Top Financial Advisors in Marietta, GA

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Narwhal Capital Management is the top-rated firm in Marietta. The firm’s advisors work with a number of different clients, including non-high-net-worth individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations and businesses. The firm doesn’t impose an account minimum.

The firm has several credentialed advisors on staff, including chartered financial analysts (CFAs), certified public accountants (CPAs) and a certified financial planner (CFP).

Narwhal Capital is a fee-based firm, which means some of its advisors may earn commissions by selling insurance products to clients. While this is a potential conflict of interest, the firm and its advisors must always act in the best interests of clients at all times.

Narwhal Capital Management Background

Matthew D. Burton founded Narwhal Capital Management back in 2005. Today, he continues to serve as the firm’s president and principal owner. Burton has over 25 years of experience in various areas of the financial services industry. Vice president Andrew Hall and chief compliance officer Jonathan Hicks also own minority stakes in the business. 

This firm specializes in financial planning, including retirement planning, philanthropic advisement, insurance reviews, estate planning, among others. Narwhal also manages its own private fund called the Sailfish Fund, LLC. Traditional portfolio management services are usually offered on a discretionary basis, but the firm may also provide non-discretionary investment consulting to clients who desire a less extensive engagement. The firm also has accounting and tax preparation services.

Narwhal Capital Management Investment Strategy

Narwhal Capital Management uses factors specific to each client’s financial circumstances to drive the formulation of a unique investment strategy. These factors typically include the client’s overall financial objectives, timeline until retirement, relationship with risk, investment preferences and more. Based on these variables, the firm will put together an asset allocation that's designed to help you reach your goals.

The firm constructs portfolios that are diversified across several asset classes. To do this, it relies on investments such as individual stocks, corporate bonds, government securities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds. When deciding which specific securities to invest in, the firm utilizes fundamental, technical and cyclical methods of analysis.

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Marietta Wealth Management is one of the youngest firms on our list, having opened for business in 2015. As a fee-only firm, Marietta Wealth Management and its advisors do not earn any third-party compensation for selling securities or insurance products.

High-net-worth individuals make up more than half of the firm's client base, with the rest comprising non-high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, insurance companies, corporations and trusts. The firm maintains a $500,000 account minimum.

The team of advisors at Marietta Wealth Management includes certified financial planners (CFPs), chartered financial analysts (CFAs), certified public accountants (CPAs), among others.

Marietta Wealth Management Background

Marietta Wealth Management was co-founded in 2015 by managing principal Scott Keller and principals Benjamin Crowe, Wesley Hackney and Charles Holloway III. These four employees still own the firm to this day, while chief compliance officer Kurt Wachholz also owns a small stake. 

The firm specializes in asset management, financial planning and consulting for both individuals and retirement plans. Specific services include marital/divorce financial planning, insurance planning, real estate planning, retirement planning, estate planning, education fund planning, survivor/beneficiary planning and more.

Marietta Wealth Management Investment Strategy

Marietta Wealth Management has an in-house investment committee that governs the investment research and strategies at the firm. The committee makes general recommendations on investment vehicles and asset allocation plans. From there, your investment advisor will take those recommendations and tailor them to factors specific to you, such as your investment objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon and income needs.

With an asset allocation tailored to you, the firm will execute that plan by investing in securities like mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), separately managed accounts (SMAs), fixed-income instruments, real estate investment trusts (REITs), limited partnerships and individual equities. In some cases, the firm may also recommend that you roll over your employee retirement account assets into an IRA or cash it out.

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American Financial Advisors, LLC is the next firm on our list. It is fee-only and works exclusively with individual clients. The majority of these individuals come in below the high-net-worth threshold. The firm has multiple certified financial planners (CFPs) on staff, as well as one chartered financial analyst (CFA) and a certified merger and acquisition advisor (CM&AA).

Rather than institute a minimum investment requirement, this firm utilizes a minimum annual fee. More specifically, any portfolio management clients with less than $30,000 in assets under management will need to adhere to a $300 minimum fee.

American Financial Advisors Background

American Financial Advisors first opened its doors back in 2000. The firm has two primary owners: CEO Michael David Stark and member Patrick Francis Viglotti. This duo has over 60 years of combined experience in financial services. Andria Williams and Linda Viglotti also own minority interests in the business. 

The firm provides its clients with ongoing investment supervisory services, either through individual portfolio management or through model portfolios. Additionally, the firm offers financial planning, which typically touches on some combination of personal budgeting, financial goal-setting, tax planning, cash flow analysis, insurance planning, retirement planning, death and disability preparation and estate planning.

American Financial Advisors Investment Strategy

American Financial Advisors analyzes potential investments in a number of different ways, including reviewing fundamental financial documents, analyzing historical price data, tracking the management experience of fund managers and more. The firm doesn’t generally lean toward a long- or short-term perspective, as it instead bases its investment strategy on what makes the most sense for the client’s situation and timeline.

While the firm’s advisory recommendations aren’t limited to a set range of securities, it generally provides advice on the following investments:

• Exchange-listed securities
• Securities traded over-the-counter (OTC)
• Corporate debt securities (other than commercial paper)
• Certificates of deposit (CDs)
• Municipal securities
• Mutual fund shares
• Government securities
• Options contracts on securities

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Next on the list and ranking fourth is Yeomans Consulting Group, also known as Your Retirement Coach. The firm's client base includes individuals (both with and without a high net worth) and other investment advisors. Most of its clients are individuals below the high-net-worth cutoff. Yeomans Consulting Group employs several certified financial planners (CFPs) and certified estate planners (CEPs). 

As a fee-based firm, certain advisors here may earn commissions for overseeing securities transactions or selling clients insurance products. While this practice may create a potential conflict of interest, the firm and its advisors must always act in clients’ best interests. Yeomans Consulting Group typically imposes a $500,000 minimum account size but may waive this requirement. 

Yeomans Consulting Group Background

Yeomans Consulting Group began advising the people of Marietta back in 1995, making it the oldest practice on our list. The firm is principally owned by two individuals: CEO Randall J. Yeomans and president Nicholas B. Yeomans.

The firm divides its service offerings into six categories:

• Investment management services
• Selection of other advisers
• Financial planning and consulting services
• Investment consulting/portfolio monitoring services
• Consulting services to investment advisers and investment adviser representatives
• Succession and transition planning for business owners

Yeomans Consulting Group Investment Strategy

Yeomans Consulting Group formulates its investment recommendations by employing a few different methods of security analysis. These include charting, technical analysis and fundamental analysis. The firm manages accounts on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis, although most clients give the practice full authority to freely manage their portfolios and conduct transactions.

When working with Yeomans Consulting Group, keep in mind the firm may enroll you in the SEI Asset Allocation program, a third-party investment program. If so, the firm will allocate your assets across a series of SEI mutual funds that are managed by SIMC.

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Wiser Wealth Management is a fee-only firm that works mostly with individuals, around 80% of whom do not have a high net worth. The only institutional clients at the firm are pension and profit-sharing plans. There is no minimum account size requirement to become a client at Wiser Wealth Management.

Investment management fees at Wiser are based on a percentage of assets under management. Financial planning fees are charged hourly.

The team at the firm includes two certified financial planners (CFPs) and a certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA). 

Wiser Wealth Management Background

Wiser Wealth was founded in 2001 and is solely owned by president and principal Casey Tyler Smith.

Services offered at the firm include financial planning, investment management, estate planning, tax preparation, tax planning and retirement plan investment management.

Wiser Wealth Management Investment Strategy

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are the primary investments used to put together portfolios for clients. In some cases, the firm will agree to manage other assets like low cost-basis legacy holdings or existing variable annuity sub-accounts.

The firm's overarching investment philosophy is largely driven by asset allocation, which is in turn informed by modern portfolio theory and long-term capital market assumptions. As a result, the firm relies on model portfolios managed by an internal investment committee. These pre-built asset allocations employ two separate investment strategies: one focused on equities and another focused on fixed-income instruments. However, the firm will use a combination of the two strategies to fit the needs of individual clients. 

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Proactive Wealth Strategies is a fee-based advisory firm that works exclusively with individuals, families and trusts. The firm serves individual clients above and below the high-net-worth threshold. While the firm doesn't require a minimum account size, participation in third-party model portfolios through Proactive may require a minimum investment. 

The firm has one certified financial planner (CFP) on staff, but keep in mind that some advisors are also registered representatives of a broker-dealer and/or insurance agents. This means they can earn commissions when selling securities or insurance products to clients. While this creates a potential conflict of interest, the firm must always act in the client's best interests. 

Proactive Wealth Strategies Background

Proactive Wealth Strategies has been in business since 2005 when Cindy Derso and Craig Seligman founded the firm. Derso and Seligman remain the sole owners of the business and continue to work with clients. The duo has more than 42 years combined experience working as financial planners. 

The firm's services are geared toward helping clients in the following areas:

• Investment management
• Risk management
• Tax services
• Cash flow and cash management
• Estate planning and wealth transfer
• Retirement planning
• Philanthropic planning
• Family planning
• Life decision management
• Emotion management

Proactive Wealth Strategies Investment Strategy

Proactive Wealth Strategies generally uses a top-down approach to select investments. This typically involves drawing from a large universe of investments and then using performance-related factors to identify securities for either actively and passively managed portfolios. Keep in mind that the firm may alo place you in a model portfolio managed by a third party, if appropriate. 

Proactive Wealth Strategies primarily manages client accounts on a discretionary basis, meaning the firm doesn't need to get individual transactions approved by its clients. However, in some limited circumstances, Proactive may provide asset management services on a non-discretionary basis and consult with the client prior to implementing any investment recommendation.

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Nicholas Wealth Management is a fee-based advisory firm that serves individuals, with and without a high net worth, as well as charities. The firm does have a $250,000 account minimum, but it may waive this requirement under certain circumstances. 

Keep in mind that as a fee-based firm, some members of the Nicholas Wealth Management team may earn commissions when selling securities or insurance products. This poses a potential conflict of interest because advisors may have a financial incentive to recommend certain products over others. However, the firm and its advisors have a responsibility to act in their clients' best interests.

Nicholas Wealth Management has one advisor on staff who holds the certified public accountant (CPA) designation. 

Nicholas Wealth Management Background

David Nicholas founded the firm in 2016 and remains its principal owner. While its legal name is BluePath Capital, LLC, the firm conducts business as Nicholas Wealth Management. Nicholas, who earned a master’s degree in financial planning from the University of Georgia, has over 15 years of experience working as a financial advisor. 

Nicholas Wealth Management offers the following services:

• Porfolio management
  • Investment strategy
  • Personal investment policy
  • Asset allocation
  • Asset selection
  • Risk tolerance
  • Regular portfolio monitoring 
• Tax planning
• Income planning
  • Social Security maximization
  • Inflation protection
• Health care planning
  • Medicare Parts A, B and D 
  • Long-term care options
• Legacy planning

Nicholas Wealth Management

Nicholas Wealth Management relies on industry-standard methods of securities analysis, as well as both long- and short-term purchases. The firm evaluates the current investments of each client with respect to their risk tolerance levels and time horizon.

A client's portfolio may contain a wide variety of investments including:

• Mutual funds
• Fixed income securities
• Real estate funds (including REITs)
• Equities
• Hedge funds
• Private equity funds
• ETFs
• Treasury inflation-protected/inflation-linked bonds
• Commodities
• Non-U.S. securities
• Venture capital funds
• Private placements

Strickland Davis Advisors, formerly known as Investment Management Advisors, is the eighth firm on our list. The firm’s advisors work with a relatively small pool of clients that includes individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and businesses. The firm generally imposes a $250,000 account minimum.

Strickland Davis is a fee-based firm, which means some of its advisors may earn commissions by selling insurance products to clients. While this is a potential conflict of interest, the firm is still bound by fiduciary duty to always act in the best interests of its clients at all times.

Strickland Davis Advisors Background

Kendyl C. Strickland founded Strickland Davis Advisors back in 1998. Today, he continues to serve as the firm's sole principal owner. Chief compliance officer Wayne Davis is also listed as a minority owner in SEC records.  

This firm specializes in portfolio management and retirement plan services. Portfolio management services are usually offered on a discretionary basis, but the firm may also provide non-discretionary investment consulting to clients who desire a less extensive engagement. 

Strickland Davis Advisors Investment Strategy

Strickland Davis uses typically utilizes a mutual fund asset-allocation strategy for managing its clients' portfolios, offered through Savant Wealth Management. The firm may also invest in exchange-traded funds, as well as individual stocks and bonds. 

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Wickham Financial & Insurance Services is a fee-based advisory practice that's been in business for over two decades. The firm primarily serves individuals who don't have a high net worth but also works with some high-net-worth clients, pensions and other profit-sharing plans.

Wickham Financial & Insurance Services doesn't impose a minimum investment or account size. But as a fee-based practice, advisors may earn commissions when selling insurance products to clients. This can potentially lead to a conflict of interest because advisors have a financial incentive to recommend certain products over others. However, as an SEC-registered firm, Wickham Financial & Insurance Services has a fiduciary duty to always act in the client's best interests.

The firm doesn't have any advisors on staff with specialized financial certifications like the certified financial planner (CFP) or chartered financial analyst (CFA) designations.  

Wickham Financial & Insurance Services Background

While Wickham Financial & Insurance Services has been in business since 2000, it didn't officially become an investment advisor until 2020. President and chief compliance officer Graham Wickman is the firm's sole owner. 

The firm's services center around financial planning, investment management and retirement plan consulting. 

Wickham Financial & Insurance Services Investment Strategy

The firm relies on asset allocation strategies when constructing client portfolios. Asset allocation looks to balance risk versus reward by adjusting the percentage of money invested in different asset classes, like stocks, bonds and cash.

As a result, the firm may invest client assets into a mix of different equities, including value, dividend, growth and sector-specific stocks, as well as different types of bonds and cash equivalents. However, your advisor may also invest in hybrid instruments like convertible bonds and preferred stock, as well as alternative assets like commodities, precious metals, energy, real estate and collectibles.

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Incompass Financial Partners, another fee-based practice, is the youngest firm on our list of the top-rated advisors in Marietta. The firm works exclusively with individuals and high-net-worth individuals, providing financial planning and portfolio management services. The firm's website specifically references retirees, equity compensation employees and business owners as types of clients it works with. 

Incompass doesn't impose a minimum account size requirement, and as a result, works with more clients who are below the high-net-worth threshold than above it. However, the firm does employ advisors who earn commissions on the sale of securities or insurance products. Despite this conflict of interest, the firm and its advisors are obligated to act in your best interests. 

It's unclear whether Incompass has any advisors on staff who hold specialized financial credentials, like the certified public accountant (CPA) or chartered financial consultant (ChFC). 

Incompass Financial Partners Background

Incompass Financial Partners was founded in 2022, making it the youngest of the 10 firms on this list. Trevor Yochum is the sole owner of the practice, which offers specialized financial planning, investment management and retirement planning solutions. Incompass can also help clients with risk assessments, estate planning and financial decision-making. 

Incompass Financial Partners Investment Strategy

As Incompass notes in its Form ADV brochure, the firm's primary goal for investing is to help clients maintain purchasing power over the long term. As a result, time horizon and risk tolerance will determine what the proper asset allocation will be for each client. The firm may invest in a mix of cash, stocks, mutual funds, bonds and annuities.

While the firm offers non-discretionary management, all accounts are currently managed on a discretionary basis. This means the firm retains full control over client portfolios and can make changes without first consulting the client.