Top Financial Advisors in Idaho

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Inspire Investing, a fee-based firm located in Merdian, is the top-rated firm on our list. Inspire, which describes its self as a Christian financial advisor providing "biblically responsible investing services," mainly works with individuals. It also serves high-net-worth individuals, investment companies, charitable orgaizations and other investment advisors. 

The firm does not require a minimum investment to open an account. However, advisors on staff may earn third-party compensation for selling securities or insurance. While this constitutes a conflict of interest, Inspire has a fiduciary duty to act in its clients' best interests. 

The team at Inspire holds several professional credentials including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and chartered financial analyst (CFA) designations, among others. 

Inspire Investing Background

Inspire Investing, is a limited liability company ("LLC") under the laws of the state of Delaware. The firm has been providing investment advisory services since 2015, and is owned by Inspire Impact Group, LLC. Robert Netzly, the president and CEO of the firm, is the principal owner of Inspire Impact Group, LLC.

Inspire offers the following services:

• Separately managed account (SMA) services
• Portfolio model mrovider (PMP) services
• Sub-advisory services to registered investment advisors
• Financial planning

Inspire Investing's Investment Strategy

While the firm relies on traditional analytical methods, like fundamental analysis and modern portfolio theory, its investment strategy is known as the Inspire Impact Score – a "proprietary selection methodology" that scores securities based on their alignment with biblical values. 

When it comes to investment selection, the firm may invest in mutual funds, fixed-income securities, real estate funds, insurance products, equities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), treasury, inflation protected/inflation linked bonds and non-U.S. securities.

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Petso Financial Consultants is a fee-based financial advisory firm located in Boise. The vast majority of the firm's client base comprises non-high-net-worth individuals, although it does work with hundreds of high-net-worth individuals, as well. Aside from individuals, Petso also handles the financial needs of a small number of charitable organizations.

The firm’s team includes several Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®). Advisors here are also insurance agents and broker-dealer representatives, and may earn commissions from the sale of these products. But because the firm is a fiduciary, advisors are legally required to put clients’ best interests first, despite these potential conflicts of interest.

Petso Financial Consultants Background

Petso Financial Consultants has been in business since 2001 when it was created by David Petso. He has over 40 years of experience in wealth management. The rest of Petso’s wealth advisors average more than 20 years in the field. In addition to running the firm, Petso also hosts a weekly radio show called "Money Matters."

The firm’s services primarily center around investment management, financial planning and retirement income planning

Petso Financial Consultants Investment Strategy

Petso Financial Consultants holds a steadfast belief in long-term investing, even when market trends change. The firm invests for the long term in an effort to combat volatility, using precise asset allocations to lead to greater, more consistent returns. Ultimately though, investments are chosen based on your risk tolerance and time horizon.

Generally, the firm invests in broadly diversified portfolios of mutual funds, stocks, ETFs, structured notes and individual bonds. When appropriate, the firm may enlist the help of third-party asset managers and sub-advisors.

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Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers is a fee-only practice based in Boise. There is a small team financial advisors handling this money. The advisory team features two chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and a certified public accountant (CPA).

This fee-only firm calls for a minimum investment of $1 million for new clients, though this requirement may be waived under certain circumstances. Its client base consists of mostly high-net-worth individuals, though it also serves non-high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, corporations, government entities and charitable organizations, as well.

As a fee-only firm, Mountain Pacific's advisors do not sell finanical products and services for commissions. Instead, the firm and its advisors are compensated solely via client-paid fees, avoiding the conflicts of interest inherent to third-party compensation. 

Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers Background

Established in 1973, independently-owned Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers is the oldest firm on this list. Principals William "Bill" Palumbo and Bruce Reeder founded the firm and remain its owners to this day. The duo averages around 40 years of experience in finance. Matthew Lindstrom and Nathan Oakley are also principal owners of the business. 

In general, Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers provides investment management and financial planning. At a deeper level, though, the firm is focused on asset allocation planning, performance reporting, coordination with legal and tax advisors, investor profile development and more.

Mountain Pacific Investment Advisers Investment Strategy

Mountain Pacific adheres to a growth-at-a-reasonable-price (GARP) philosophy for its common stock investments, using a bottom-up approach to identify undervalued companies with sustainable growth potential. The firm's strategy focuses on companies with moderate price-to-earnings ratios, proven management teams, recurring revenue and strong growth drivers like innovation or acquisitions.

When it comes to investing in fixed income, the firm uses laddered maturities to reduce interest rate risk, balancing portfolios against stock market volatility. Fixed-income investments include corporate debt, U.S. government securities, certificates of deposit and ETFs.

For clients with smaller portfolios, Mountain Pacific invests in broad-based index funds rather than individual securities and actively managed mutual funds, aiming for market exposure with lower risk. Although their strategies may have significant tax implications, tax efficiency is not Mountain Pacific's primary focus. They recommend ongoing consultation with a tax professional to address these potential impacts.

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RW Investment Management, located in Eagle, is the next firm on our list. This firm mainly services individuals both with and without a high net worth. Other clients include retirement plans, charities and other businesses. The firm provides clients with a range of advisory services and has no minimum account balance. While it once charged a minimum annual fee for its services, RW Investment Management no longer requires a minimum annual fee. 

Since some advisors at RW are insurance agents and can sell insurance products for a commission, the firm is considered fee-based. This potential conflict of interest is mitigated by the firm's fiduciary duty, which requires it to act in clients' best interests at all times.

However, the firm has several credentialed advisors on staff, including several Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs). 

RW Investment Management Background

RW Investment Management was founded in 2014 and is the result of a merger between Perpetua Group and Rathbone Warwick Investment Management. It is owned by Ryan Warwick, Raleigh Vachek, Kimberly Jaques, Melissa Jenkins, Michael Fitzgerald and Bryan Rund – all of whom work at the firm as wealth advisors or in other roles. 

RW provides a variety of financial advisory services, including portfolio management, financial planning and pension consulting. The vast majority of the firm's assets are managed on a discretionary basis, which means clients give the firm full autonomy to makes trades and transactions within their accounts. 

RW Investment Management Investment Strategy

RW tailors its investment strategies to the individual wants and needs of all clients. In order to effectively do so, the firm's advisor meet extensively with clients to determine their tolerance for risk, desired investment plans, time horizon, need for liquidity and anything else deemed relevant.

Once the client and the advisor have agreed upon an investment plan, the firm typically invests a clients assets across ETFs, mutual funds, stocks, bonds and other securities. 

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Pinkerton Retirement Specialists (PRS) in Coeur d’Alene is the next firm on our list of the top-rated advisors in Idaho. The firm provides services to non-high-net-worth individuals, high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, trusts and estates. For PRS’ Comprehensive Wealth Management program, the firm requires a household minimum account size of $500,000. The minimum for its ePortfolio service is lower at $200,000.

PRS is a fee-based firm, which means some advisors may earn compensation from third parties for selling insurance products to advisory clients, which is a conflict of interest. While this form of compensation incentivizes advisors to recommend certain products and services over others that may be more appropriate, the firm has a fiduciary duty to act in its clients' best interests. 

The team of advisors at PRS has a wide range of certifications, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and chartered financial analyst (CFA) designations. The firm also has advisors on staff who have earned the certified portfolio manager (CPM), certified kingdom advisor (CKA), certified estate and trust specialist (CES), certified fund specialist (CFS), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) and accredited investment fiduciary advisor (AIFA) certifications.

Pinkerton Retirement Specialists Background 

Pinkerton Retirement Specialists has been in business since 1987. Managing partner Dan Pinkerton and his wife, Kathryn Pinkerton, serve as the owners. 

The firm specializes in asset management. However, it may provide its portfolio management clients with written financial plans and consultations. These may cover saving for retirement, managing your estate, meeting your insurance needs, managing taxes and more.

Pinkerton Retirement Specialists Investment Strategy

PRS uses its own proprietary scoring methodology when evaluating securities for investment. The firm describes this methodology as a non-emotional formula that seeks to capture growth in emerging markets while minimizing exposure to down-trending markets. 

It invests these securities in portfolio models as it deems appropriate to its clients based on their individual situation. Here's an example of a couple: 

• Active Portfolio: invests in actively managed mutual funds that scored at least eight to 12 points on the firm’s rating scale. Asset allocation typically ranges from 100% equity to 20% equity and 80% fixed-income. 
• Passive Portfolio: invests in index funds that scored at least eight to 12 points on the firm’s ratings scale. Asset allocation usually spans 100% fixed-income to 20% equity and 80% fixed-income. 

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Buffington Mohr McNeal is a fee-only firm located in central Boise. On staff, you'll find Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs).

This firm has almost twice as many non-high-net-worth individuals in its client base than their high-net-worth counterparts. However, the latter is responsible for the majority of the firm's assets under management (AUM). Businesses, charitable organizations, government entities and retirement plans are also typical clients of the firm.

There is no minimum investment requirement here.

Buffington Mohr McNeal Background

Co-founders Bruce Mohr, Carey McNeal and M. Dean Buffington opened Buffington Mohr McNeal in 1998. Buffington, who passed away in 2020, sold his personal shares of the firm in 2014, leaving McNeal and Mohr as the firm's primary owners.

In regard to investment-specific services, Buffington Mohr McNeal can offer individual discretionary portfolio management and separate investment consulting. The firm does also provide a plethora of financial planning services, such as retirement planning, tax management, insurance review, estate planning, cash flow planning and more.

Buffington Mohr McNeal Investment Strategy

Buffington Mohr McNeal has designed two distinct asset allocations: one based on a core of equities and the other based on a core of fixed-income securities. Rather than contain solely equities or fixed-income, the firm looks to build a mix of investments to ensure that the asset allocation is both well diversified and in line with your risk tolerance. Should you prefer either one of these core strategies, the firm will let you dictate which you want. If not, your portfolio will be created on a discretionary basis based on your risk tolerance, time horizon and income needs.

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You won't need to meet a minimum account balance requirement to work with Aspen Capital Management, a fee-only advisory firm located in Boise. However, the firm does charge a minimum quarterly fee of $1,250, which means you'll pay at least $5,000 per year in management fees.

The majority of the firm's clients are individuals with a high net worth. The firm also maintains relationships with charitable organizations, non-high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts and estates.

The team at Aspen Capital Management features advisors with the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and chartered alternative investment analyst (CAIA) designations.

Aspen Capital Management Background

Lead financial advisor Mike Mers founded Aspen Capital Management in 2002. Today, he owns 85% of the firm's shares, while Katie Dow and Rachel Rant own 10% and 5% of the business, respectively. 

The firm offers ongoing asset management services, as well as financial planning. The latter may include the identification of financial challenges, cash flow management, education funding, retirement planning, and limited estate planning. The firm can also provide limited investment tax planning and limited estate planning services. 

Aspen Capital Management Investment Strategy

Aspen Capital Management employs a strategic asset allocation approach to investing client assets and managing their portfolios. The firm typically focuses on global equity, global REITs and multi-sector bond funds. Using mutual funds and ETFs from Dimensional Fund Advisors, Aspen strives to build globally diversified portfolios that mitigate risks associated with traditional markets.

While strategic asset allocation is the primary investment method, Aspen Capital Management retains the flexibility to adjust strategies if it believes such changes are in the client's best interest. Each client’s investment strategy is personalized based on their specific financial goals, risk tolerance, and desired asset allocation, all of which are documented in an Investment Policy Statement. 

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Perspective Wealth Partners, a fee-only firm, works almost entirely with individual clients. About two-thirds of them are high-net-worth individuals, while the rest of non-high-net-worth individuals. The firm's small institutional client base consists of a handful of charitable organizations.

There is no specific account minimum at Perspective Wealth for new clients. The firm's advisory team includes several certified public accountants (CPAs) and one Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®).

As a fee-only practice, Perspective's advisors do no sell securities or insurance policies for commissions. 

Perspective Wealth Partners Background

Perspective Wealth Partners was established in 2006 by president, CEO and founder James Bailey. Bailey is the principal owner of the firm, along with chief financial officer (CFO) Travis Schatt, who owns a minority stake. 

There are a variety of investment and general financial planning services available through this firm. These include investment analysis, budgeting, risk management, insurance planning, retirement planning, stock option planning, education fund planning and more.

Perspective Wealth Partners Investment Strategy

Perspective Wealth Partners' investment philosophy is based on the idea that it focuses on your comprehensive situation as a client. This involves working with you to formulate an investment policy statement that detail everything your financial plan and investment portfolio should account for. For example, that involves your risk tolerance, time horizon, income needs and long-term financial goals.

As your portfolio ages, your advisor will consistently review your returns and how they affect your portfolios' overall asset allocation. Depending on how things shake out, your portfolio may be rebalanced. The firm can offer advice on a range of securities and asset classes, including: exchange-listed securities and securities traded over-the-counter, corporate debt securities, commercial paper, municipal securities, mutual funds, certificiates of deposit, as well as interests in real estate partnerships. 

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The Helmstar Group, located in Boise, has a higher account minimum than most of the other firms on this list. The firm requires an initial account balance of at least $500,000. In certain situations, though, the firm may be willing to accept clients who have less than that. It currently works with more non-high-net-worth individuals than their high-net-worth counterparts. Other clients include charities and government entities.

The firm also features a solid number of advisor certifications, featuring several Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), a certified public accountant (CPA) and a chartered financial consultant (ChFC). As a fee-based firm, some of these advisors can sell insurance products on a commission basis. While this presents a potential conflict of interest, the firm's fiduciary duty binds it to act in clients' best interests.

The Helmstar Group Background

The Helmstar Group was established by co-founders Ben Boettcher and Tom Steelman in 2007. The duo remains the principal owners of the firm, and they share over 40 years of combined experience in financial services.

The firm offers the following services: 

• Investment management
• Financial independence modeling
• Retirement and distribution planning
• Estate planning and wealth transfer strategies
• Asset allocation and custom portfolio design
• Health care and long-term care planning
• Risk management and asset protection strategies
• Tax minimization strategies and tax efficient portfolio design
• Philanthropic planning strategies and enhancement

The Helmstar Group Investment Strategy

Five concepts make up the core of what The Helmstar Group believes will result in a well-performing portfolio: asset allocation, portfolio structure, tax management, multiple specialist managers and continuous portfolio management. The firm says that it most often invests its clients’ assets in mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Your advisor will further tailor your account to meet your liquidity needs, so you can see returns in the near future if necessary. This short-term ideology is paired with a long-term mindset to ensure sustained growth. The balance between these opposing notions varies, however, depending on your time horizon.

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Onyx Financial Advisors, based in Idaho Falls, concludes our list of the top advisory firms in Idaho. Onyx works with individuals above and below the high-net-worth threshold, as well as trusts, estates and pension and profit sharing plans.

The firm operates on a fee-only basis and generally requires a minimum of $500,000 in assets under management, which corresponds to an minimum annual fee of $5,000. However, Onyx may adjust these fees or waive the minimum requirement based on various factors including the client's future earning potential, additional anticipated assets, the total amount of assets managed, account types, previous fee arrangements, market competition and client negotiations.

The Onyx team of advisors includes Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®) and certified public accountants (CPAs), among other professional designations.

Onyx Financial Advisors Background

Founded in 2005, the firm is collectively managed by multiple owners, including Terry L. Roe, Deborah L. Roe, Aaron Sautter, Candace Sautter and Lyndsay Goody.

This firm offers a comprehensive suite of services tailored to meet the unique financial needs of each client. These services include evaluating the client's current financial situation, setting personal goals such as retirement, supporting family members, charitable giving, and legacy planning. The firm also conducts thorough reviews of tax planning, life insurance, long-term care planning and existing debts.

Additional services include estate and education planning with funding recommendations, detailed investment advice, and specific recommendations tailored to individual needs.

Onyx Financial Advisors Investment Strategy

Onyx uses a multifaceted investment strategy that includes value investing, international diversification, and a mix of asset classes such as small and large company stocks, growth stocks, bonds, real estate and cash management. The firm tailors its investment approaches based on several key client characteristics, including each client's ability, willingness, and need to take risks, alongside their specific goals, financial situation and investment objectives.

The firm typically invests client assets in no-load mutual funds, ETFs, equities and various debt instruments such as corporate debt securities, commercial paper, as well as municipal and U.S. government securities.