MagnifyMoney 
If you’re just starting your search for a financial advisor in Portland, there’s no shortage of options in Oregon’s most-populated city. But it’s just like deciding which book to buy at Powell’s Books: Choosing a financial advisor comes down to your personal preferences and needs at a point in time.
To help you kick off your search in the right direction, the MagnifyMoney team has curated a list of the best financial advisors in Portland. We’ve gone through the rest so that you can start with the best. To read up more on how we created our list, check out our methodology and how we use a firm’s Form ADV to confirm key data points.
As you’ll always be the best judge of who’s the best advisor for you, we hope our list of the top financial advisors in Portland will help you find your ideal financial partner.
| Firm | Minimum assets required | Fee structure |
|---|---|---|
| Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, Inc. | $4 million for Ferguson Wellman Capital Management; $1 million for West Bearing, a division of the company |
|
| Becker Capital Management, Inc. | $1 million for individuals |
|
| Arnerich Massena, Inc. | $3 million for individuals and families |
|
| Vista Capital Partners, Inc. | $2 million |
|
| Cable Hill Partners, LLC | None required, but has a minimum annual fee of $10,000 for investment management |
|
| Sloy, Dahl & Holst, LLC | None required |
|
| Deschutes Investment Consulting, LLC | $250,000 |
|
| Multnomah Group, Inc. | $250,000 |
|
Established in 1975, Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, Inc. offers wealth management and investment management services to individuals who are and are not considered high net worth (for reference, the SEC defines high net worth as having at least $750,000 under an advisor’s management or a net worth believed to be at least $1.5 million). The firm also works with institutions and retirement plans.
There are two divisions within the firm: Ferguson Wellman Capital Management works with clients who have $4 million or more in investable assets, while West Bearing Investments, a division of the firm established in 2013, works with clients with $1 million or more in assets. The firm’s headquarters is in Portland, with an additional office in Bellevue, Wash. Eleven employees and shareholders own the firm.
Each client of Ferguson Wellman Capital Management receives investment advice designed to meet their personal financial goals, risk tolerance and return objectives. Advisors create custom, tax-efficient portfolios for clients based on these factors.
Ferguson Wellman offers clients several investment strategies and can combine strategies based on a client’s goals, investment horizon and risk tolerance. Each strategy is overseen by its advisory team and targets specific investments to achieve a particular outcome, such as growth or fixed income. The strategies include:
Ferguson Wellman Capital Management does not have any disciplinary information to disclose involving the firm, its employees or affiliates from within the last 10 years. The SEC requires all registered investment advisory firms to publicly disclose this information in their Form ADV paperwork filed with the SEC.
Visit Ferguson Wellman Capital Management’s IADP page for more information.
Next on our list of the best financial advisors in Portland is Becker Capital Management. This advisory firm offers investment advisory services to individuals, high net worth individuals, trusts, estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, 401(k) plans, charities, endowments and foundations, corporations and public funds. It can also provide financial planning services to individuals as needed. Individual clients are subject to a $1 million account minimum, though this requirement is negotiable under certain circumstances.
The firm is employee-owned. Becker Capital Management was founded in 1976 and currently has three offices: its headquarters in Portland and locations in Seattle and Bend, Ore.
The advisors at Becker Capital Management offer many portfolio strategies, which are recommended based on a client’s investment and financial objectives and any restrictions they request to impose. Offered investment strategies include:
Each of the above strategies targets a different allocation or type of investment to help meet the goal of the strategy.
The firm is a bottom-up fundamental value manager, which means that individual stock selection is the focus, not macroeconomic data and forecasts. A number of factors are used to determine whether to invest in an asset. These factors include valuation discount (the intrinsic value and historic norm); quality of business (evaluating if the company has shareholder value, a strong balance sheet, etc); investor attitude (current Wall Street opinion of the company) and business trends, with a focus on the long term.
Becker Capital Management has a clean record, meaning it has no regulatory, civil or criminal incidents from within the last decade to disclose.
You can use Becker Capital Management’s IAPD page to learn more about the firm..
Arnerich Massena, Inc. is an employee-owned financial advisory firm that was founded in 1991. The firm serves individuals with varying levels of assets, nonprofits and businesses. New individual client accounts generally require at least $3 million in assets, and institutional accounts require an investment of at least $5 million. However, at its discretion, Arnerich Massena may make exceptions to its stated minimums at its discretion.
The firm offers advisory services, financial planning and family office services. It operates out of its single office in Portland.
The guiding practice at Arnerich Massena is to create long-term, diversified portfolios. Advisors at the firm believe that asset allocation — in conjunction with thoughtful money manager selection, discipline and effective implementation — is the key to success. The firm believes that asset allocation helps reduce risk and volatility in client portfolios.
Client portfolios may contain mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), hedge funds, insurance policies and annuity products, with the exact combination determined based on a client’s long-term goals and needs. Arnerich Massena uses the seven “Ps,” which look at philosophy, process, personnel, portfolio, price, performance and passion for evaluating and selecting investment managers.
The firm doesn’t have any disciplinary disclosures to report. Firms registered with the SEC must list any such events — including criminal, judicial and regulatory actions from within the last decade involving the firm, its employees or its affiliates — on their Form ADV paperwork filed with the SEC.
You can use Arnerich Massena, Inc.’s IAPD page to learn more about the firm.
Vista Capital Partners, Inc. is a fee-only financial advisory firm formed in 2001. Headquartered and operated out of one office in Portland, the firm is employee-owned. The majority ownership percentages are split between the firm’s founders, Doug Johanson and Michael O’Reilly, who remain partners at the firm.
The firm generally works with clients with at least $2 million to invest. Despite this minimum, its clients include individuals who are not high net worth, as well as trusts, estates, corporations and business entities, corporate pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable institutions, foundations and endowments. Vista Capital Partners’ menu of services includes investment management and advice on various topics, including retirement planning, college savings plans and charitable giving.
Advisors at Vista Capital Partners regard themselves as their clients’ financial quarterbacks. They consider all areas of a client’s financial life and work closely with other advisors in areas like insurance, estate planning and taxes.
For portfolio construction, advisors consider a client’s risk tolerance, time horizon and income needs. Asset allocation and diversification are the firm’s two main governing philosophies, as well as periodic rebalancing to keep portfolios on track. Most client accounts will primarily consist of index funds to minimize taxes and fees. Still, the firm may also use U.S. stocks, international stocks (developed and emerging markets), real estate investment trusts (REITs), bonds and cash or cash equivalents.
Vista Capital Partners has a clean disciplinary record. For reference, all financial advisory firms registered with the SEC must report their disciplinary history to provide transparency for prospective or current clients evaluating the firm.
Visit Vista Capital Partners’ IAPD page for additional information on the firm and to access its Form ADV paperwork.
Cable Hill Partners, LLC is a registered investment advisory firm that was founded in 2014. It’s owned by David Christian, the firm’s founding partner and managing director, and Brian Hefele, also a founding partner. The firm operates out of its single office in Portland.
Services offered by Cable Hill Partners include investment management, financial planning and retirement plan advisory services. Clients of Cable Hill Partners are primarily individual investors with a wide range of assets under management. However, the firm also works with trusts and estates, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and businesses.
Cable Hill Partners offers customized investment advisory services to its clients, taking an approach mainly focused on the long-term. After conducting its internal due diligence process, the firm evaluates and chooses investments for use in client portfolios. Its primary method of analysis is fundamental analysis, which relies on various economic and business indicators to inform investment decisions.
Generally, portfolios created by Cable Hill Partners consist of mutual funds and ETFs. However, the firm may also include individual stocks and bonds, among other types of investments, depending on the needs of a particular client.
Cable Hill Partners has a clean disciplinary record. This status means that within the last 10 years, neither the firm nor its employees or advisory affiliates have faced any civil, criminal or regulatory actions.
For further information, visit Cable Hill Partners’ IAPD page.
Sloy, Dahl & Holst, LLC is a Portland-based firm that offers portfolio management through its range of model portfolios. Additionally, the firm can offer its clients financial consulting on topics tailored toward specific financial goals and even IRA rollover recommendations. The firm also manages an investment fund designed for employer-sponsored retirement plans.
The firm’s clients include individuals with varying degrees of assets as well as pension and profit-sharing plans. The firm, which has been offering investment advice since 1988, is 50% owned by Sloy, Dahl, & Holst Holdings, Inc., which founder and principal Ron Sloy owns, and 50% owned by Holst Holdings, Inc., which James Holst, also a founder and principal of the firm, owns.
As part of its portfolio management services, Sloy, Dahl & Holst can invest clients in one or more of its model portfolios. These portfolios are intended to meet differing degrees of risk tolerance. The firm’s conservative model primarily aims to create current income and preserve capital through a 20% to 40% allocation to domestic and international equities. Their aggressive model seeks capital appreciation through an 80% to 100% equity allocation.
The firm mainly recommends stocks, mutual funds, ETFs and proprietary investment funds for its clients. However, it may also suggest investment in private funds managed by affiliated advisors. Depending on a client’s needs and risk tolerance, as well as the investments held by the client at the start of the relationship, Sloy, Dahl & Holst may advise on other investment types.
Sloy, Dahl & Holst report no disclosures from within the last decade, including any civil, criminal or regulatory events involving the firm, employees or advisory affiliates.
Stop by Sloy, Dahl & Holst’s IAPD page for further information on the firm.
Deschutes Investment Consulting, LLC is a financial advisory formed in 2011 after a name change. The firm was initially founded in 1997 but changed its name to differentiate itself from a similarly named business. The firm, which has one office in Portland, is solely owned by MacGregor Hall, who serves as the firm’s president and chief compliance officer.
Deschutes Investment Consulting offers investment advisory and wealth management services, including insurance, estate planning, retirement planning, college planning and wealth transfers. Individuals, including their trusts, estates and retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations, funds and corporate pension and profit-sharing plans are among the firm’s typical clients.
For clients with $250,000 or more to invest, Deschutes Investment Consulting offers individually managed accounts. In managing these accounts, advisors believe asset class diversification is the primary driver of long-term capital preservation and growth. Most clients’ accounts are invested in low-cost, institutional class, no-load, open-ended mutual funds, ETFs and separately managed accounts.
For those with less than $250,000 to invest, the firm offers the Institutional Intelligent Portfolio program, an automated, online investment management platform. Inc. Portfolios in this program are limited to ETFs and cash.
Deschutes Investment Consulting does not have any disclosures to report. Firms registered with the SEC must disclose reportable issues involving the firm and its employees, including any civil, judicial or criminal events within the last 10 years.
Use Deschutes Investment Consoluting’s Form ADV to get a more in-depth look at the firm and its disclosures.
Rounding out our list of the best financial advisors in Portland is the Multnomah Group, Inc. Founded in 2003, this is an independent firm that offers investment advisory, portfolio management and financial planning services. Its clients include individuals (both high net worth and otherwise), pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations and corporations. Opening an account generally requires a minimum of $250,000 in investable assets.
The firm’s two founders, Erik Daley, the firm’s managing principal, and Scott Cameron, the firm’s chief investment officer, share majority ownership of Multnomah Group. The firm operates out of one office in Portland.
The Multnomah Group builds portfolios primarily using mutual funds and ETFs. The firm believes these two types of securities help maximize diversification and minimize risk. However, the firm may also use individual stocks and bonds, among other investment types, based on a client’s needs and goals.
Other tenets of Multnomah Group’s investment strategy include taking a long-term approach and designing portfolios around client particulars, such as their risk tolerance and preferences, including the inclusion of environmentally sustainable and tax-managed funds.
Firms registered with the SEC must report any disciplinary infractions from the past 10 years. Multnomah Group does not have anything to disclose.
You can verify Multnomah Group’s disclosures on its IAPD page.
Residents of the Portland metro area with an individual taxable income of $200,000 for joint filers or $125,000 for single filers are subject to a 1.5% tax. The state of Oregon also levies a progressive personal income tax on residents that ranges from 4.75% to 9.90%.
Oregon has a state estate tax for estates of $1 million or more, ranging from 10% to 16%. Federal estate taxes may also apply depending on the size of the estate.
While many of the best financial advisors in Portland focus on retirement planning and the needs of retirees, not all do. Instead, some firms specialize in serving the needs of the ultrawealthy, or in serving a specific demographic, like physicians. Others may be more focused on providing investment advice than financial planning-related services, such as planning for retirement. If retirement planning is a priority for you, you’ll want to search for an advisor that focuses on this area and confirm their experience in providing this service.
A fiduciary financial advisor is legally and ethically bound to always act in their client’s best interest. Financial advisors who are not fiduciaries are simply bound by the suitability standard, which only requires making suitable recommendations for their client — not necessarily what is best. This suitable versus best investment scenario may introduce potential conflicts of interest, as advisors can make recommendations and sell products that put their bottom line ahead of clients’ best interests.
Financial advisors generally make money from different fees. These fees can come from a percentage of assets under management (AUM), commissions or portfolio performance, among other sources. Here’s an in-depth look at what a financial advisor costs and the different fees they potentially charge.
For our search for the best financial advisors in Portland, we reviewed firms throughout the city. All the firms considered are bound by fiduciary duty, registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and offer individual account management and financial planning services. Information for our methodology criteria is taken directly from each firm’s most recent Form ADV filing and brochure, found in the IAPD database.
To localize our results for this list of the best financial advisors in Portland, we exclusively looked at firms that met the above criteria and had their headquarters in Portland, per the address provided in the Form ADV. We only considered those firms 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.
Our reviews 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 can help you compare firms, it does not indicate which firm may be best for you. All information here is accurate as of June 32, 2022, but don’t hesitate to check out any firm’s Form ADV for yourself on the SEC’s Investment Advisor Public Disclosure site..
Nina SemczukNina Semczuk is a Certified Educator in Personal Finance® (CEPF®), a member of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and an Army veteran with five years of active service.
Read More
