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Top Financial Advisors in Wilmington, NC

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This review was produced by SmartAsset based on publicly available information. The named firm and its financial professionals have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed this review and are not responsible for its accuracy. Review content is produced by SmartAsset independently of any business relationships that might exist between SmartAsset and the named firm and its financial professionals, and firms and financial professionals having business relationships with SmartAsset receive no special treatment or consideration in SmartAsset’s reviews. This page contains links to SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool, which may or may not match you with the firm mentioned in this review or its financial professionals.

Finding a Top Financial Advisor Firm in Wilmington, North Carolina

Wilmington, North Carolina has a fairly large selection of financial advisor firms to choose from. To help you sift through these options, SmartAsset has compiled this list highlighting the top firms in the city of Wilmington. We highlight a number of important factors for each firm, including their minimums, investment strategies, available services and more. SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool connects you with up to three advisors who serve your area.

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Rank Financial Advisor Assets Managed Minimum Assets Financial Services More Information
1 Live Oak Private Wealth, LLC Live Oak Private Wealth, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$830,021,821 $250,000
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors
  • Publication of periodicals

Minimum Assets

$250,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors
  • Publication of periodicals
2 Old North State Wealth Management, LLC Old North State Wealth Management, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$265,854,635 $500,000
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors

Minimum Assets

$500,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors
3 Omnistar Financial Group, Inc. Omnistar Financial Group, Inc. logo Find an Advisor

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$160,420,000 $100,000
  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting services

Minimum Assets

$100,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting services

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4 Transitus Wealth Partners, LLC Transitus Wealth Partners, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$200,703,808 Varies based on account type
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Educational seminars

Minimum Assets

Varies based on account type

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Educational seminars
5 Lumina Wealth Management, LLC Lumina Wealth Management, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$152,556,850 $150,000
  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors
  • Outsourced CIO

Minimum Assets

$150,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning
  • Portfolio management
  • Pension consulting
  • Selection of other advisors
  • Outsourced CIO

What We Use in Our Methodology

To find the top financial advisors in Wilmington, 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:

  • AUM
    Firms with more total assets under management are ranked higher.
  • Individual Client Count
    Firms who serve more individual clients (as opposed to institutional clients) are ranked higher.
  • Clients Per Advisor
    Firms with a lower ratio of clients per financial advisor are ranked higher.
  • Age of Firm
    Firms that have been in business longer are ranked higher.
  • Fee Structure
    Firms with a fee-only (as opposed to fee-based) compensation structure 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.

Live Oak Private Wealth

Live Oak Private Wealth is a fee-only firm that works with a mix of individuals above and below the high-net-worth threshold, as well as pension plans, charitable organizations and corporations.

The firm's team holds multiple certifications, including certified financial planners (CFPs) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs), among other designations.

There is a $250,000 minimum account size at Live Oak, as well as a minimum quarterly fee of $1,875. At its own discretion, the firm may be willing to accept clients who don't meet these requirements.

Live Oak Private Wealth Background

Live Oak Private Wealth was founded in 2018 and is owned by Live Oak Banking Company, which is owned by Live Oak Bancshares, Inc.

Live Oak Bank is a large online bank that offers accounts and lending solutions for individuals and small businesses.

Services offered at LOPW include financial planning, wealth management, business planning, cash flow planning, estate planning, financial reporting, investment consulting, insurance planning, retirement planning, risk management, charitable giving, distribution planning and tax planning.

Live Oak Private Wealth Investment Strategy

Live Oak Private Wealth’s Form ADV notes that its investment strategy focuses on knowing the importance of capital preservation and the power of compounding. To that end, a convservative, value-oriented approach is at the center of its portfolio management strategy. When it comes time to invest, the firm typically looks toward exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, alternative investments, individual stocks and bonds, options and independent managers.

Old North State Wealth Management

The advisory team at Old North State Wealth Management holds multiple certifications, including designations as certified public accountants (CPAs) and personal financial specialists (PFS), among others.

The fee-based firm has works with non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals. Institutional clients also include retirement plans and corporations.

The minimum account size is $500,000, though this may be waivable.

Some advisors at the firm may also earn commissions for insurance and securities sales. Though this is a potential conflict of interest, fiduciary duty binds each advisor to act in the best interest of the client.

Old North State Wealth Management Background

Old North State Wealth Management was founded in 2008. Paul Daniel Knott is the sole owner of the firm.

Services include portfolio management, financial planning services, retirement planning, estate planning and selection of third party advisors.

Old North State Wealth Management Investment Strategy

Old North State Wealth Management uses a number of different investment research tools when choosing where clients' assets will end up in the market. These include charting, fundamental analysis, technical analysis and cyclical analysis. Each of these look at the market in a slightly different way, with the idea that combing all of them provides a more complete picture.

Short-term and long-term purchases are used, as well as covered options. Just under half of the firm’s investments are in mutual funds, and nearly a quarter are in individual stocks.

Omnistar Financial Group, Inc.

Omnistar Financial Group is a fee-based firm. This means that some advisors may earn commissions for selling insurance products. But while this is a conflict of interest, they must still comply with the firm's fiduciary obligation to put client interests first.

Asset management fees are charged based on a percentage of assets under management. Financial planning services are charged a fixed or hourly rate.

Omnistar works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans and charitable organizations.

The minimum account size is $100,000.

Certifications earned by team members include certified financial planner (CFP), chartered financial consultant (ChFC), chartered life underwriter (CLU) and certified public accountant (CPA).

Omnistar Financial Group Background

Omnistar was founded in 2006. The principal owner is Philip L. Clark.

Services offered at Omnistar include wealth management, financial planning and pension consulting.

Omnistar Financial Group Investment Strategy

Omnistar invests client assets in individual stocks. It may also advise clients to invest in mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs).

Transitus Wealth Partners

Transitus Wealth Partners is a fee-based financial advisor firm that works only with individuals. Its client base is comprised of mostly individuals below the high-net-worth threshold, though it also maintains advisory relationships with some high-net-worth individuals too.

The firm's account minimums vary by service, but most individuals will adhere to a negotiable $400,000 minimum asset requirement.

The firm's advisory team holds multiple certifications, including certified financial planners (CFPs) and certified financial transitionists (CeFTs), among other designations.

Some of the advisors at Transitus can sell insurance products on a commission basis. Although this represents a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty means it must act in clients' best interests at all times.

Transitus Wealth Partners Background

Transitus Wealth Partners is a very young firm, as it was founded in 2020. The firm's principal shareholder is an outside entity called The Marino Group, Inc.

Investment management services here are available through either custom portfolios or model portfolios. Financial planning services can cover topics like retirement planning, cash flow analysis, tax planning, insurance planning, estate planning and more.

Transitus Wealth Partners Investing Strategy

Regardless of whether your Transitus Wealth Partners-managed investment portfolio is entirely custom or model-based, the firm will make investment decisions based on the same parameters. These include some incredibly important factors, such as your long-term financial goals, risk tolerance, time horizon, income needs and investment preferences. Portfolios can be managed on either a discretionary or non-discretionary basis.

Generally speaking, portfolios at Transitus include some combination of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, options and REITs. Portfolios may be rebalanced on a consistent basis in order to keep asset allocations intact.

Lumina Wealth Management

Lumina Wealth Management is a fee-based firm that serves both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans, charities, insurance companies and corporations.

Lumina manages millions and has a minimum account size of $150,000. The minimum annual fee is $1,500. Both of these requirements may be negotiable under certain circumstances.

Portfolio management fees at the firm are based on a percentage of assets under management. Financial planning and consulting fees are either fixed or hourly.

Some advisors at the firm earn commissions for selling insurance products. This is a potential conflict of interest, but the advisors are still bound by fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the client at all times.

Lumina Wealth Management Background

Lumina Wealth Management was founded in 2017. William G. Anlyan, Ashley Doyle and Meredith Koenig are the principal owners of the firm.

Services offered at Lumina include portfolio management, wrap programs, consulting and financial planning. Financial planning can cover asset allocation planning, risk management, retirement planning and more.

Lumina Wealth Management Investment Strategy

Before investing any of your assets, Lumina Wealth Management will work with you to determine what kind of investor you are. This involves putting together a financial outline that's specific to you, as it will detail your risk tolerance, time horizon and financial goals.

Investment choices at Lumina can include separate account managers, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), bonds, stocks, options, annuities and life insurance.

How Long $1mm Lasts in Retirement

SmartAsset's interactive map highlights places where $1 million will last the longest in retirement. Zoom between states and the national map to see the top spots in each region. Also, scroll over any city to learn about the cost of living in retirement for that location.

Least
Most
Rank City Housing Expenses Food Expenses Healthcare Expenses Utilities Expenses Transportation Expenses

Methodology We analyzed data on average expenditures for seniors, cost of living and investment returns to determine how many years of retirement a $1 million nest egg would cover in cities across America.

First, we looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the average annual expenditures of seniors. We then applied cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to adjust those national average spending levels based on the costs of each expense category (housing, food, healthcare, utilities, transportation and other) in each city. Using this data, SmartAsset calculated the average cost of living for retirees in the largest U.S. cities.

We assumed the $1 million would grow at a real return (interest minus inflation) of 2%. Then, we divided $1 million by the sum of each of those annual numbers to determine how long $1 million would cover retirement expenses in each of the cities in our study. Cities where $1 million lasted the longest ranked the highest in the study.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Council for Community and Economic Research