Top Financial Advisors in Mechanicsburg, PA

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LifeGuide Financial Advisors ranks No. 1 on our list of the top advisors in Mechanicsburg. Most of the firm’s clients are non-high-net-worth individuals, but it also serves high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates and charitable organizations. The firm generally doesn't require an account minimum but does charge a minimum annual fee of $1,800 per household.

The firm has the largest team of advisors on this list. Several of those professionals hold the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), certified kingdom advisor (CKA) and chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC) designations.

The firm is fee-only, receiving compensation exclusively through advisory fees rather than commissions for selling products. Advisory fees may be charged as a percentage of assets under management, on a flat or hourly basis or as project fees depending on the service arrangement.

LifeGuide Financial Advisors was founded in 2013. Today, its services are structured into programs designed around client needs and asset levels. These range from one-time financial plans to ongoing planning and investment management. Areas of focus may include retirement planning, investment planning, savings strategies, insurance needs, tax planning, education funding and charitable giving. 

LifeGuide Financial employs a long-term, strategic asset allocation approach, typically constructing portfolios with diversified, low-cost mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Depending on client needs, portfolios may also include individual stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, fee-based annuities. Portfolios may also include certain alternative investments such as real estate investment trusts, private placements or structured notes.

Guardian Asset Advisors is a fee-based firm that provides investment management, financial planning and retirement plan consulting services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, charitable organizations and businesses. There is no account minimum at Guardian Asset Advisors. 

The firm offers customized asset management, detailed financial plans and guidance on areas such as retirement, estate, education, charitable giving, tax planning, real estate and insurance analysis. It also works with third-party money managers and makes available wrap fee programs through Osaic Wealth.

As a fee-based practice, its advisors may sell securities or insurance products and receive commissions, which creates potential conflicts of interest. This is distinct from a fee-only compensation model, in which revenue comes exclusively from the fees that clients pay. Despite these potential conflicts, the firm and its advisors must put clients' interests ahead of their own. 

Guardian Asset Advisors builds portfolios around the principles of modern portfolio theory, emphasizing diversification and asset allocation over market timing. Client portfolios may include individual stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, as well as other public or private investments. The firm typically invests with a long-term perspective, using both fundamental and technical analysis while aiming to match strategies to each client’s objectives and constraints.

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Founded in 2002, IFS Group is the oldest practice on this list. It provides a range of advisory services to a client base made up entirely of individuals and high-net-worth individuals. The firm, which is also open to working with corporations and government entities, has a standard minimum account size of $100,000, though this may be waived.

IFS Group creates tailored investment policy statements for clients, addressing goals such as retirement, education, tax planning and risk management. In addition to managing traditional investment portfolios, IFS sponsors a wrap fee program through LPL Financial’s Strategic Wealth Management Platform, where clients pay a single fee covering both management and transaction costs. 

The firm is fee-based, as some investment advisor representatives may receive commissions from the sale of securities or insurance products or securities in addition to advisory fees. This represents a potential conflict of interest because IFS Group representatives have a financial incentive to make certain recommendations over others. However, the firm has a fiduciary duty to disclose theses potential conflicts and act in your best interest. 

IFS Group has a team of advisors and financial planners who hold a variety of professional credentials, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF) and accredited asset management specialist (AAMS) designations.

Its investment approach blends several methods of analysis, including fundamental, technical, cyclical quantitative analysis, as well as modern portfolio theory. Portfolios may include mutual funds, equities, fixed income securities, ETFs (including precious metal funds), real estate funds, REITs, commodities, annuities, non-U.S. securities, venture capital funds and private placements. The firm employs long-term investing while also using options and margin strategies when appropriate, always considering tax impacts and tailoring portfolios to each client’s objectives.

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Avantra Family Wealth rounds out our list of the top financial advisors in Mechanicsburg. Founded in 2017, it is the youngest practice on this list. 

This fee-based firm provides comprehensive wealth management services that combine investment management and financial planning. The firm works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, as well as their trusts and estates. There is no stated minimum account size, though clients may pay minimum annual or fixed fees depending on the type of planning or advisory service engaged. Areas where Avantra assists include retirement and education planning, investment strategy, insurance needs, divorce financial planning and charitable giving, in addition to ongoing portfolio management and supervision.

Avantra’s founder and CEO Kim Lee Kenawell holds several financial certifications, namely the chartered retirement planning counselor (CRPC), certified divorce financial analyst (CDFA) and accredited wealth management advisor (AWMA) designations.

However, in addition to charging advisory fees, advisors on staff may earn commissions for selling securities or insurance products, which creates conflicts of interest. Clients are not obligated to purchase these products through the firm’s personnel. When acting in an advisory capacity (vs. a sales capacity), the firm and its advisors must abide by fiduciary duty. 

The firm develops tailored investment strategies that reflect each client’s goals, risk tolerance and circumstances. Portfolios are primarily built with mutual funds, ETFs, individual stocks and fixed income securities, though legacy holdings may be retained and independent managers may be engaged when appropriate. 

Avantra uses both fundamental and technical analysis, meaning it evaluates factors such as company financial health, economic conditions, and market ratios, while also reviewing historical price patterns and trends in securities markets. The firm typically takes a long-term approach, but it may make shorter-term adjustments based on client needs or market conditions.