Finding a Top Financial Advisor Firm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Financial advisor help their clients with a wide range of financial services, including investment management and financial planning. If you're looking for an advisor in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, SmartAsset created the list to help you pick a financial advisor that best aligns with your needs. You can also use SmartAsset's free advisor matching tool to get connected with advisors who serve your area.
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We match nearly 50,000 people with financial advisors per month. Get connected to an advisor that serves your area today.| Rank | Financial Advisor | Assets Managed | Minimum Assets | Financial Services | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johnson Wealth Inc.  Find an Advisor | $9,109,318,040 | $1,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$1,000,000Financial Services
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| 2 | Diversified Management, Inc.  Find an Advisor | $1,691,445,557 | $500,000 |
| Minimum Assets$500,000Financial Services
|
| 3 | Operose Advisors LLC Find an Advisor | $1,596,142,434 | $300,000 |
| Minimum Assets$300,000Financial Services
|
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| 4 | 1834 Investment Advisors Co.  Find an Advisor | $1,034,664,175 | $500,000 |
| Minimum Assets$500,000Financial Services
|
| 5 | Oarsman Capital, Inc  Find an Advisor | $926,809,806 | $100,000 |
| Minimum Assets$100,000Financial Services
|
| 6 | Riverwater Partners LLC  Find an Advisor | $600,209,973 | $1,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$1,000,000Financial Services
|
| 7 | The Milwealth Group, LLC  Find an Advisor | $435,783,988 | None |
| Minimum AssetsNoneFinancial Services
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| 8 | 1492 Capital Management, LLC  Find an Advisor | $220,388,507 | None |
| Minimum AssetsNoneFinancial Services
|
| 9 | Transcend Advisor Group, LLC  Find an Advisor | $206,601,562 | $80,000 |
| Minimum Assets$80,000Financial Services
|
What We Use in Our Methodology
To find the top financial advisors in Milwaukee, we first identified all firms registered with the SEC in the city. Next, we filtered out firms that don't offer financial planning services, those that don't serve primarily individual clients and those that have disclosures on their record. The qualifying firms were then ranked according to the following criteria:
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AUMFirms with more total assets under management are ranked higher. -
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Individual Client CountFirms who serve more individual clients (as opposed to institutional clients) are ranked higher. -
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Clients Per AdvisorFirms with a lower ratio of clients per financial advisor are ranked higher. -
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Age of FirmFirms that have been in business longer are ranked higher.
All information is obtained through public records and is updated annually after the firms’ form ADV filing. This list may include firms that have a business relationship with SmartAsset, in which SmartAsset is compensated for lead referrals. Such relationships have no impact on our rankings, and firms are included and ranked based strictly on the above criteria. SmartAsset is not a client of the aforementioned firms, and did not receive compensation for including any of the firms on the aforementioned list.
Johnson Wealth, Inc.
Johnson Wealth leads off our list of the top financial advisor firms in Milwaukee. The firm has more assets under management than any other practice on this list. It generally recommends minimum investable assets of $1 million but will set up a separately managed account with $200,000. Johnson Wealth is a fee-based firm, and certain advisors may earn commissions from selling insurance products. However, the firm has a fiduciary duty always to act in its client's best interests.
It provides its services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, government entities, other investment advisors, corporations and businesses. One of Johnson's differentiating factors is its airline pilot program, not seen elsewhere on this list. Members in the MyJFG Pilot Program can get help with wealth management and retirement planning.
Johnson Wealth offers clients investment management, on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis, as well as pre-retirement services and financial planning.
Discretionary accounts are typically assigned to a portfolio model, and trades are executed en masse when there is a strategy change. Alternatively, you can have a portfolio manager oversee your account. The firm may invest discretionary accounts in mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), common stocks, fixed-income securities and non-traditional (complementary or alternative) investment vehicles. It may also retain a third-party money manager.
For accounts managed on a non-discretionary basis, the firm uses a third-party technology platform that provides due diligence and a curated menu of private equity, private credit and hedge fund investment opportunities. These opportunities are offered to certain high-net-worth and business clients.
Diversified Management, Inc.
Diversified Management is a fee-only firm whose client base is made up of individuals, high-net-worth individuals and charitable organizations. As a fee-only practice, advisors' compensation comes only from client fees, not from sales commissions paid by third parties.
Most of the firm's clients have high net worths, which is defined as having at least $1 million in investable assets. While Diversified Management requires a minimum account size of $500,000, the firm caters to clients with fewer assets through Cream City Investment Services.
Diversified Management provides investment advisory, financial planning, and income tax services. Individual services include cash flow management, retirement planning, analysis of executive benefits, charitable giving strategies, estate planning, analysis of education funding alternatives, life insurance sufficiency analysis, investment management, tax planning and income tax return preparation.
Diversified Management will consider your full financial picture before designing your investment portfolio. Your asset allocation will be based on your risk tolerance, cash flow needs, financial goals, time horizon and current assets.
The firm primarily uses fundamental analysis to evaluate securities. This entails using economic and company-specific data to evaluate an investment. The company also uses Morningstar Advisor Workstation and Charles Schwab Advisor Services for information. As for asset classes, the firm typically recommends no-load mutual funds, which it believes are the most effective way to obtain exposure to exquity markets.
Operose Advisors
Operose Advisors is a Milwaukee-based advisory firm that has a $300,000 minimum account size to open an account. The firm works with family offices, individuals, families, trusts and closely held businesses. As a fee-based firm, there is a potential conflict of interest. The firm's advisors may get paid for the sale of certain securities. However, the firm and its advisors are required to put the client's best interest first.
The firm believes in selecting investments and allocating capital in a patient and differentiated manner as well as in a way that achieves the individual client's goals. This disciplined approach allows Operose to understand each client’s unique investment needs and risk tolerance to construct portfolios that are based on desired outcomes, clear objectives and liquidity requirements.
1834 Investment Advisors
1834 Investment Advisors is a fee-based advisory firm that offers investment advisory services to high-net-worth individuals and institutions. Types of clients include individuals, retirement plans and accounts, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations and business entities. There is a minimum account size requirement of $500,000 to work with the firm. The firm can waive the minimum requirement at its discretion.
1834 measures a client’s goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon through an interview process in an effort to determine a plan/portfolio to best fit the client’s profile resulting in the IPS. Investment strategies may be based upon a number of concepts and determined by the type of investor. Investment strategies may include long-term and short-term purchases depending upon the individual needs of the client.
Oarsman Capital, Inc
Oarsman Capital is a fee-only firm that mainly caters to individual clients both with and without a high net worth. The firm has an investment minimum of $100,000, and the majority of its clients do not have a high net worth. Oarsman Capital also works with pensions, profit-sharing plans and charitable organizations.
The firm's compensation comes solely from the fees that clients pay for advisory services, not third-party commissions. Those fees are charged as a percentage of a client's assets under management. As for services, Oarsman Capital focuses on investment management, mutual fund/exchange-traded fund portfolios and retirement plan advisory services.
Oarsman Capital builds and manages portfolios for clients that comprise common stocks, debt securities, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds/notes, stock options and cash equivalents. In identifying potentially attractive common stocks to purchase, the firm seeks established companies that possess proprietary products and/or services, track records of consistent earnings growth, financial strength, and experienced management, as well as well articulated strategies for future growth. Portfolio turnover is typically low, as advisors look to hold assets for an extended period of time.
Riverwater Partners LLC
Riverwater Partners, a socially responsible investment advisory firm, provides services to individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations and other business entities. With an investment of $1 million, many of its individual clients have a high net worth. The firm may waive the account minimum at its discretion though.
The services the practice offers are financial planning, consulting and discretionary investment management services. The firm states that it has a dedication to environmental, social and governance (ESG), which allows advisors to align each investor's investments with their specific values.
Riverwater Partners will design and implement a portfolio based on the client's profile and goals. The asset management team actively manages three distinct separate account equity strategies: large-cap, small- to mid-cap and micro-cap. Each strategy typically invests in between 20 and 35 stocks. When evaluating investments, the firm uses charting, fundamental, technical and cyclical methods of analysis.
The Milwealth Group
The MilWealth Group is a fee-only firm that is one of the top three most experienced firms on this list. The firm offers investment management, primarily in ETFs and mutual funds for our clients. This primary service at the firm is offered on a discretionary ongoing basis and its advisors offer a comprehensive financial planning approach. The firm primarily works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals and corporations.
The fees at the firm for investment advisory services is charged based on the assets under management (AUM) invested with the firm. The fees are calculated using security prices proviced by the client's custodian. Fees often range from 0.25% to 1.20%.
The firm makes specific investment recommendations utilizing the investment theory of asset allocation. The firm pushes for well-diverisifed portfolios but works with each individual client to find the right strategy and overall investment strategy for that client. To help make investment decisions the firm uses sources that include financial newspapers and magazines, research subscriptions, annual reports, prospectuses, public filings and company press releases and fund company notifications.
1492 Capital Management
1492 Capital Management is a fee-only firm that primarily works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and corporations or other businesses. The services offered at the firm focuses on portfolio management and wealth management. The firm also offers a variety of small cap stragegies for a variety of needs and types of clients.
Fees at the firm are often charged as a percentage of assets under management (AUM) invested with its advisors. The fee will differ depending on teh type of strategy and how the assets might be invested. These fees often range from 0.80% to 1.95%.
1492 Capital Management often uses a variety of methods of analysis and investment strategies for its clients. Some investment strategies include long-term purchases and short-term purchases. The firm will work with each individual client to determine long-term needs and choose the right investment strategy for that client.
Transcend Advisor Group
Transcend Advisor Group is a fee-only advisory firm that offers financial planning, wealth transfer and tax planning services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients. There is a minimum account size of $80,000 to obtain services but this requirement can be waived at the discretion of the firm. As a fee-only firm, there is no potential conflict of interest with the sale of any securities.
Transcend Advisor Group may use short-term trading, short sales for hedging purposes, margin transactions, and options writing (limited to covered options, or spreading strategies). The firm may employ a breadth of strategies from longer-term/strategic approaches, to more short- to intermediate-term/tactical approaches, as matched to client goals and objectives.
