Top Financial Advisors in Virginia

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Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory in Richmond leads off our list of the top-rated financial advisors in Virginia. This fee-only practice, which conducts business as Cary Street Partners, works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals. The firm's institutional client base includes pensions and profit-sharing plans, charities, government entities, insurance companies and businesses.

Founded in 2003, Cary Street provides clients with financial planning, portfolio construction, asset allocation and investment management using a range of investment vehicles such as mutual funds, ETFs, equities, fixed income, annuities, structured notes and alternative investments. The firm also offers wrap fee programs, retirement plan services and access to lending and insurance solutions through third-party providers.

In addition to its headquarters in Richmond, Cary Street Partners has 19 other offices throughout Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, New Jersey and Florida.

The Cary Street team includes advisors who have earned the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), certified public accountant (CPA), certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) and chartered financial consultant (ChFC) designations, among others. 

Cary Street Partners, like many other financial advisory firms, looks to tailor its investment management services and investment strategies to the individual needs of its clients. This process involves meeting with clients and discussing such factors as risk tolerance, liquidity needs and time horizon.

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Cassaday & Co., a McLean-based advisory firm, has a collective account minimum of $500,000 per client. Its client base is primarily made up of high-net-worth individuals and families but also includes other individuals and corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, charities and businesses.

The advisory staff holds multiple certifications, including Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), chartered mutual fund counselors (CMFCs), financial paraplanner qualified professionals (FPQPs), chartered retirement planning counselors (CRPCs), chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and certified investment management analysts (CIMAs), among other designations.

This is a fee-based firm, which means advisors receive commissions from the sale of securities or insurance products to clients. Although this induces a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty requires it to act in clients' best interest, no matter what.

President and CEO Stephan Cassaday established Cassaday & Co. in 1993, after being involved in the financial services industry for 16 years. Cassaday features several different focus areas of financial planning: personal, investments, retirement, tax/cash flow, death/disability and education. If you’re looking for something more specific, each of these topics can be customized to fit your needs.

Modern portfolio theory and a “buy and hold” mindset typically drive investment decisions here. Generally, the firm believes that the market will remain efficient and that a portfolio can take advantage of this if its assets are allocated correctly and in an ultra-diversified way. Cassaday mostly invests in exchange-traded funds and mutual funds, and may allocate client assets to model portfolios.

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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.

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The Burney Company is a fee-only firm that works mainly with non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individual clients. It also serves investment companies, retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations and businesses.

The Burney Company has a minimum account size requirement of $750,000. Founded in 1974, The Burney Company registered with the SEC as an investment advisor in the same year. It is tied with Rembert Pendleton Jackson as the oldest advisory firms on this list. 

In addition to portfolio management, The Burney Company offers clients financial planning services, tax preparation, health care planning, sub-advisory services for other investment advisers and outsourced chief investment officer services. All assets are managed on a discretionary basis.

The firm's team comprises advisors and analysts who hold the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) and retirement income certified professional (RICP) credentials.

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Hunter Lewis LLC, based in Crozet, Virginia, is a fee-only financial advisory firm founded in 2018. The firm works with private clients, families and endowed institutions, including foundations, universities, museums, medical centers and arts organizations. Hunter Lewis does not list a fixed minimum account size, though it generally does not manage portfolios with less than $500,000 in assets.

The firm provides investment strategy review, investment plan development, asset allocation guidance and discretionary or non-discretionary investment management. It may also offer portfolio tailoring for social impact or ESG preferences, philanthropic advisory services and assistance coordinating certain third-party financial or administrative services.

Hunter Lewis generally uses a global, long-term investment approach. Its process emphasizes investment strategy development, asset allocation and individual security selection using quantitative internal analysis supplemented by qualitative review. Client portfolios may include U.S. and global equities, fixed income, emerging and frontier market investments, real estate, natural resources, precious metals and private investments. The firm may use derivatives for hedging, risk control or access to certain asset classes.

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Acorn Financial Advisory Services (AFAS) provides holistic and customizable financial planning and investment advisory services to its clients. You generally need a minimum investment of $1 million for portfolio management services, though some programs may have different minimums.

The firm's advisory staff holds several financial certifications. It offers access to multiple Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), with other certifications including chartered financial analyst (CFA) and chartered financial consultant (ChFC).

As a fee-based firm, AFAS employs advisors who can receive commissions for certain insurance products and securities sales to clients. Although this creates a potential conflict of interest, the firm is required to act in its best interest no matter what.

Unless directed otherwise by the client, Acorn Financial Advisory Services will construct a globally diversified portfolio to hedge against market risks and volatility. The firm deploys various investment strategies based on the client’s risk profile, goals and other considerations. These include long-term purchases, short-term purchases, trading, short sales, margin transactions and covered-call option writing.

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Andersen is a fee-only firm that provides financial planning, portfolio management, tax management and other advisory services.

This firm serves mostly high-net-worth individuals. But it also extends services to non-high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, corporations and endowments.

Formerly known as WTAS, Andersen went into business with its new name in 2002.

This firm typically offers financial planning and investment services within the same offering. These wealth management services can cover investment planning, tax management, estate planning, retirement planning and more.

Andersen examines the client’s financial situation and goals in order to construct a strategic investment plan and target asset allocation that reflects their risk tolerance. It focuses on the long term by taking into account projected future income and spending habits as well as inflation and tax policy changes.

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Rembert Pendleton Jackson (RPJ) is a fee-only firm in Vienna that caters to a diverse clientele including individuals, high-net-worth individuals, retirement and profit-sharing plans, corporations and charitable organizations.

The firm offers a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet various financial needs. These include insurance, income tax services, cash management, education funding and retirement goals planning. Additionally, they specialize in support for special needs planning, planned giving and stock option exercise strategies. The firm also provides expert guidance in business form and succession planning, along with other financial areas as mutually agreed upon with the client.

Founded in 1974, RPJ is tied with The Burney Company as the oldest firms on this list. The RPJ staff holds a variety of financial credentials, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA),  chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC) and accredited investment fiduciary (AIF).

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Bogart Wealth is a fee-only, SEC-registered financial advisor firm that doesn’t impose any account minimums.

Its advisors work almost entirely with high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth individuals, as well as charitable organizations.

Bogart Wealth hold multiple financial certifications, including designations as Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and chartered financial consultant (ChFC).

The firm provides investment advice along with other financial planning services through its wrap-fee program. It specializes in the following areas: business planning, tax and cash-flow management, trust and estate planning, retirement planning and education planning. 

Bogart Wealth builds portfolios while emphasizing asset allocation. To diversify your portfolio, the firm may utilize a wide range of securities including stocks from small- to large-cap companies, international equity, bonds and cash or cash equivalents.

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Northwest Financial Advisors in Herndon rounds out our list of the top advisor firms in the Old Dominion State. Account minimums range from $5,000 to $50,000, depending on the type of portfolio and account a client has. Over 75% of the firm's client base is made up of individuals below the high-net-worth threhold. High-net-worth individuals and a smattering of institutional clients comprise the remainder of Northwest's clientele. 

The Northwest advisory and management teams have a number of credentialed professionals, including Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®) and chartered financial consultants (ChFCs), among others. As a fee-based firm, advisors on staff may receive additional compensation when selling securities or insurance in their separate capacities as registered representatives of a broker-deal or insurance agents. While this additional compensation represents a conflict of interest, Northwest Financial Advisors has a fiduciary today to act in its clients' best interests. 

Northwest Financial Advisors offers personalized investment advisory services tailored to each client's financial goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. Services include portfolio management through various LPL Financial programs, 529 plan management and financial planning. 

The firm employs a long-term investment strategy that aims to align asset allocations with clients' objectives. Portfolios may comprise mutual funds, ETFs, equities, fixed income and alternative investments like real estate investment trusts (REITs), business development companies, private equity and structured products. Strategies are guided by ongoing monitoring and periodic adjustments to reflect market conditions and client needs, with a strong emphasis on diversification and risk management.