2020-2021 RANKING & REVIEWS
BEST FINANCIAL ADVISORS IN FLORIDA
2020-2021’s Top Financial Advisors in Florida (Tampa, Orlando, Miami, etc.)
Florida has a vibrant and diverse population. But one thing the snowbirds in Fort Myers and the Orange farmers in Clermont have in common is the need to plan for future financial goals.
The right Florida investment advisors can help people save for a comfortable retirement, fund business expansion, or send their children to college, all while keeping their main finances intact.
No matter what your future dreams are, it’s important to find the best wealth management firm in Florida that can help you get there.
Award Emblem: Top 12 Financial Advisors in Florida
But how do you find the Florida financial planners that are going to fit your needs? Searching through the many firms that come up in a Google search can be exhausting, and there are many different factors to consider.
For example, do the Financial advisors in Tampa, or another city that you’re reviewing have a minimum investible asset level requirement?
Which ones offer a Florida family office service? Where do you find wealth management in Florida specializing in working with women in transition?
There’s a lot to consider when searching out the top Florida financial advisor, and Advisory HQ’s goal is to make that search easier for you.
We’ve already reviewed financial advisors in Miami, financial advisors in Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and throughout the entire state. From that review, we’ve chosen a list of the top 12 Florida financial planners and wealth management firms.
We’ll go through highlights of each of the Florida investment advisors and what makes them a standout. So, if you’ve been looking for expert financial guidance from a Florida firm, you’ll find several great contenders on this list.
Top 12 Best Financial Advisors & Wealth Management Firms in Florida | Brief Comparison & Ranking
Best Financial Advisors in Florida | 2020-2021 Ratings |
Cathy Pareto & Associates, Inc. | 5 |
Certified Financial Group | 5 |
Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial Wealth Management | 5 |
FirsTrust | 5 |
Investor Solutions, LLC | 5 |
Lassus Wherley | 5 |
Mariner Wealth Advisors | 5 |
Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, LLC | 5 |
Occidental Asset Management, LLC | 5 |
Resource Consulting Group | 5 |
Signature Wealth Advisors | 5 |
WaterOak Advisors | 5 |
Table: Top 12 Best Financial Advisors in Florida | Above list is sorted by rating
Financial Planners in Florida: What is Fee-Based, Fee-Only & Fiduciary?
You’ll run across three terms when researching wealth management in Florida, a firm that offers a Florida family office, or a financial planner. These are:
- Fee-only
- Fee-based
- Fiduciary
Fee-only and fee-based are the two main types of fee structures that financial advisors work with. Knowing what they mean can help you choose the right Florida financial planner to entrust with your money.
Here’s a short overview that will help you understand the difference between the two, and how a fiduciary can impact both fee structures.
2020-2021 Ranking: Top Financial Advisors in Florida
Fee-Only Financial Advisors
When an investment firm or a financial advisor in Florida say the firm is “fee-only,” this means that the compensation is only through client fees, and the firm’s advisors do not accept commissions or third-party referral payments.
Fee-only wealth management firms in Florida have no incentive to suggest a particular financial product over another because advisors aren’t receiving any commissions. A fee-only pricing structure minimizes the inherent conflicts of interest that come with recommending and selling investment products.
Fee-Based Financial Advisors
If a Florida financial advisor accepts third-party commissions, the firm is “fee-based.” This means that in addition to client fees, advisors are free to accept commissions from the companies who provide their financial products.
While a fee-based structure does create some potential conflicts of interest, many fee-based investment firms understand this, so they also take on a fiduciary responsibility, which counteracts the potential for conflict.
Fiduciary Financial Advisors
Both fee-only and fee-based firms can be fiduciaries. A Florida financial planner that is a fiduciary takes on a legal responsibility to be transparent about any conflicts of interest, and its advisors are required to put the best interests of their clients ahead of their own and those of the firm.
When researching wealth management in Florida, it’s a good sign when a firm states it is a fiduciary.
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2020-2021 AdvisoryHQ’s Selection Methodology
What methodology does AdvisoryHQ use in selecting and finalizing the credit cards, financial products, firms, services, and products that are ranked on its various top-rated lists?
Please click here “AdvisoryHQ’s Ranking Methodologies” for a detailed review of AdvisoryHQ’s selection methodologies for ranking top rated credit cards, financial accounts, firms, products, and services.
Detailed Review – Best Financial Advisors in Florida
Below, please find the detailed review of each firm on our list of 2020-2021 best financial planners in Florida. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these Florida wealth management firms to score so high in our selection ranking.
Click any of the names below to go directly to the review section for that firm.
- Cathy Pareto & Associates Inc.
- Certified Financial Group
- Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial Wealth Management
- FirsTrust
- Investor Solutions RIA
- Lassus Wherley
- Mariner Wealth Advisors
- Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, LLC
- Occidental Asset Management, LLC
- Resource Consulting Group
- Signature Wealth Advisors
- WaterOak Advisors
Click below for last year’s ranking:
- 2019 Ranking: Top 12 Financial Advisors & Wealth Management Firms in Florida
- 2018 Ranking: Top 11 Financial Advisors & Wealth Management Firms in Florida
- 2017 Ranking: Top 13 Financial Advisors in Florida
Cathy Pareto & Associates Review
Assisting affluent investors for over two decades, Cathy Pareto & Associates is one of the top Florida investment advisors that offers a full range of services and serves a diverse clientele, including women, medical providers, families, and small business owners.
This financial advisory firm in Florida operates under a code of ethics as a fiduciary. Cathy Pareto & Associates is a fee-only firm that’s based in Coral Gables and specializes in working with those planning for retirement, already retired, and those undergoing major life transitions.
Key Factors that Enabled Cathy Pareto & Associates to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
Focused Financial Planning
Cathy Pareto & Associates offers comprehensive financial planning services designed to take you through all stages of life. This wealth management firm in Florida can help you turn your dreams into goals by structuring your spending, savings, and investing to prioritize the most important things.
The Florida financial advisors at Cathy Pareto take the time to get to know you through a detailed process. This process is designed to identify your goals related to saving for retirement, retiring early, your risk tolerance, your current and future investments, and more.
The firm’s advisors understand that portfolios should not be “one size fits all.” This team of experts really listens to clients to get to know them and their needs so they can customize strategies as well as highlight things that could blindside clients later.
Financial Planning for Women
A highlight that makes Cathy Pareto & Associates stand out as a top Florida financial planner is the firm’s expertise in assisting women with financial services tailored specifically for them.
These Florida investment advisors understand that while many financial needs are similar for both women and men, there are unique financial challenges that women face, which include:
- Longer average lifespan
- Interrupted careers
- Disparity in earnings
- Financial literacy
- Retirement systems that penalize women for temporary leaves of absence from the workforce
As one of the best financial advisors in Florida, Cathy Pareto & Associates works with a wide range of women to help them create successful financial plans to grow their assets over the long-term.
Rating Summary
Cathy Pareto & Associates is a top Florida financial advisor that offers a personal touch along with detailed financial planning and investment management. Its team includes experienced professionals with CFP® credentials as well as a CPA.
With a sharp focus on retirement and transitions and a client-centric philosophy, Cathy Pareto & Associates is one of the best financial advisors in Miami and Coral Gables and is awarded a 5-star rating.
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Certified Financial Group Review
Certified Financial Group is a top-rated wealth management firm in Florida, located in Altamonte Springs. Founded in 1976, the firm is one of the oldest and largest independent financial planning firms in Central Florida.
This financial advisor in Florida is fee-only, and the firm is also a fiduciary, upholding a high standard of customer care and transparency.
Certified Advisory Corp, the firm’s registered investment company, has been certified for fiduciary excellence by CEFEX. It is a designation held by less than 1% of registered investment advisors in the country.
Key Factors that Enabled Certified Financial Group (CFG) to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
Social Security Planning
Social Security is something that impacts just about everyone at some point in their life, and there is often confusion about how it works and what the benefits are. This wealth management firm in Florida can help people sort through questions and misconceptions and understand how to maximize their Social Security earnings.
Social Security benefits make up approximately 20% – 50% of the average middle-income couple’s retirement income, according to CFG, so understanding how to maximize this retirement asset is important.
This Florida wealth management firm has financial advisors that specialize in Social Security benefits and can help clients make smart financial decisions that will help them throughout their retirement.
Financial Advisor in Florida | Top Rated
Workshops & Online Learning Center
Top financial advisors in Orlando or anywhere else will make a concerted effort to educate their clients and help them be finically savvy. The financial advisors at Certified Financial Group do this in two distinct ways.
The firm offers monthly workshops for its clients on a variety of topics as well as a Learning Center, which has helpful online articles on different areas of financial planning.
Those wishing to benefit from both expert financial advice and educational events can take part in one of the firm’s many workshops, which include topics like:
- Everything You Want to Know About Mutual Funds
- Countdown to Retirement
- Healthcare Options in Retirement
- Key Elements to a Successful Financial Plan
In addition to these two educational options, every Saturday at 9 am, Certified Financial Group hosts the most listened-to financial call-in show in Central Florida. The podcast episodes are available on the firm’s website.
Rating Summary
Certified Financial Group offers a wide range of financial planning and investment management services to clients in Florida and throughout the country. This Florida financial planner works with individuals, families, and businesses to help them put together a smart financial plan.
CFG also has one of the most experienced teams of financial advisors in Florida, with over 300 years of combined experience. Each advisor is also trained in all areas of financial planning, including investments, retirement planning, and more.
With a focus on financial literacy and a specialty in retirement and Social Security planning, Certified Financial Group earns a 5-star rating and is one of the top financial advisors in Florida to consider working with in 2020-2021.
Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial Wealth Management Review
Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial Wealth Management is a top-rated Florida financial advisor with offices in Coral Gables, FL, and Lubbock, TX. The firm works with a wide variety of clients, including individuals, entrepreneurs, families, trusts, and endowments.
These top Florida financial planners uphold a fiduciary standard. The firm is also fee-only and accepts no commissions or referral fees.
Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial is a sizable firm, with a staff of 30, and one that also takes a boutique approach to offer wealth management in Florida.
Key Factors that Enabled Evensky Katz/Foldes Financial to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
Goals-Based Investment Management
This financial advisory firm in Florida assists clients with a dynamic and strategic plan to grow their money and mitigate risk to build a solid foundation and achieve their financial goals.
No matter what your goals may be, having a game plan for investing is an important first step towards success. These top-rated Florida financial advisors at Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial take time to understand your life goals fully so they can base your financial plan around them.
These talented wealth managers in Florida begin with a detailed conversation to learn about your lifestyle, goals, and current financial status. From there, your advisors develop an investment policy statement to reflect your needs. This statement serves as a key reference when it comes to designing a financial plan that gets you where you want to go.
Some of the variables that these Florida financial advisors take into consideration when designing your plan include:
- Various investment options
- Taxation
- Expenses
- Risks
- and more
Qualified Retirement Plans
A helpful service offered to organizations is assistance in crafting retirement plans. This wealth management firm in Florida provides help with 401(k) plans, SEP plans, and profit-sharing trusts.
Its institutional approach is just as comprehensive and thorough as its individual approach. The firm’s expert advisors help clients identify specific investments and present different investment models for qualified retirement plan participants to select.
Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial Wealth Management also provides written acknowledgment of their role as an ERISA fiduciary, providing safe harbor protection for plan fiduciaries.
Rating Summary
Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial Wealth Management combines the resources of a large Florida financial advisory firm with the personal touch of a boutique investment advisor. Each of the firm’s professionals is dedicated to learning all they can about their clients.
Additionally, these Florida investment advisors have a highly credentialed team, with many advisors boasting multiple industry certifications, like CFP®, CFA, AIF®, and more.
With a comprehensive and goal-based investment management process and an experienced team, Evensky & Katz/Foldes Financial Wealth Management is awarded 5 stars and is one of the top-rated Florida financial advisors to consider in 2020-2021.
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FirsTrust Review
With a team-based approach and a reputation of trust, FirsTrust has a team of Florida financial advisors with between 20 to 30 years of expertise in the financial management industry.
The firm is a fee-only Florida wealth management firm that also upholds a fiduciary obligation to its clients.
FirsTrust has financial advisors in Tampa, Sarasota, Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Boca Raton in Florida, and in Atlanta, Georgia.
Key Factors that Enabled FirsTrust to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
Retirement Planning
FirsTrust advisors take a holistic approach to retirement planning. This includes an understanding of specific variables, such as income needs, social security, and tax liabilities.
This team of financial advisors in Tampa and throughout Florida don’t believe that retirement planning should be “one size fits all.” The firm’s advisors know that everyone’s life and financial situation are unique, and their retirement plans are designed to custom fit each client.
The strategy taken by FirsTrust to give its clients the best guidance and outcome is to incorporate each different stage into an overall retirement plan. This includes:
- Planning in advance of retirement
- Planning when approaching retirement
- Continued planning during retirement
Ranking Top Florida Financial Advisors
Trust & Estate Management
The same detailed and full-view approach that FirsTrust takes for retirement planning is also put into its trust and estate management. The firm’s advisors work under a philosophy that “simple strategies employed today can prove priceless tomorrow.”
Managing wealth throughout generations and helping preserve value for heirs takes a measured and long-term approach, which these top-rated financial advisors in Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota, Daytona Beach, Boca Raton, and Atlanta can provide.
This wealth management firm in Florida helps clients:
- Avoid potential financial conflicts within the family
- Protect heirs from spendthrift concerns
- Mitigate federal estate taxes
- Protect assets from creditors and lawsuits
- Provide lasting care for loved ones with special needs
- Avoid postmortem legal proceedings
- Protect and/or dispose of business interests
- Ensure spouses are financially secure
Rating Summary
FirsTrust takes a measures approach to financial planning and wealth management that can put many clients at ease. The advisors at this Florida wealth management firm believe in tailored solutions, no matter what type of financial objectives a client has.
Clients and prospective clients alike can access the firm’s resource center, which has multiple financial articles of interest. These include timely topics such as “Don’t Let the Coronavirus Derail Your Retirement” and tips on choosing the right financial advisor.
With a team of accredited financial experts and a focus on transparency and relationship building, FirsTrust is awarded a 5-star rating as one of the top financial advisors in Florida to consider working with in 2020-2021.
Investor Solutions, Inc. Review
With a commitment to professionalism, integrity, and service since its founding in 1993, Investor Solutions, Inc. is one of the top-rated financial advisors in Miami that has a reputation as a leader in the financial services industry.
The firm is a fee-only wealth management firm in Florida that is also a fiduciary. It welcomes a wide variety and clients, including those that are underserved and/or overcharged.
A standout quality of this financial advisor in Florida is that the firm’s founder, Frank Armstrong, has authored several books related to retirement and investment strategies.
Key Factors that Enabled Investor Solutions, Inc. to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
Services for Non-Profit Organizations
Smart financial management and strategic investing help non-profit organizations attract more donors. It can also help them benefit from healthy returns, reduce liability, and can give the institution a firm financial foundation.
This wealth management firm in Florida provides an array of solutions for non-profit organizations, including (but not limited to):
- Co-fiduciary services on every account
- Well-diversified and low-cost portfolio plans
- Risk assessments
- Detailed investment policy statements
- Regular account monitoring
- Ongoing advice
- Continuous communication
Generating Retirement Income
Planning for retirement can be both comforting and scary at the same time because life is unpredictable. Doing it right takes the ability to balance current needs with future goals and dreams and leave flexibility for the unexpected.
Investor Solutions has a unique approach and provides financial planning that is tied to different life stages. The firm’s experienced financial advisors in Miami take time to outline a detailed retirement roadmap that includes areas such as:
- Capital preservation
- Risk tolerance
- Tax consequences
- Social security
- Long-term care
- Medical expenses
Rating Summary
From sustainable investments to private banking, Investor Solutions is a full-service Florida financial planner that offers much more than only retirement planning. Clients will benefit from a full range of integrated financial services.
Investors will find multiple resources on the firm’s website to help them gain a better understanding of financial management, including videos, books, articles, calculators, retirement resources, and more.
Not all Florida financial advisors offer as much value in one place as Investor Solutions. The firm’s welcoming spirit and long track record of expertise make this a 5-star financial planner and one to consider working with in 2020-2021.
Related: Detailed Review – Best Wealth Management Firms in Miami & Coral Gables
Lassus Wherley Review
Offering a less formal and more fun atmosphere for financial planning, Lassus Wherley has put its clients first and foremost since its inception in 1985. This top-rated wealth management firm in Florida serves clients from offices in Bonita Springs, FL, and New Providence, NJ.
Lassus Wherley is a fee-only financial advisor in Southwest Florida that operates on a strong foundation of principals and beliefs, which include being a fiduciary.
If you’re looking for a Florida family office, you’ll find those services here. Other financial services provided by the firm include financial planning, investment management, tax preparation, and trust services.
Key Factors that Enabled Lassus Wherley to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
Tax Preparation
Having a wealth manager that is also a tax preparer adds value to an advisor-client relationship. It also ensures that investment strategies are tax-smart and don’t lead to an unnecessary tax burden.
This financial planning firm in Florida provides expert tax preparation services for its clients. The team of Florida financial planners at Lassus Wherley will also coordinate with any tax professionals you may already work with to comprehensively integrate financial planning and wealth management strategies for a holistic approach.
Specific tax services from this Florida wealth management firm include:
- Strategies to reduce tax obligations
- Reviews by licensed Certified Public Accountants
- Tax advice throughout the year
- Representation during audits or letters of inquiry
Family Office Support
Many families are looking for security and peace of mind when it comes to handling estates and finances across generations. Not all wealth management firms in Florida offer these extended types of services services
However, Florida family office services can be found at Lassus Wherley. The firm offers additional value for these clients by bringing an array of professional relationships along with them from additional support fields to lend specialized expertise where needed.
This wealth management firm in Florida offers a wide range of family office services, including:
- Oversight of elderly parents, working with healthcare professionals
- Bill paying and reporting on financial transactions
- Monitoring personal assets
- Coordination of home maintenance, including supervising contractors
- Managing the sale of a home
- Tax payments
- Estate administration
Top Florida Financial Advisors & Florida Family Office
Rating Summary
Lassus Wherley is a financial advisor in Florida that has a deep commitment to its clients and forming long-term relationships. The firm was founded as a fee-only firm back when that was the exception.
These Florida financial advisors at Lassus Wherley pride themselves on operating from a foundation of strong principles and ethics. The wide range of offerings, in addition to wealth management and financial planning, make this an excellent option for clients looking for a “full-service” option.
With a prestigious history and dedication to client success, Lassus Wherley earns a 5-star rating and is one of the top financial advisors in Florida to consider partnering with in 2020-2021.
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Mariner Wealth Advisors Review
With a vision of helping clients navigate their financial futures, Mariner Wealth Advisors is a top financial advisor in Florida that was founded in 2006 to offer a client-centric alternative to wealth management.
These top-ranked financial advisors in Florida have offices nationwide, including one in West Palm Beach and another in Coral Gables, FL. The firm also joined with Singer Xenos Schechter Sosler Wealth Management, which become a part of Mariner in 2019.
We did not see where Mariner Wealth Advisors specifically stated that it was fee-only or fee-based. However, the firm’s ADV states, “investment adviser representatives are compensated for referrals made to MWA and its affiliates.”
This would indicate a fee-based structure. We always recommend that you confirm the fee structure with a firm before working with them.
The firm is also a fiduciary and upholds a commitment to putting the client’s needs first always.
Key Factors that Enabled Mariner Wealth Advisors to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
Wide Range of Financial Services
For those clients looking for a financial advisor in Florida that can help with multiple aspects of their financial life, Mariner will be a top option. This firm offers a wealth of services that go beyond investment management and financial planning.
You’ll find Florida family office services here as well as tax preparation and institutional cash management.
When a firm has a large team in a variety of financial specialties, it can improve the value of the services you receive. Aspects of your financial life, such as tax planning and retirement savings, become integrated, making both better.
This team of Miami-area Florida financial advisors offers the following array of services:
- Investment management
- Executive retirement services
- Estate planning & trust services
- Risk management
- Tax planning & preparation
- Family office services
- Retirement planning
- Specialized business services
- Retirement plan solutions
- Institutional cash management & consulting
Financial Insights
Not all wealth management firms in Florida offer as many and varied financial education resources as Mariner Wealth Advisors. Clients and website visitors alike can benefit from enriching their knowledge on a wide range of financial topics.
These top-rated Florida investment advisors offer:
- Articles: Online articles cover a range of individual needs with topics including, “Accessing Your Risk Tolerance” and “Relief for Students.”
- Commentaries: Commentary posts are designed to give investors insight into the financial climate and what may be coming in the future.
- Podcast: You’ll find Mariner’s engaging podcast titled, “Your Life, Simplified,” which offers regular financial advice and guidance.
- Videos: Videos by these top Florida financial advisors cover both general topics and market updates.
- Whitepapers: You’ll also find whitepapers that give a more detailed look at a topic—these range from the financial needs of physicians to establishing a donor-advised fund.
Rating Summary
These Florida financial advisors are one of the largest on our list, and though the firm is large, it remains focused on offering a tailored experience for clients. The firm was designed based upon client feedback, and a drive to serve has stayed with it.
You’ll find a full range of services, expertise, and value working with these Florida financial advisors. The firm’s team can handle everything from retirement planning for physicians to Florida family office services to individual investment planning and tax preparation.
With a goal to help its clients live more fulfilling lives and a dedication to excellence, Mariner Wealth Advisors scores a 5-star rating as one of the top financial advisors in Florida to consider working with in 2020-2021.
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Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo, LLC Review
With a mission of offering a sanctuary of stability for its clients, Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo is a Florida financial advisor with offices in Melbourne and Orlando, FL. The firm’s advisors believe so much in their ability to help clients that they make commitments in writing.
Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo is an independent fee-only wealth management firm in Florida that takes a simple and effective approach to financial planning. The firm is also a fiduciary.
Key Factors that Enabled Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
Client-Centric Value Proposition
Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo takes its client-advisor relationship seriously, and this shows in everything its advisors do. Firm advisors work to reduce the stress and confusion of traditional financial management and replace that with calm, steady, and confident.
The experience and knowledge of this team of Florida financial planners help them identify the best course of action for each client’s unique needs and chart a successful path forward.
Clients can expect:
- To be treated like family
- To have your vision for your family to be their main focus
- To enter into a “Sanctuary from the Noise®” without distracting clutter
- To receive the firm’s unwavering commitment in writing
- To get clear communication, without jargon
- To receive expert guidance from some of the best advisors in the world
This Florida wealth management firm’s advisors don’t claim to have crystal balls or magic wands. Still, they pledge to provide realistic financial advice based upon years of experience to each client’s specific needs and situation.
Straightforward Service Offerings
In keeping with the mission of these Financial advisors in Orlando and Melbourne to keep personal financial planning uncomplicated, Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo provides a comprehensive set of services.
This fits in perfectly with its streamlined approach and additionally makes wealth management in Florida much more approachable to individuals and families who may be new to investing.
The firm’s service offerings include:
- Specific Tax Planning: The firm offers comprehensive tax planning and has three Enrolled Agents who are licensed by the IRS to represent clients in matters before the agency.
- Real Financial Planning: Holistic planning that covers multiple aspects of a client’s life and is driven by wisdom, expertise, and experience, and supported by technology.
- Objective Implementation: Proactively seeking and suggesting the best investment strategies and choices on an ongoing basis.
- Ongoing and Proactive Monitoring: Constant monitoring and open communication to ensure you’re always in the know about your finances.
Rating Summary
Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo goes out of its way to put its clients at ease and give them top-rated financial guidance that’s caring, objective, disciplined, proactive, and realistic.
As a top wealth management firm in Florida, this firm is an excellent choice for those new to investing who just want clear, straight-forward advice that’s not hidden behind jargon or flashy charts.
Another distinctive feature that sets this Florida financial advisor apart is that they make written commitments to their clients. This, along with the other features we’ve highlighted, has earned Moisand Fitzgerald Tamayo a 5-star rating as a top choice for wealth management in Florida.
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Occidental Asset Management, LLC Review
Offering financial life management since 2001, Occidental Asset Management, LLC (OCCAM), is a top financial advisor in Florida with a mission of helping people transform their financial lives.
OCCAM is a fee-only Florida wealth management firm with five offices throughout the U.S., including one outside of Orlando in Altamonte Springs, FL.
These Florida financial advisors stand out from others. The firm’s advisors believe that a healthy relationship with money is a cornerstone of any financial planning, and they incorporate this into their investment management process.
Key Factors that Enabled Occidental Asset Management to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
Your Mental Wealth® Discovery Process
Advisors at OCCAM believe that after a person’s relationships with family and friends, their relationship with money is the next most important one in their lives.
To foster positive financial decision-making, this top Florida financial advisor has created the Mental Wealth® Discovery Process for its clients.
This process delves into a person’s feelings and past relationship with money to encourage a healthier connection. It can uncover unhealthy habits such as financial enabling, financial infidelity, and financial disharmony.
Co-founded by Dr. Brad Klontz, this three-step system consists of:
- How’s My Financial Health?: Takes a comprehensive look at financial health by first measuring your financial psychology, behaviors around money, unique risk profile, and more.
- Where Do I Want to Be?: Identifies values and clarifies financial goals, giving clients tools to properly prioritize and align their financial goals with their personal values.
- How Do I Get There?: The team of top-rated Florida wealth managers at Occidental Asset Management will create a Personalized Financial Life Plan and Investment Recommendations based upon this process.
This unique process offers an individual an important window into their unconscious beliefs about money, helping them gain healthier mindsets that foster successful long-term financial planning.
Best Florida Financial Advisors 2020-2021
Wide Range of Services
Those investors looking to work with a single financial advisor in Florida on things like financial planning, tax coordination, and debt management, will find OCCAM offers all that and more.
As one of the best financial advisors in Florida, OCCAM provides clients a wide spectrum of services they can use. These include (but are not limited to):
- Financial Planning: Cash flow projections, business succession, retirement analysis, Social Security planning
- Trust & Estate Planning: Analysis and review of tax implications, coordination with tax accountants and estate attorneys for a fully integrated financial plan
- Portfolio Management & Investments: Portfolio review and recommendations, wealth strategies, asset allocation, diversification, risk management
- Charitable Planning: Coordination with philanthropic goals and estate plan, donor-advised funds
- Tax Coordination: Retirement plan optimization, account distribution strategies, coordination with attorneys and accountants
- Spending Analysis: Debt management and review of budgets and spending patterns
- Behavioral Finance and Financial Psychology: Financial health assessments, understanding your financial behaviors to chart a more productive future
Rating Summary
If you haven’t had a lot of luck with another financial advisor in Florida, it could be because you’re bringing along bad money habits. OCCAM’s unique emphasis on the psychology behind our relationship with money allows its advisors to provide a perspective that others can’t.
This team of experienced Florida financial planners truly works to get to the heart of a person’s financial life so they can help craft a strategy to bring them success and help them reach future goals and dreams.
With a client-centered philosophy that goes beyond just spending patterns and objectives, Occidental Asset Management earns a 5-star rating as one of the top financial advisors in Florida to consider working with in 2020-2021.
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Resource Consulting Group Review
With a focus on its clients’ best interest and wellbeing, Resource Consulting Group is a top-rated Florida wealth management firm and Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) that works with the “top 1% of Americans in terms of their assets and income.”
This fee-only fiduciary Florida financial planner is based in Orlando and was founded in 1988. The firm manages more than $1.8 billion in assets for its clients.
Resource Consulting Group strives to give clients peace of mind and become a trusted partner for the long term. This Florida wealth management firm works to alleviate anxiety around finances and chart a strategic path forward built upon disciplined practices.
Key Factors that Enabled Resource Consulting Group to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
The Seven Investment Fundamentals℠
The team at Resource Consulting understands that their clients aren’t looking for get-rich-quick schemes. They’re looking for proven and strategic practices that factor in both asset growth and risk mitigation.
These financial advisors in Orlando lay out a clear and straight-forward investment philosophy. Its outlined in the firm’s Seven Investment Fundamentals, which are:
- Have an appropriate allocation to equities
- Stay fully invested
- Keep costs down
- Use only short-term bonds
- Include small-cap stocks
- Include value stocks
- Have broad diversification
These fundaments are designed to help clients of this Florida financial planning firm side-step the dangers inherent in investing such as, high costs, market timing, and other get-rich-quick strategies that can jeopardize the long-term growth of assets.
Retirement Services
These top-rated advisors in Florida feel that a healthy retirement plan doesn’t have to be complex. The firm’s team takes an efficient approach that includes a transparent fee environment and asking questions like, “Is your retirement plan working for you and your employees?”
These financial advisors in Florida help clients design an employee retirement plan that is effective and allows business owners to honor their fiduciary responsibilities.
Resource Consulting Group has a comprehensive approach that includes the following areas:
- Simplicity
- Plan wellness
- Fiduciary assurance
- Investment strategies
- Transparency of fees
- Broad resources
Rating Summary
For investors that are in the top 1%, Resource Consulting Group has a unique understanding of your challenges and how to help you reach your financial objectives. This wealth manager in Florida knows how to streamline to remove unnecessary complications.
The firm provides many financial planning resources on its website in the form of articles, videos, and recommended reading.
With a commitment to simplicity and proven strategies, Resource Consulting Group solidifies its 5-star rating and is a top wealth management firm to consider working with in 2020-2021.
Signature Wealth Advisors Review
Offering clients a comprehensive and holistic experience, Signature Wealth Advisors is a financial advisor in Florida that takes a needs-based approach. The firm is located in Orlando and works to simplify the process of wealth management.
The firm is fee-based, and included on its team, is a partner and financial planner, Todd A. Bryant who is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®). Its experienced team also includes advisors with CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, and RICP® credentials.
Key Factors that Enabled Signature Wealth Advisors to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
“The Genius of the AND”
One of the philosophies of this top-rated Florida wealth manager is to consider things from a different perspective and to break out of old ways of thinking. You’ll find a reference on the firm’s site to the “Tyranny of the OR” in its process.
This refers to the thinking that financial plans must be based on one component OR another and not both. The Florida investment advisors at Signature Wealth believe financial plans can be created to accommodate all needs and facets of a person’s financial life.
Instead of the “Tyranny of the OR,” these financial planners in Florida prefer “The Genius of the AND.” This illustrates how the firm’s advisors can help clients build, preserve, and protect their wealth without having to choose one priority over another.
Comprehensive Four-Step Process
These Florida financial advisors take a needs-based approach to customizing a signature financial plan for every client. Advisors also believe that the process of financial planning should be simple and straight-forward, not confusing and complicated.
The top-rated Florida financial advisors at Signature Wealth make it a priority to understand unique situations and circumstances through a four-step process that helps clients achieve their goals.
The process includes:
- Analyze: They ask questions and get to know your financial goals and objectives and analyze your current portfolio to identify any gaps.
- Recommend: You’re provided with portfolio suggestions with a goal to help you achieve your financial objectives.
- Implement: Once you’re satisfied with the plan, your advisors begin implementation to help secure your financial freedom.
- Review: Because financial situations are ever-changing, Signature Wealth advisors consistently monitor your portfolio to ensure your plan is still meeting your current and future financial objectives.
2020-2021’s Top-Rated Florida Financial Planners
Rating Summary
Looking at things from a different perspective is one of the things that makes Signature Wealth Advisors a top choice for many clients. The firm’s no-nonsense, comprehensive approach is also a benefit to new and seasoned investors alike.
The Florida financial advisors on this team hold multiple credentials, illustrating expertise in many key areas of financial planning and wealth management.
With a firm commitment to their clients and to providing a completely customized experience, Signature Wealth Management earns a 5-star rating as one of the top financial advisors to consider working with in 2020-2021.
WaterOak Advisors Review
Delivering high-touch service with a boutique atmosphere, WaterOak Advisors is a nationally recognized financial advisor in Florida that’s based just north of Orlando in Winter Park.
This is a fee-only Florida wealth management firm that is also a fiduciary. The firm’s advisors take a systematic approach to investing that embraces both indexing and active management.
Clients of this financial advisor in Florida benefit from experienced staff, many of whom hold advanced degrees and designations.
Key Factors that Enabled WaterOak Advisors to be Ranked as a Top Florida Financial Advisor
Comprehensive Financial Services
This Florida financial advisor offers clients integrated financial strategies that ensure their money isn’t just growing but also being protected as well.
The financial guidance of this wealth management firm in Florida focuses on three important areas: goals planning, tax planning, and estate planning.
The wealth management team at WaterOak uses techniques that are often overlooked by other Florida financial advisors. Some of the ways the firm maximizes client value include:
- Economies of Scale: Cost benefits from exclusive pricing based on WaterOak’s buying power
- Advanced Reporting: Customized performance reporting and access to the online client portal
- Tax Alpha: Adding value through advanced tax management strategies
- Retirement Planning: Cutting-edge spending and distribution strategies for retirement or legacy planning
Diverse Portfolio Construction
For those investors looking for a completely customized approach to portfolio construction, this top financial advisor in Florida will not disappoint. The tailored strategies provided are hand-picked for each client’s maximum benefit.
Advisors utilize global stocks, global bonds, and non-correlating alternatives to enhance investor returns significantly.
This strategy allows individual investors to gain the same advantages in portfolio strategies previously only available to institutional investors.
WaterOak advisors infuse more than two decades worth of innovation into portfolio management to provide a structured, evidence-based strategy designed to maximize returns for Florida wealth management clients.
Rating Summary
WaterOak has the resources to support a diverse client base while still maintaining a high-touch, one-on-one client experience. The firm has also been recognized by publications like Forbes, Financial Times, and Barron’s.
This is one of the best Florida financial advisors for investors that appreciate a tailored, strategic process when it comes to portfolio construction. The firm promises clients the same type of investment sophistication as is enjoyed by the wealthiest investors.
With a genuinely custom approach and a team of experienced and expert advisors, WaterOak Advisors is awarded a 5-star rating as one of the top financial advisors in Florida to consider partnering with in 2020-2021.
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Conclusion – 2020-2021 Top 12 Best Financial Advisors & Wealth Management Firms in Florida
When it comes to managing your finances and ensuring you’re in a good place when retirement comes around, having the help of a top financial advisor in Florida can make all the difference.
Financial advisors in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, and throughout Florida have years of experience in both up and down markets. They can provide invaluable guidance when it comes to things like estate planning, portfolio creation, and education funding.
Once you’ve narrowed down your options of Florida wealth managers from this top-rated list, it’s a good idea to request an initial consultation. Many advisors do this at no cost.
This will allow you to get a feel for working with your top picks and help you find the best wealth management firm in Florida to trust with your future financial goals.
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Image sources:
- https://unsplash.com/s/photos/florida
- https://financialgroup.com/the-firm/
- https://www.financialteam.com/z/-vf.0.0.0.53.200E61F4C190D9030A7CA779403FB9059C0EF2F37D2CD06963E38EAE52ABE515
- https://www.lassuswherley.com/who-we-are
- https://www.yourmentalwealthadvisors.com/
- https://www.signaturewa.com/
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