MagnifyMoney 
If you’re looking for a financial advisor in Indiana’s capital and aren’t sure where to start, this list of the top financial advisors in Indianapolis can help make the process less overwhelming. Finding the right advisor in Indianapolis — or in any city in the Hoosier state, for that matter — requires figuring out what your financial needs and goals are as well as how much you’re able to spend.
Once you figure that out, you’ll need to compare firms and data points. In the hopes of making that easier, we compiled the most pertinent information on a number of financial advisors in Indianapolis. To determine the best advisors in the city, we focused on firms that manage individual accounts and offer financial planning. We then ranked these firms based on assets under management (AUM). All data used in our methodology is taken from each firm’s most recent Form ADV filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Our ranking is meant to suggest which firm will be best for you, but hopefully having this information in hand can make your search for an advisor simpler. Check out our list below for the top firms in Indianapolis and what you need to know about them:
| Firm name | Minimum assets required | Fee structure |
|---|---|---|
| Sanctuary Advisors, LLC | None, though individual advisors may have minimum requirements |
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| Winthrop Capital Management | $500,000 for discretionary management |
|
| Windsor Wealth Management, Inc. | Not specified, but $3,500 minimum annual fee for portfolio management |
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| Bedel Financial Consulting Inc | None, but $5,000 minimum annual fee |
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| Axia Advisory | Not specified |
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| Column Capital Advisors, LLC | $1 million |
|
| Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors, LLC | $500,000 |
|
| Thurston Springer Advisors | $25,000 |
|
Sanctuary Advisors, LLC launched in 2015. The firm is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sanctuary Wealth, a platform that helps advisors create their own firms. The firm is headquartered in Indianapolis but also has additional locations throughout the U.S., including in Chicago; San Antonio, Texas; Austin, Texas; and Miami.
Sanctuary Advisors offers portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting services, private fund management and assistance with advisor selection. The firm works with individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations and pension and profit-sharing plans. Its individual client base includes both individuals who are and are not considered high net worth, a threshold the SEC defines as having at least $750,000 under an advisor’s management or a net worth believed to be at least $1.5 million.
Sanctuary Advisors primarily invests in traditional assets like individual equities and fixed-income investments, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The firm could consider other types of investments when appropriate.
Typically, Sanctuary Advisors use a long-term strategy with a focus on diversification according to a client’s goals, financial situation and risk tolerance. The firm generally tries to avoid riskier strategies like short-term trading, margin leverage and short selling unless necessary, though it could use options depending on a client’s needs.
Sanctuary Advisors does report a disciplinary disclosure related to its affiliate, Sanctuary Securities, Inc. The incident is related to a finding by a self-regulatory agency that the advisory affiliates had been involved in a violation of its rules.
For reference, all firms registered with the SEC are required to report in their Form ADV paperwork any civil, criminal or regulatory events from the last 10 years involving the firm or its employees or affiliates. For more information on Sanctuary Advisors, visit the firm’s IAPD page.
Greg Hahn founded Winthrop Capital Management in 2007. He remains the firm’s owner, president and chief investment officer. Winthrop Capital Management only has one location and it is in Indianapolis.
Winthrop Capital Management partners with other advisors, insurance companies and financial institutions. These advisors and consultants use Winthrop Capital Management as an intermediary to help their own clients. Winthrop Capital Management offers investment advice and consulting, portfolio modeling and access to its portfolios under a sub-advisory arrangement.
Although Winthrop Capital Management has accepted some individual clients directly, the primary way to access its services is by signing up with another financial advisor that has partnered with the firm. If Winthrop Capital Management does accept an individual client for discretionary management, it typically needs a minimum portfolio of at least $500,000.
Winthrop Capital Management describes its investment philosophy as a combination between a “top-down” view of the global economy and markets, mixed with individual security selection. The firm primarily builds equity and fixed income portfolios, but is open to using a wide range of securities, such as ETFs, mortgage-backed securities, options and warrants, to name a few.
The outside advisors that partner with Winthrop Capital Management decide which of these portfolios and strategies to use for their clients. These advisors remain the main point of contact for the clients, even though Winthrop Capital Management is handling the investment.
However, Winthrop Capital Management is responsible for reevaluating portfolios daily and constantly looking for opportunities to buy and sell positions. It believes that this approach is best suited for high net worth individuals and institutions with larger portfolios.
Winthrop Capital Management does not have any disciplinary disclosures to report for the firm or its employees or affiliates, indicating it has a record free of any civil, criminal or regulatory events within the last 10 years. For more information on Winthrop Capital Management, visit the firm’s IAPD page.
Channing Mitzell and Randall Clark launched Windsor Wealth Management, Inc. in 1986. They are still the firm’s principals and primary owners, though several of the firm’s other advisors are also minority shareholders. Windsor Wealth Management’s headquarters in Indianapolis is its only office location.
Windsor Wealth Management offers financial planning and portfolio management. The firm also provides trust and custodial services through its partnership with National Advisors Trust. Windsor Wealth Management works with individuals (both who are and are not considered high net worth per the SEC’s definition, which is either $750,000 under management or a net worth of at least $1.5 million), as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, charitable organizations, trusts and estates. Additionally, the firm’s website highlights its work in particular with Fortune 500 executives, medical professionals, widows and other affluent professionals.
Windsor Wealth Management uses a multi-advisor and multi-fund approach. When a client signs on, they are matched with a team of financial advisors and planners who design their portfolio.
Windsor Wealth Management believes that this approach can help reduce risk and improve returns, versus working with just one advisor or fund. In general, the firm builds client portfolios with a focus on getting the right allocation of uncorrelated investments as it believes this can also reduce risk.
In its Form ADV filing, Windsor Wealth Management reports that neither the firm nor its employees or affiliates have been involved in any criminal actions, civil actions or enforcement proceedings over the last decade. As such, the firm does not have any disciplinary disclosures.
For further information, visit Windsor Wealth Management’s IAPD page.
Elaine Kops-Bedel launched Bedel Financing Consulting in 1989. She remains the firm’s president, CEO and principal owner while Evan D. Bedel is the minority owner, as well as the firm’s director of strategy and finance.
Bedel Financial Consulting has its headquarters in Indianapolis, which is the firm’s only office location. The firm offers investment management, financial planning, retirement planning and multi-generational planning services. It mainly works with individuals, including high net worth individuals, though a few of its clients are charitable organizations and corporations.
Bedel Financial Consulting recommends a comprehensive wealth management approach, in which the investing strategy is connected to a client’s overall financial plan. The firm typically includes basic financial planning with its investment management services.
Bedel Financial Consulting builds portfolios primarily using mutual funds and notes that it helps its clients qualify for lower cost share classes, due to its size. The firm could also consider using alternative assets and active investment strategies depending on a client’s needs. While Bedel Financial Consulting does look for potential opportunities for higher gains, in general it avoids trying to time the market.
Bedel Financial Consulting does not have any disciplinary disclosures to report. For reference, the SEC requires all registered investment advisors (RIAs) to report such events in their Form ADV paperwork, including any civil, criminal or regulatory events involving the firm, its employees or its affiliates from within the last 10 years.
For further information on the firm, visit Bedel Financial Consulting’s IAPD page.
Axia Advisory opened in 1992. Its president, Keith Shadrick, is the firm’s owner. The firm is based out of Indianapolis and that is its only office location.
Axia Advisory’s three main services are retirement plan consulting, investment management consulting and private wealth management. The firm primarily works with retirement plans, but it also works with individuals (including high net worth individuals), pooled investment vehicles, charitable organizations, corporations, trusts and estates.
Axia Advisory bases its portfolio recommendations on two famous investment theories: Modern Portfolio Management and the Prudent Investor Rule. These theories recommend basing investment decisions on how they impact the entire portfolio, not in isolation.
Axia Advisory uses these theories to design customized portfolios for its clients that prioritize diversification for risk management. Besides managing risk, the firm also aims to reduce unnecessary investment costs while generating a long-term return over inflation.
Axia Advisory’s Form ADV paperwork shows that it has no legal or disciplinary events to report. This includes any civil, regulatory or criminal events involving the firm, its employees or its affiliates from within the last 10 years. The SEC requires all registered investment advisors to report such events in their filings.
For further information and to view the firm’s SEC paperwork, you can view its IAPD page.
Column Capital Advisors was formed in 2005. The firm is owned by three of its directors: Brian Upchurch, Kevin Sweet and Jeffrey Yu. Column Capital Advisors has its headquarters in Indianapolis, which is its only office location.
The firm offers investment management, financial planning and specialized tax services for high net worth individuals. Though Column Capital Advisors mainly works with high net worth individuals and their families, in some circumstances it can also work with retirement plans, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, charitable organizations, trusts and estates. Additionally, a small portion of its client base are individuals who do not qualify as high net worth. In general, however, the firm requires a minimum relationship size of $1 million.
Column Capital Advisors bases its investment decisions on Modern Portfolio Theory. This theory leads the firm to prioritize finding the right portfolio asset allocation to balance risk and return for a client. It generally uses mutual funds and ETFs in client portfolios, though clients may own individual stocks and bonds through third-party managers.
The firm also respects the theory of “efficient markets,” which predicts that it is very difficult — if not impossible — to beat the average market return by picking individual securities. Column Capital Advisors instead focuses mostly on long-term investing to minimize costs and only makes short-term trades if it meets a specific client objective or in special situations.
Column Capital Advisors does not have any legal or disciplinary events reported in its SEC filing. This means that neither the firm nor its employees or affiliates have faced any civil, regulatory or criminal actions in the last 10 years.
For further information on Column Capital Advisors, go to its IAPD page.
Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors, LLC began operating in 2001. Its principal owners are David Sheaff Gilreath and Ronald Robert Brock, who are also the firm’s managing directors. Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors has its headquarters and only location in Indianapolis.
The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, model marketplace services and consulting. In general, the firm requires a minimum investment of $500,000 for its individual and model portfolio management services.
Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors works with individuals, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, estates and charitable organizations. It also helps design portfolios and offers consulting to other advisors, financial institutions and model marketplace platforms.
Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors has designed a number of growth and income portfolios that investors can choose between. For example, the firm’s “Bulls of the Dow” portfolio tracks the 10 strongest performers in the Dow Jones Industrials Index for each quarter while its “Covered Call” income portfolio picks high-quality income stocks that protect against losses with call options.
Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors is also willing to custom design portfolios for very specific goals and risk tolerances. The firm generally uses a mix of long-term, short-term and options strategies to design its clients’ portfolios.
Like any RIA, Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors must disclose any disciplinary actions against the firm or its affiliates in the paperwork it files with the SEC. Sheaff Brock Investment Advisors does not have anything to report, meaning it has a clean disciplinary record.
For more information on the firm, visit its IAPD page.
A newly created financial advisory, Thurston Springer Advisors is the successor of Thurston Springer Financial (formerly Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak), a firm that was founded in 1981. Thurston Springer Advisors is partly employee-owned, with its chairman of the board, CEO, president and chief compliance officer all holding stakes, alongside Financial Services Holdings, LLC.
The firm offers services including financial planning, multi-generational planning, portfolio management and reviews and fee-based management services. It can also offer consultation on a wide range of topics, including retirement plans. Clients of Thurston Springer are largely individual investors, with the vast majority being those without a high net worth. It also serves trusts and estates.
In addition to its headquarters in Indianapolis, Thurston Springer Advisors has over 20 additional office locations throughout the U.S.
Thurston Springer Advisors may use a wide range of investment strategies, including a buy and hold strategy, asset allocation, rebalancing and value investing. Additionally the firm may use long- or short-term purchases, trading, short sales, option writing and transactions on margin.
Generally, portfolios are constructed using mutual funds, stocks and bonds. However, investment advice will be tailored to the specific financial goals and needs of the clients, which will shape how the client’s portfolio is ultimately invested. Clients can also request or impose restrictions on certain types of securities.
Thurston Spring Advisors reports no disclosures on its Form ADV, meaning it has a clean disciplinary record. This includes any civil, criminal or regulatory events within the last 10 years involving either the firm or its employees or advisory affiliates.
To learn more about Thurston Springer Advisors and to view its Form ADV, visit its IAPD page.
In Indianapolis, you owe income tax to Marion County as well as to the state of Indiana. The amount you’ll owe is relatively easy to figure out because both charge a flat tax that is the same rate for all income brackets. Marion County charges 1.62% while Indiana charges 3.23%.
Indiana does not charge a state-level estate or inheritance tax, so your advisor just has to help you manage state-level income taxes as well as any applicable federal taxes.
No, they do not. As you could see in this review, some advisors named retirement planning as a specialty while others focused on other areas, like portfolio management or consulting. If retirement planning is your top need, look for an advisor who specializes in this area.
Organizations like the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and the XY Planning Network have national databases of fee-only advisors that you can use to find a fee-only financial advisor in Indianapolis. Advisors also typically state whether they are fee-only on their website and/or on their official brochure. Finally, if you are unsure, you could ask an advisor whether they are fee-only during your initial consultation.
Finding the best financial advisor in Indianapolis depends on many different factors. Some to consider include whether the advisor has the right specialty for your needs, whether you qualify for the account minimum required, what fees the advisor charges and whether there’s a personality match between the two of you. Consider meeting with a few advisors to ask them these questions as they will help you identify the best match for you.
For our search, we looked at firms across the city of Indianapolis. All of the firms considered are bound by fiduciary duty, registered with the SEC and offer individual account management and financial planning services. Information used for our methodology criteria is taken directly from each firm’s most recent Form ADV filing and brochure, found on the IAPD database.
To localize our results for this list, we exclusively looked at firms that met the above criteria and had their headquarters in Indianapolis, as per the address provided in the Form ADV. Of those firms, we only considered those that offer financial planning services and portfolio management to individual investors. To be considered for this list, firms also could have no more than one disciplinary disclosure in the past 10 years. From there, the remaining firms that met all of the above stipulations were ranked in order of highest to lowest AUM, as this is an indication of a firm’s size and how many assets it has been entrusted to manage.
In our reviews, we have also listed several other key features that will help you determine which financial advisor may be most fitting for your investing style and financial needs. While our ranking system and methodology is designed to help you compare firms, it does not indicate which firm may be best for you. All information here is accurate as of February 11, 2022, but we urge you to also evaluate these firms on adviserinfo.sec.gov.
David RodeckDavid Rodeck is a financial freelance writer for MagnifyMoney. He has been writing for over a decade and also contributes to Forbes Advisor, Kiplinger and other financial publications. Before writing full-time, David was a financial advisor.
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