Velocity Wealth Management rejects the traditional way of financial planning. Their ways are rather unconventional, but have seen great results for most of their clients.

The owner, Brandon Capps, worked on establishing the company back in 2005. He remains completely hands-on in the business to this day.

In fact, we’ve heard that most clients work with him directly. And apparently, he’s a stand-up guy who’s truly knowledgeable and easy to talk to.

Another big plus in our book is that they’re incredibly responsive and accommodating to their clients. Even on weekends, they go out of their way to answer queries or politely acknowledge messages they receive.

What we like about them is how they focus on cost-effective asset class investing. This is an efficient market investment approach that doesn’t chase returns; rather, they capture risk dimensions through strategic academic and scientific research.

Now to clear up any confusion, all that basically means is that they’re able to lower their clients’ transaction costs and increase the potential for enhanced returns. 

They call this their “structurally engineered portfolio,” which is what a lot of their investor clients make use of. Though, we can see how this may present some wariness for those used to more traditional methods.

They can be picky in who they work with, but they specialize in advising dentists, medical physicians, pharmacists, executives, and pre-retirees. 

Creative Planning is an independent private wealth management firm. We like that they aren’t affiliated with investment companies, which gives us confidence that they make recommendations for their clients’ best interests.

Most of their clients attest to this. We’ve heard that they do this by providing multiple perspectives without being too pushy on their laid out strategies.

They’re long-term thinkers who are able to help their clients plan for the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years. What’s more is that they’re able to explain confusing and complicated strategies into understandable concepts.

We also like that they have a diverse team of professionals. Their in-house certified financial planners, certified public accounts, attorneys, and investment specialists all work together to come up with comprehensive plans.

Apparently, the plans they draw up for clients are quite detailed and thorough. They highlight actionable goals, too, alongside measurable statistics to track progress.

One of their planners, Tigran Luciano, seems to be a favorite among their clients. We’ve heard that he’s always willing to speak to clients in person or over the phone, and is patient in answering any queries they have for him.

However, it seems that this attitude isn’t consistent among all their staff members. We’ve heard that some of them take longer to respond to inquiries, while others are dismissive or rude at times.

We do hope they address this, as it really hurts their customer service reputation.

Endeavor Advisors is another independent firm that’s well-known across the valley. They’re a fee-only, fiduciary firm with a wide scope of financial services available to clients.

We really like that they have no commission incentives and conflicts of interest. This allows them to provide sound solutions with the clients’ best interests at heart.

One of the main things that clients love about them is that they make financial planning no-fuss, hassle-free, and easy to understand. This bodes really well for the uninitiated, as we understand how easy it is to get lost in technical jargon.

When it comes to making investments, they have their unique Disciplined Wealth Portfolio. It’s a time-tested, evidence-based strategy that most of their clients make use of.

And when it comes to financial planning, they provide a comprehensive feasibility study that covers everything – your social security, tax clarity, and more.

While they don’t claim to specialize in retirement planning, we have heard that they are quite the experts at it. It seems that most of their clients come from referrals out of this service – which to us is a telltale sign of client satisfaction.

We do think they could work on being more responsive, though, as some clients have had to make several calls to get a hold of someone. And we’d like to point out that their fees skew to the pricier side.

Alison Stine is the brains behind Stine Wealth Management. She’s a Retirement Income Certified Professional and is passionate about helping her clients make the best use out of their assets.

Even though the firm is just two years old, she has already solidified her place in the industry. Not only does she manage successful clients, but she also has quite a few feathers on her cap.

She was among Phoenix Business Journal’s 2022 Most Admired Leaders and is part of the 2022 Under 40 in Wealth Management of the American Bankers Association. She also remains active in several local organizations.

Suffice it to say, she’s an industry-recognized expert in her field. And because of this, most of her clients are confident that they’re in good hands.

Apparently, she’s a one-stop shop for any financial need you might have. She has a good scope of services available for both short-term and long-term goals.

We also hear that she displays an excellent level of professionalism in the sense that she’s always prompt and comes prepared to meetings. And she has a good sense of humor, too!

Because she’s so hands-on in the business, she can only take a few clients at a time. So, you may have to wait a bit if you’d like to hire her as your financial advisor.

Fullerton Financial Planning has been around since 2004. Mainly, they were founded upon their owners – Steve and Stephanie’s – goal to help clients achieve financial confidence.

And to this day, they’re able to do this for a wide client base. Their services are available even for those as young as college students.

They understand that budgetary needs are unique for every stage in life. So, they work out individualized plans unique to every client.

We love how practical their approach to financial planning and advising is. Getting a financial advisor has a reputation for being an “adult” thing to do, but they’re able to make the process non-intimidating and easy-to-understand.

For those looking to retire soon, they also offer retirement plans that are solid and forward-thinking as far as 20 years. Upon meeting with you and understanding your goals, they will draft a comprehensive roadmap on how to achieve those.

A downside that we’ve heard is that they seem to encounter quite a few hiccups in scheduling appointments. A few clients have experienced being double-booked; hence sudden cancellations.

Also, they apparently send a lot of emails that some already consider to be spammy. While you can opt out of this, we still think they could properly regulate the amount of promotional materials they send out.

All things considered, though, we think they’re a good financial firm that clients of all ages can come to.