Invest Inc. it means that they rely on actively managed funds that offer greater opportunities for achieving an investment rate of return while also diversifying risk. Portfolios are globally diversified to control the risk associated with traditional markets.

Invest Inc. also utilizes security analysis methods that can include charting, fundamental analysis, technical analysis and cyclical analysis. The purpose of charting analysis is to provide a way of gathering and processing price and volume information of a particular security by applying mathematical equations and then plotting the resulting data onto graphs in order to predict future price movements. 

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Formed in 2016, Wallace Hart Capital Management rounds out our list of the top financial advisors in Lexington. This fee-only practice offers investment management and financial planning services, and also manages two private investment funds. With a relatively small team of advisors, Wallace Hart Capital Management is open to working with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, families, foundations and corporations.

For separately managed accounts, there is no stated minimum, though the firm charges a tiered annual fee between 1.75% and 1.00% of assets depending on custodial arrangement and account size. For pooled investment vehicles, the minimum is typically $500,000.

Jeremy Wallace, chief investment officer, and Andrew Hart, chief planning strategist, founded the firm and still own the company. They’re both Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®) and have backgrounds working for large companies such as UBS Financial Services, Merrill Lynch and World Bank Credit Union. 

The Wallace Hart Capital Management investment philosophy centers on tailoring strategies to each client’s goals and risk profile. The firm primarily invests in mutual funds, ETFs, common stock, fixed income, and occasionally foreign securities. Methods include fundamental analysis and a mix of long-term and short-term purchases, with the use of margin, options and short sales where appropriate. Overall, portfolios are built with diversification in mind but remain subject to market and security-specific risks.