Finding a Top Financial Advisor Firm in Virginia Beach, Virginia
You want to carefully consider all your options before choosing a financial advisor. After all, it’s your retirement and investment future that’s at stake. To make it easier, we gathered the top advisors in Virginia Beach, Virginia and researched each business. Below we give you details on the firms that made the cut. You can also try SmartAsset's free financial advisor matching tool, which can pair you with as many as three advisors who serve your area.
Find a Fiduciary Financial Advisor
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 | Financial Security Advisory, Inc.  Find an Advisor | $1,743,248,795 | No set account minimum |
| Minimum AssetsNo set account minimumFinancial Services
|
| 2 | Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors, Inc.  Find an Advisor | $608,304,013 | $250,000 |
| Minimum Assets$250,000Financial Services
|
| 3 | Gratus Capital, LLC  Find an Advisor | $1,608,511,971 | $500,000 |
| Minimum Assets$500,000 Financial Services
|
Let us help match you with up to three vetted fiduciary financial advisors.Answer a few questions to get matched. | |||||
| 4 | Compton Wealth Advisory Group, LLC  Find an Advisor | $800,333,362 | No set account minimum |
| Minimum AssetsNo set account minimumFinancial Services
|
| 5 | Bellars Harris Wealth Management  Find an Advisor | $505,382,390 | None |
| Minimum AssetsNoneFinancial Services
|
| 6 | Apforia LTD  Find an Advisor | $101,914,296 | N/A |
| Minimum AssetsN/AFinancial Services
|
| 7 | October Effect Ltd  Find an Advisor | $138,936,260 | Varies |
| Minimum AssetsVariesFinancial Services
|
| 8 | Forefront Asset Management, LLC  Find an Advisor | $136,948,016 | None |
| Minimum AssetsNoneFinancial Services
|
| 9 | Wealthrak Advisors  Find an Advisor | $164,611,682 | $100,000 |
| Minimum Assets$100,000Financial Services
|
| 10 | Bay Capital Advisors, LLC  Find an Advisor | $228,283,850 | $1,000,000 |
| Minimum Assets$1,000,000Financial Services
|
What We Use in Our Methodology
To find the top financial advisors in Virginia Beach, 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:
-
![]()
AUMFirms with more total assets under management are ranked higher. -
![]()
Individual Client CountFirms who serve more individual clients (as opposed to institutional clients) are ranked higher. -
![]()
Clients Per AdvisorFirms with a lower ratio of clients per financial advisor are ranked higher. -
![]()
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.
Financial Security Advisory
Financial Security Advisory tops our list and is a fee-based firm. Clients can choose from financial planning and investment strategies. While there isn’t an asset minimum requirement, clients are subject to a $1,200 minimum annual fee.
The firm's clients are primarily individuals who don't have a high net worth. It also serves high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and corporations or business entities.
Similar to many financial advisor firms, Financial Security Advisory believes in asset allocation as a bedrock of its investment strategy. Advisors try to find the right mix of securities, fixed income and cash to suit a client's investment objectives, risk tolerance, time horizon and cash flow needs.
Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors
Beacon Harbor Wealth Advisors, the next firm on our list, works almost exclusively with individuals, and most of those individuals do not have a high net worth. It also works with charities and businesses. The firm has a $250,000 minimum account size requirement, but Beacon Harbor says it can accept clients under that requirement.
Beacon Harbor provides its clients with investment management and financial planning services. Its financial planning services include a wide range of focuses that includes business planning, estate planning, investment analsyis, retirement planning, tax planning and risk management.
Advisors at Beacon Harbor use fundamental, technical, charting and cyclical analysis to help inform their investment decisions. They also use a combination of active and passive management techniques. The firm may also use unaffiliated investment managers to help build client portfolios.
Beacon Harbor, like many other firms, tailors its investment strategies based on each of its clients. Advisors work with clients to determine an overall financial profil, taking into account risk tolerance, financial goals, investment history, time horizon and any other relevant information.
Gratus Capital
Gratus Wealth Advisors financial planning, investment advisory, retirement plan consulting and more services to a variety of clients. The types of clients the firm works with includes individuals, high-net-worth individuals, non-profit organizations, corporations and other business entities. The firm requires one of the largest minimum investments on the list at $1,000,000. However, this can be waived with a minimum quarterly fee paid of $2,500.
The firm charges a negotiable fee based on the total number of assets under management (AUM) invested at the firm. While that fee may vary, the firm's Form ADV points out that it will not exceed 1.35% of the annaul amount of AUM invested. Annual ongoing fees will not exceed $50,000 while hourly fees can vary up to $500.
While the firm looks to work direclty with teh needs of each individual client, its advisors use a variety of methods of analysis and investment strategies. These may include fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, long-term investment strategy and short-term strategy.
Compton Wealth Advisory Group
Compton Wealth Advisory Group provides investment management services to both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as charities and corporations. While the firm does not impose a minimum account size requirement, third-party investment managers may impose their own requirements.
Services offered by the firm include financial planning and investment advisory and management services. Financial planning services cover topics including retirement, education funding, insurance and estate planning.
Compton Wealth Advisory Group starts the process by holding an initial meeting with each prospective client. During this meeting, the firm explains its services and both its own responsibilities and those of client. If both parties decide to proceed, the firm will then learn more about the client's financial situation and help the client to define his or her goals, objectives and risk tolerance. This will include retirement goals, income needs, education funding, family legacy or estate planning, charitable gifting, tax considerations and risk tolerance.
Compton will then determine appropriate investment strategies based on the above information. Once it has the client's approval, it will implement its plan. The firm meets regularly with clients to discuss progress and also provides quarterly account statements through Schwab.
Bellars Harris Wealth Management
Bellars Harris Wealth Management is a fee-based advisory firm that works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, families, retirees, business owners, trusts, estates and qualified retirement plans, including 401(k) plans. The firm does not impose a minimum portfolio size or minimum initial investment to open an account.
Services offered by the firm include investment management, financial planning and consulting, estate planning coordination, retirement plan advisory services and selection of outside money managers. Its financial planning services may cover topics such as retirement, education, estate, cash flow, tax and insurance planning.
Bellars Harris generally uses fundamental analysis to help inform its investment decisions. The firm may draw on third-party research, company reports, prospectuses and press releases.
The firm typically takes a long-term investment approach based on each client’s goals, though short-term trading may be used in certain circumstances. Portfolios may include equities, mutual funds, ETFs, corporate bonds, municipal bonds, U.S. government securities, REITs, variable annuities, alternative investments, closed-end funds and structured notes.
Apforia
Apforia is a fee-only firm that has the lowest amount of assets under management (AUM) on our list. The firm offers investment management services, comprehensive financial planning and project-based financial planning services to individuals and high-net-worth indviduals.
The fee for investment management services depends on the amount of assets under management invested with the firm. This fee is a percentage of the total AUM, paid annually, and ranges from 0.25% to 2.00%. Some services may require a $1,200 onboarding fee. Other services outside of investment management may require a flat fee that depends on the service, but the firm does not typically receive a performance-based fee.
The firm uses a variety of analysis methods to choose investments for each individual client. Some examples include the Modern Portfolio Theory, quantitative analysis and fundamental analysis.
October Effect Ltd
October Effect is a Virginia Beach-based, fee-based advisory firm that began offering investment advisory services in 2015. The firm works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals and qualified retirement plans, including 401(k), 403(b), pension, profit-sharing, cash balance and deferred compensation plans. Advisors at the firm include professionals with credentials such as CFP®, CLU®, CRPC® and CTP designations.
Services offered by the firm include discretionary asset management, financial planning and consulting, retirement plan services and access to third-party asset management programs. The firm also offers co-advisory services through Flexible Plan Investments and ERISA plan services. Financial planning services may address investment planning, risk management, estate planning, financial organization and related consulting needs.
The firm may use a variety of investment strategies, including asset allocation, dollar-cost averaging, technical analysis, long-term and short-term purchases, fixed income strategies, margin activity and derivatives. Client portfolios may include mutual funds, ETFs, leveraged funds, options, bonds, dividend-paying stocks and other securities, depending on the account.
Forefront Asset Management
Forefront Asset Management is a fee-based advisory firm that works with individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, consulting and portfolio management services. There is no set account minimum or minimum annual fee for opening an advisory account with the firm.
Forefront provides financial planning and consulting services covering topics such as retirement planning, tax optimization, insurance planning, education planning, debt analysis, cash flow management, estate planning and wealth transfer planning. The firm also offers endowment and trust services, family office services, private asset management, retirement account guidance and digital asset and cryptocurrency advice.
Advisors at Forefront may use fundamental, technical, charting and cyclical analysis to help inform investment decisions. The firm may use mutual funds, ETFs, common stocks, exchange-traded products, fixed income instruments, alternative investments and foreign or international investments through pooled funds. Forefront generally uses both long-term and short-term purchase strategies, depending on client circumstances.
WealthTrak Advisors
Wealthtrak Capital Management, which does business as Wealthtrak Advisors, is a fee-based advisory firm that serves both high-net-worth individuals and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as charities and businesses. Today, Wealthtrak Advisors offers clients a variety of services, including portfolio managment, financial planning, pension consulting and more.
Clients are charged a percentage of assets under management, which can range from 0.45% to 1.95% annually.
As with other firms, Wealthtrak Advisors says that it makes financial recommendations based on a client’s objectives, risk tolerance and time horizon, among other considerations. Investments commonly used by Wealthtrak Advisors include individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs), among other investments.
Bay Capital Adsvisors
Bay Capital Advisors is a fee-only financial advisory firm that works with indviduals, high-net-worth individuals, business entities and charitable organizations. The firm does have a minimum investment of $1,000,000 to get started, which is pretty high compared to other firms on this list. Bay Capital offers portfolio management, financial planning and other project-based services.
The firm's fee structure is an hourly fee for projects related to investment analysis and corporate planning services, a fixed fee for financial planning that ranges from $3,500 to $10,000, or it is a percentage of the assets under management (AUM) invested with the firm. The fee for portfolio management is typically 1% of the annual AUM.
Portfolios at the firm are typically analyzed every quarter for changes or the need to rebalance. The firm uses a number of types of analysis that includes cyclical, fundamental and geo-political. Investment strategies can vary and does not fully follow modern portfolio theory in the management of client portfolios.
Some general practices adopted in portfolio management at the firm includes long-term purchases, short-term purchases, trading, short sales, margin transactions and option writing. The firm uses a variety of investment strategies that aim to match the needs and goals of each client.
