Top Financial Advisors in Houston, TX

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U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors, the top-rated firm in Houston, requires clients to have a minimum of $50,000 in investable assets -- one of the lowest requirements of any firm on this list. Previously operating under USCA RIA, LLC, the firm typically works with individual investors, both with and without high net worth. The firm also counts pensions, profit-sharing plans, charities and corporations among its clients. 

With advisors who are also licensed insurance agents and representatives of a broker/dealer, U.S. Capital Wealth is considered a fee-based advisory firm because its advisors can earn commissions on certain transactions. It's important to note that the firm is a fiduciary and must act in its clients' best interests despite these potential conflicts of interest. 

U.S. Capital Wealth offers financial planning and portfolio management services. It previously offered a wrap fee program, which charges clients a single fee for a suite of services, but it no longer appears to do so. The firm manages assets on both a discretionary and non-discretionary basis.  

Generally speaking, U.S. Capital Wealth's investment strategies are based on client needs, goals and objectives. In developing investment advice, the firm uses fundamental, technical, quantitative methods of analysis, as well as statistical tools and valuation methodologies. The firm typically invests client assets in mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), individual securities and individual bonds. When approved by the client, the firm may sell covered calls or buy puts and calls.

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Americana Partners is a fee-based financial advisory firm that has billions in assets under management. If you’re interested in becoming a client of Americana Partners, you won’t need to worry about a minimum initial investment. In addition, the firm serves a combination of individuals above and below the high-net-worth threshold, retirement plans, businesses and charities. The firm offers investment and wealth management services, and also manages its own private funds. 

As a fee-based firm, some advisors may receive sales commissions on certain transactions, like when you purchase securities or insurance products through your advisor. This is a conflict of interest, because third-party compensation can incentivize advisors to recommend certain products and services to generate a sales commissions. However, the firm has a fiduciary duty to always act in your best interests. 

When formulating plans for a client’s investment portfolio, Americana Partners will principally take into account their individual needs. Outside of the client’s ultimate financial goals, these factors involve their risk tolerance, time horizon, liquidity needs and investment preferences. Because these characteristics can change at any time, the firm will conduct regular assessments with clients to ensure their portfolio’s strategy stays in line with their changing needs.

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Avidian Wealth Solutions is a fee-based firm that offers a variety of services including investment management, financial planning, sub-advisory arrangements and more. They primarily work with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, pooled investment vehicles, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations and other business entities. You generally need a minimum of $1,000,000 to work with the firm in traditionally managed account. 

Avidian generally charges an annual advisory fee, based on a percentage (%) of the market value of the assets under management. In limited circumstances Avidian will permit clients to pay a flat annual fee which is mutually agreed upon and collected according to their Investment Advisory Agreement. In these limited circumstances the fee will not exceed 1.5% of their assets under management.

The investment strategies Avidian uses to implement investment advice include long-term purchases, short-term purchases, trading securities, short sales, margin transactions – which requires additional documentation from the client, option writing, including covered options, uncovered options or spreading strategies.

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Mosaic Advisors, next on our list of the top-rated firms in Houston, features the lowest client-to-advisor ratio of all firms all 10 firms. Mosaic Advisors has a small pool of clients, most of whom are high-net-worth individuals. The firm also works with a handful of individual investors who don't have high net worths. New clients are not required to maintain a certain account minimum. 

A majority of clients opt for discretionary asset management, but Mosaic Advisors provides a small percentage of its client base with non-discretionary advisory services. 

Mosaic Advisors spreads its clients' assets among stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and cash. However, the firm measures a client's risk tolerance, time horizon and investment goals when designing a portfolio. Advisors may use a combination of fundamental, cyclical, charting and technical methods of analysis in evaluating investments. Other strategies used rely on long-term purchases, short-term purchases and/or options writing.

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Paul Comstock Partners, a fee-only firm, is the next highest-rated financial advisory firm in Houston. The practice imposes a $10 million account minimum for new clients, so it's no surprise that Paul Comstock works exclusively with high-net-worth individuals and families, as well as charities. 

While this firm's advisory staff is on the smaller side, it does have a few advisory certifications to its name. These include the Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®) and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations. As a fee-only firm, Paul Comstock Partners only charges its client's asset-based fees and/or fixed fees, not commissions. 

Paul Comstock Partners offers what it calls chief investment officer (CIO)-structured investment advisory services, which the firm explains emphasize a strong working relationship with clearly defined goals, cash flow requirements and risk levels. The firm says it strives to prioritize its fiduciary duty to clients, as well as a sensitivity to costs.

Paul Comstock Partners uses a long-term investment strategy that recommends a diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds. Depending on a client’s needs and preferences, the firm may also recommend alternative investments. Paul Comstock Partners contends that a diversified portfolio of stocks will provide appropriate exposure to the overall economy and can act as a long-term hedge against inflation. 

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Intrua Financial is a fee-based firm that only requires $10,000 minimum to open an account. While Intrua Financial requires only $10,000 to open an account, in order to use the company's professionally-managed portfolio program, you must have $250,000 minimum to invest. The firm's client base includes both individuals and high-net-worth individuals, as well as trusts, charities, corporations and churches. 

Intrua offers asset management, financial planning and retirement plan advisory services to thousands of clients. The firm's website also lists estate planning, business planning and insurance planning among its service offerings.

Intrua bases its investment strategy on a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, along with modern portfolio theory (MPT). The three methods of analysis allow the company to choose securities that retain long-term value and match risk with its client's risk tolerance. Intrua employs investment strategies that include: long-term purchases, short-term purchases, trading, short sales and margin transactions. 

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Chilton Capital Management, a fee-only firm, is up next on our list. Over 88% of Chilton Capital’s clients are high-net-worth individuals and non-high-net-worth individuals, but the firm also works with charitable organizations, businesses, government entities, pensions and profit-sharing plans, along with two investment companies. 

Nearly all of Chilton’s services revolve around investment management, which it provides as either a discretionary or non-discretionary service. On its website, the firm lists financial planning among its services, which may touch on cash flow planning, retirement planning, estate planning and asset management.

The first thing every new client does when joining Chilton Capital Management is meet with a financial advisor to determine what type of investor he or she is. This entails doing a detailed analysis of your tolerance for risk, time horizon, liquidity needs and any definitive investment goals clients may have. Once a clear profile is evident, clients are then matched with one of several investment strategies that Chilton has built.

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CORDA Investment Management is a fee-only firm that uses value investing, mainly catering to individuals and high-net-worth individuals. However, the firm also works with pensions, profit-sharing plans and charities. For advisory accounts, the firm has a minimum annual fee of $5,000, which it may waive or lower at its discretion. 

In addition to asset management and financial planning, the firm optionally provides pension-consulting services, as well as educational seminars.

CORDA believes in value investing, a strategy introduced decades ago by Benjamin Graham and espoused by Warren Buffett. The firm looks for businesses that its analysts believe are temporarily priced at a discount, will appreciate over time and provide steady dividends and cash flow. Portfolios at CORDA are customized according to client needs and created based on in-house research.

The firm does not prioritize tax efficiency in its asset management strategy unless it explicitly agrees with a client to do so. While CORDA primarily opts for long-term investments, it notes that its strategies and investments could have “unique and significant tax implications” and recommends consulting with a tax professional.

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Icon Wealth Partners is a fee-based advisory practice that does not require a minimum account size. The firm offers investment advisory services to individuals, trusts, estates, charities and corporations. Icon largely charges set management fees, but as a fee-based company, advisors may earn a commission related to insurance products they recommend. Despite this potential conflict of interest, Icon is a fiduciary and must act in its client's best interests.

Icon primarily employs a long-term investment strategy for clients, basing decisions on fundamental and technical analysis to determine estimated long-term security value and market patterns. Depending on a client's rebalancing and liquidity needs, the firm may hold securities for a shorter period.

The firm stresses on its website that it takes an individually tailored approach to investment management. The firm doesn't use model portfolios, and they don’t use asset allocation models. Its first step is to sit down and fully understand its clients current and projected future financial circumstances. Then the firm sits down and discusses short-term and long-term goals and desires of each client.

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Symphony Financial is a fee-based firm that offers services such as financial planning, retirement planning, trust and estate planning, investment consulting, tax planning and more. The firm primarily works with individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations and business entities. 

While Sympohny Financial or its advisors may earn a commission on the sale of certain securities, it does not receive performance-based pay for any service. It also has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interst of each individual client. 

The Firm generally uses a long-term investment philosophy to provide individual advice based on each client’s risk tolerance. Symphony reviews its clients’ long-term and short-term financial needs and objectives, and risk tolerance or risk-aversion. Investment recommendations are based on information provided to the Firm by its clients, including information gathered in response to Firm questionnaires and personal discussions with the clients. The Firm designs each client’s investment strategy based on a thorough evaluation of the individual goals and objectives of each client.