V Wealth Advisors, LLC in Overland Park, Kansas, is a fee-based financial advisor that specializes in financial planning, investment management and services for retirement plans.
V Wealth Advisors Background
Managing partners Thomas Blumer and Brett Lange established V Wealth Advisors in 2009. Prior to 2016, the firm did business under the name V Wealth Management, LLC. Today, the firm is owned by a total of seven employees, including managing partners Daniel Cherra, Thomas Blumer and Brett Lange; wealth advisors Scott Connors, David Brozenic and Richard Meyer; and senior wealth advisor Tye Martin. Collectively, this group averages roughly 20 years’ experience in financial services.
The firm's employees have earned certifications including certified financial planner (CFP), certified retirement plans specialist (CRPS), chartered financial consultant (ChFC) and accredited investment fiduciary (AIF).
V Wealth Advisors is partnered with LPL Financial, one of the largest financial services companies and independent broker-dealers in the U.S. Some of the firm’s advisors are therefore registered representatives of LPL.
V Wealth Advisors Client Types and Minimum Account Sizes
Individuals and families are the most common client types at V Wealth Advisors, though the firm also works with trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, corporations and businesses.
Prospective clients of V Wealth Advisors are required to have $100,000 in investable assets to open an account. The firm reserves the right to adjust or waive the minimum.
Services Offered by V Wealth Advisors
V Wealth Advisors provides investment management and financial planning services. What makes V Wealth distinctive, though, are its services for retirement plans. Check out what the firm can offer you:
- Investment management
- Discretionary portfolio management
- Customized on a per client basis
- Portfolio monitoring and reporting
- Rebalances done as needed
- Third-party manager referral
- Complete manager oversight
- Personalized financial planning
- Education fund planning
- Retirement planning
- Risk management and insurance analysis
- Employee benefits planning
- Tax planning and minimization
- Estate planning
- Can be paired with investment advisory
- Identification of financial goals
- Analysis of financial data
- Written financial plan preparation
- Retirement plan services
- Discretionary and non-discretionary management
- Preparation of an investment policy statement (IPS)
- Liaison between plan providers, sponsors and vendors
- Ongoing investment management and recommendations
- Performance reports
- Plan participant enrollment and education
V Wealth Advisors Investment Philosophy
V Wealth states in its SEC-filed Form ADV that your initial consultation with your in-house advisor will determine what type of investment strategy is employed within your portfolio. The firm uses a variable system, though. So as your ultimate financial goals change, along with perhaps your risk tolerance, time horizon or income needs, communicate that to your advisor so he or she can shift your investments accordingly.
In order to accommodate the entirety of its client base, V Wealth Advisors uses a multitude of varied investment strategies. This list includes long- and short-term purchases, short sales, alternative investments, margin trading and covered options. When it comes to a specific asset allocation, your portfolio could contain stocks, mutual funds, warrants, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, certificates of deposit (CDs), U.S. government securities, options contracts, futures contracts and interests in partnerships.
Fees Under V Wealth Advisors
V Wealth Advisors charges an asset-based fee not to exceed 2.50%.
V Wealth Advisors' portfolio management fee is generally higher than the industry average, which is 0.95%, according to a 2018 study of 1,500 firms by RIA in a Box. Here is the estimated dollar amount you'd pay in advisory fees based on the size of your account:
There are a couple of extra charges that might be added onto your investment management fees at V Wealth Advisors:
- Report account aggregation: 0.10% annual fee
- Third-party investment manager usage: 0.15% - 1.25% annual fee
If you want a financial plan from V Wealth, you’ll pay either an hourly fee of up to $250 or a fixed fee of up to $15,000. Both rates are negotiable, like the aforementioned investment management services. All fees will be disclosed to you in your advisory agreement. These fees are predominantly charged in arrears, but you may need to pay up to half of them upfront.
Being that the retirement plan services at V Wealth are rather expansive, its fee schedule is equally wide open. In fact, the only exact rate the firm mentions is a negotiable annual fee of up to 1.50%. The firm charges these fees every quarter. Clients can have their fee deducted right from the plan, paid by plan sponsors or paid on behalf of the plan by an outside plan provider.
Check out the table below to see how V Wealth’s fees for its management services compare to those at similar financial advisor firms. Note that these fees are only estimates and actual costs may vary. Learn more about advisors' typical costs here.
What to Watch Out For
V Wealth Advisors has at least 1 disclosure listed on its Form ADV.
One other thing to note: some advisors at V Wealth Advisors are also independent insurance agents who earn sales commissions. This could pose a conflict of interest. That said, the firm has a fiduciary duty to act in clients’ best interests no matter what.
Opening an Account With V Wealth Advisors
Clients interested in V Wealth Advisors’ services can call the firm’s headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas, at (913) 827-4600. You can also email the firm at dara.summers@vwealth.com or download the firm's Apple and Android mobile apps for more information.
All information is accurate as of the writing of this article.
How to Access Investment Management
- If you’re new to investing or you don’t have the time to take care of your portfolio, financial advisors can help out. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
- Financial advisors offer many benefits, but the fees associated with them may not be cost effective if you're starting with a small balance. Robo-advisors provide cheaper, automated investment management that’s web-based. These programs use pre-built, diversified portfolio models that you choose based on your desired risk tolerance. Then, as your investments mature, robos usually rebalance your portfolio to maintain the strategy you selected.
