Top Financial Advisors in West Des Moines, IA

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Foster Group, founded in 1991, is the No. 1 firm on our list of the top financial advisors in West Des Moines. This fee-only practice provides investment management, financial planning and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth individuals and trusts, businesses. 

The firm offers three service tiers for individuals: CoreWealth, SignatureWealth and SelectWealth. These tiers of service range from digitally led guidance to highly customized, multi-generational planning. Depending on the chosen service, clients may receive support with retirement strategies, tax reviews, estate and transfer planning, charitable giving, education funding, business planning, executive compensation and family governance.

Advisor certifications at the firm include Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), certified public accountant (CPA), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), certified kingdom advisor (CKA), chartered advisor in philanthropy (CAP), certified exit planning advisor (CEPA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) and more.

Foster Group’s investment philosophy adheres to modern portfolio theory, emphasizing long-term investing, broad diversification and disciplined asset allocation. Portfolios are primarily constructed using low-cost mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), with exposure to U.S. and international equities, government and corporate bonds, real estate investment trusts and money markets.

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Gilbert & Cook mostly has individual clients, the majority of whom do not have a high net worth. The firm's institutional client base consists only of corporations and charitable organizations. The minimum account size here is $1 million, though it may be willing to negotiate that requirement.

Of the advisors who work at the firm, there are Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®), Chartered Financial Analysts (CFA) and certified public accountants (CPA), among many others. Some of the advisors at this fee-based firm earn commissions for selling insurance products. This is a potential conflict of interest, though the firm is bound by fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the clients.

Services offered include financial planning, investment advisory, a wrap fee program, retirement analysis, cash flow analysis, employee benefits, education funding, estate planning strategies, income tax planning strategies, executive compensation planning and intergenerational planning.

Advisors at the firm use macroeconomic analysis, client household global allocation analysis, asset class correlation analysis, asset class standard deviation analysis, cyclical analysis and fundamental analysis to choose investments. The firm may invest a client's money in a range of assets, including individual stocks and bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, private equity and private debt and separately managed accounts (SMAs). 

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For those who want to become clients of Compass Financial Services, there is no minimum investment to worry about. This lack of a minimum has likely contributes to the composition of the firm's client base, as it mostly with non-high-net-worth individuals. The firm also serves high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charities and businesses. 

Three of the on-staff advisors at Compass Financial hold a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) designation. Investment management is a premier service at this firm, as well as financial planning. The latter can cover a wide range of topics, such as retirement planning, estate planning, tax planning, budgeting, business planning, cash flow analysis and more.

When making investment decisions, Compass Financial Services typically uses two methods of analysis: fundamental and technical. Fundamental analysis focuses on the financial situation, management and competitive position of companies and investments in the market. Technical analysis instead focuses more on the market itself, using charts and other data to form ideas about trends.

Compass Financial Services also takes a "total portfolio" approach. It believes in active investment management over passive, buy-and-hold strategies. The firm tends to invest in mutual funds, variable annuities, life insurance, ETFs, stocks, bonds, options, CDs and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

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Five Talents Financial Management Group (FTFMG) is a fee-based advisory practice that was founded in 2020. The firm offers wealth management programs, financial planning and retirement plan consulting for employers. Areas of planning include retirement, tax, estate, education, insurance and special situations. 

The firm is fee-based, as its investment advisor representatives may receive commissions for selling insurance or securities in addition to charging advisory fees. This represents a conflict of interest, because these advisors have a financial incentive to make certain recommendations over others. However, the firm is legally required to act in your best interests. 

FTFMG uses a range of investment approaches, including charting, fundamental, technical and cyclical analysis, as well as modern portfolio theory. Strategies range from income-focused to aggressive growth, with diversification used to manage risk. Portfolios may include equities, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, options, variable annuities and alternative securities. 

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Syverson Strege is a fee-only firm with a staff that includes Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®), chartered financial analysts (CFA), chartered advisor in philanthropy (CAP) and a number of other financial certification holders.

The firm typically requires an account size of $500,000. However, clients who do not have assets under management will be subject to minimum annual fees for financial planning. Clients include a near-even mix of individuals both with and without a high net worth. Syverson Strege also works with retirement plans, charitable organizations and corporations.

Syverson Stege was founded in 1997. Services offered at the firm include financial planning, asset management, an automated investment program, retirement planning, estate planning, tax and cash flow planning, investment planning, risk management planning, charitable planning and education planning.

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The next firm on our list is Wealth Advisors of Iowa (WAI). This firm works almost entirely with individual clients, the majority of which do not have a high net worth. Its small number of institutional clients includes charitable organizations, retirement plans, investment clubs and corporations. There is no set account minimum at WAI.

As a fee-based firm, some advisors at WAI can receive commissions when they sell insurance products. Despite the potential conflict of interest this creates, the firm is a fiduciary, obligating it to act in the best interests of clients at all times.

WAI registered with the SEC as an investment advisor in 2020. The firm's advisory team consists of four Certified Financial Planners™ (CFP®). While WAI used to focus on referring clients to other wealth managers, it now focuses on providing portfolio management and financial planning services to clients itself. It also offers a wrap fee program, which bundles its advisory fee together with brokerage and transaction fees. 

Advisors at WAI use a variety of analytical methods to inform their investment decisions. These include charting analysis, fundamental analysis, technical analysis, cyclical analysis, quantitative analysis and modern portfolio theory. Client accounts may hold a broad mix of assets including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, variable annuity sub-accounts, and alternative securities.

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RetireRight Consulting Group is the next firm on our list. This firm works mainly with non-high-net-worth individual clients, though it also works with high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, businesses and charities. Account minimums vary between $5,000 and $250,000, depending on the type of account you're looking to open.

As a fee-based firm, RetireRight employs some advisors who can receive commissions from the sale of insurance products and securities to clients. Although this represents a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty means it must act in clients' best interests at all times.

RetireRight looks to help people plan their finances for retirement. They provide both investment management and financial planning services to help their clients plan for the future.  

Advisors at RetireRight use a wide range of investments in client portfolios. These include mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds, margin, shorts, alternative investments and options contracts. While advisors typically take a long-term approach, they may sell investments on a short-term basis if it makes sense to do so.

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Midwest Heritage Financial Advisors is the financial advisory arm of Iowa-based Midwest Heritage Bank. The small firm only works with individual clients, with most of them having less than high net worth. If you're interested in becoming a client of the firm, you won't need to adhere to any specific minimum account size.

Advisory services at this firm are divided into four main categories: investment management, financial planning, retirement planning and tax planning.

Midwest Heritage Financial Advisors calls itself a "total portfolio manager," as it employs active management techniques when handling clients' investment portfolios. This means the firm and its advisors may make trades on a consistent basis rather than holding onto securities for mostly a year or longer. 

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Boyle Capital works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations and other business entities. The firm generally requires a minimum account size of $30,000, though it may waive this requirement at its discretion. Certain third-party managers may have separate minimum requirements.

Services offered at the firm include a managed account wrap fee program, non-wrap portfolio management, a manager-of-managers program and financial planning. Planning services may be broad-based or focused on a specific topic, and can include written financial plans and general consulting.

Advisors at Boyle Capital use fundamental analysis to evaluate companies, financial statements, management and industry outlooks. The firm may invest client assets in a range of securities, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, government securities, options, structured notes, preferred securities and some limited alternative investments.

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Vivid Wealth Management, LLC, which also does business as Vivid Tax & Wealth Advisors, is a fee-based advisory firm in West Des Moines, Iowa. Founded in 2021, the firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, retirement planning and tax planning services.

The firm primarily serves individuals and high-net-worth individuals. It also works with pre-retirees and retirees, including clients seeking retirement income or Social Security planning guidance. There is no set account minimum at Vivid Wealth Management.

Services offered include portfolio management, financial planning, retirement planning, tax planning, estate planning, Social Security planning and educational seminars or workshops. Financial planning services may address investment planning, life insurance, tax concerns, retirement planning, college planning and debt or credit planning.

Advisors at Vivid Wealth Management may use charting, cyclical, fundamental, quantitative and technical analysis, as well as Modern Portfolio Theory, to inform investment decisions.