Wealth management requires coordination across multiple financial disciplines, not just portfolio management. A firm that handles investments but refers estate planning, tax strategy, and insurance to outside providers is not delivering wealth management in any integrated sense. The Cincinnati area has dozens of SEC-registered advisory firms, but the ones that actually coordinate investment management, estate planning, tax integration, trust administration, and legacy planning under one roof are fewer than most people assume. Between February and April 2026, our research team compiled a dataset of six wealth management firms serving the Greater Cincinnati market and scored each across six weighted criteria using publicly available data from Form ADV filings, verified third-party directories, and firm websites.¹

The differences between these firms matter more than a directory listing can show. Account minimums range from no stated threshold to $2 million. Fee structures range from fee-only to fee-based with commissions on recommended products. Some firms are independently owned and locally headquartered; others are national platforms with a Cincinnati-area satellite office. A firm designed for a $5 million family office client with private capital needs operates on a fundamentally different model than one built for a $500,000 household approaching retirement and consolidating accounts for the first time. This report benchmarks those differences so you can start with the right conversation.

This comparison is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice. All data is subject to change. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

How We Ranked Wealth Management Firms in Cincinnati

Our research team aggregated publicly available data from SEC Form ADV filings, firm websites, and verified third-party directories to score each firm using a weighted algorithm across six criteria. No investment performance data was used. Rankings reflect fee transparency, wealth management service depth, credentials, client experience, local roots, and accessibility for high-net-worth clients. A full scoring rubric, including point allocations and per-firm breakdowns within each criterion, is provided in the Appendix.

• Fee Structure (25%): Compensation model, including whether the firm operates as fee-only, fee-based, or commission-based. Fee-only scores highest because it structurally eliminates all product-sale incentives. See Appendix for full tier breakdown.
• Wealth Management Service Breadth (20%): Number of core wealth management disciplines handled in-house: investment management, estate planning, tax integration, trust administration, charitable giving, insurance, and legacy planning.
• Client Experience Model (25%): Client-to-advisor ratios, service personalization, integration across planning disciplines, and proactive engagement, where publicly documented.
• Team Credentials (10%): Publicly verifiable designations held across the advisory team, weighted by rigor and relevance. CFP® and CFA carry the highest individual value; CTFA and CPA carry additional relevance for wealth management. See Appendix for designation tiers.
• Geographic Roots (10%): Local ownership and community presence versus a national firm with a regional office.
• HNW Orientation and Accessibility (10%): How well the firm’s service model fits high-net-worth clients ($500K to $5M+ in investable assets) while remaining accessible to the upper mass-affluent market ($300K to $1M).

We rank-ordered firms by composite score. The table below shows all six firms with their scores on each criterion. Detailed reviews follow. For full scoring methodology, see the Appendix at the end of this report.

Wealth Management Firms in Cincinnati: 2026 Comparison

Data sourced from SEC Form ADV filings, firm websites, and verified third-party directories. AUM figures sourced from SEC filings and third-party aggregators where available. Rankings reflect structure and client fit, not investment performance. Consult a financial professional before making financial decisions.

1. Journey Advisory Group

Founded in 2013, Journey Advisory Group manages approximately $1.5 billion in assets across more than 2,000 client accounts, with offices in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Dayton.² The firm is independently owned by its founding family and employees, with no corporate affiliations and no private equity backing. Journey operates as a fee-based fiduciary: the firm does not receive commissions on investment products, though commissions may be earned through an affiliated insurance agency, Journey Risk Solutions, LLC, that clients are never required to use.

Journey handles investment management, estate planning, tax coordination, trust administration, charitable giving (including donor-advised funds and qualified charitable distributions), insurance review, and legacy planning under one roof. The firm employs an in-house CPA for direct tax integration, which eliminates the coordination gap that arises when tax planning is outsourced to a separate provider. Advisors hold CFA, CFP®, CTFA, CMT®, CAP®, CWS®, and CPA credentials, giving the team one of the deepest credential benches among Cincinnati-area wealth management firms.³ Client loads are intentionally limited so advisors can reach out proactively rather than waiting for clients to call with questions.

The firm is best suited for Greater Cincinnati professionals, executives, business owners, and pre-retirees who are ready to consolidate fragmented finances, including estate, tax, investment, and insurance, under one team.

• Location: Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Dayton
• Year Founded:²⁰¹³
• Fee Structure: Fee-based (no commissions on investment products; insurance commissions disclosed through affiliated agency)
• Key Credentials: CFA, CFP®, CTFA, CMT®, CAP®, CWS®, CPA
• Services: Investment management, estate planning, tax coordination, trust administration, charitable giving, insurance review, legacy planning
• Assets Under Management: ~$1.5 billion²

2. Foster and Motley

Foster and Motley is a fee-only, employee-owned Registered Investment Advisor headquartered in Cincinnati, managing approximately $2.9 billion in client assets.⁴ The firm was founded in 1997 by David Foster, CPA, CFP® and W. Mark Motley, MBA, CFA and has operated under a fee-only fiduciary model since inception: no commissions, no vendor referral fees, no product-sale incentives of any kind.

The firm offers tiered wealth management services across four levels (Essential, Prime, Premier, and Legacy) based on asset size, with capabilities spanning investment management, estate planning, tax planning, stock option planning, charitable giving strategies, and multigenerational family coordination.⁵ Foster and Motley has been recognized on the CNBC Financial Advisor 100 list for seven consecutive years and was ranked among FA Magazine’s Top 170 RIAs in 2025.⁶ The advisor team holds CFP®, CFA®, and CPA designations.

Two considerations for prospective clients: the average account size (~$3.1 million based on AUM and account count) suggests the firm’s core client base skews toward higher-net-worth households, and the team is smaller than some competitors, which may affect availability for new clients during periods of strong demand.

• Location: Cincinnati, OH (7755 Montgomery Rd, Suite 100)
• Year Founded:1997
• Fee Structure: Fee-only (no commissions, no referral fees)
• Key Credentials: CFP®, CFA®, CPA
• Services: Investment management, estate planning, tax planning, stock option planning, charitable giving, multigenerational family coordination
• Assets Under Management: ~$2.9 billion⁴

3. Bartlett Wealth Management

Bartlett Wealth Management has operated continuously since 1898, making it one of the longest-tenured advisory firms in the Cincinnati market.⁸ The firm’s advisors bring institutional investment discipline to portfolio construction and wealth planning, with recognized capabilities in financial planning, investment management, family office services, business owner services, and institutional management for nonprofits.

Bartlett has earned recognition across multiple industry rankings, including Forbes’ 2025 Top RIA Firms, Barron’s 2025 Top 100 RIA Firms, and Financial Advisor Magazine’s 2025 Top 100 list.⁹ The advisor team holds CFP® and CFA® designations. The firm maintains offices in Cincinnati, Chicago, and Louisville.

Two things matter for prospective clients. First, Bartlett was acquired by Focus Financial Partners in April 2018.⁸ Focus Financial Partners is a publicly traded aggregator of independent RIAs. While Bartlett continues to operate under its own brand with local leadership, the corporate parent structure means ultimate ownership decisions rest outside Cincinnati. Second, the firm’s $2 million account minimum is the highest among firms reviewed here and excludes a significant portion of Cincinnati-area investors who would otherwise benefit from Bartlett’s depth.

• Location: Cincinnati, OH; Chicago, IL; Louisville, KY
• Year Founded:¹⁸⁹⁸
• Fee Structure: Fee-only per Form ADV filing
• Account Minimum: $2,000,000
• Key Credentials: CFP®, CFA®
• Services: Wealth management, financial planning, investment management, family office services, business owner services, institutional management
• Assets Under Management: Not publicly disclosed

4. Constellation Wealth Advisors

Constellation Wealth Advisors is one of the largest independently owned advisory firms headquartered in Cincinnati, with more than $5 billion in assets served.⁷ The firm positions itself as delivering “the elite, private single-family office experience” to high-net-worth clients, combining institutional portfolio management, private capital services, and retirement planning under a boutique model.

Constellation’s service model is built for affluent families with complex wealth structures. The firm’s CFA-credentialed leadership and curated specialist network provide depth in areas like Social Security optimization, tax-efficient withdrawal planning, and private capital access. The firm also maintains an office in Franklin, Tennessee, extending its reach beyond the Cincinnati market.

Two factors for prospective clients to weigh: the firm does not publicly disclose team credentials beyond its founding partners, which limits the ability to evaluate the breadth of designations across the advisory team. Additionally, while no minimum is explicitly stated on the website, the firm’s family-office positioning and asset base suggest it serves primarily high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Investors with $300,000 to $750,000 in investable assets may find the firm’s focus does not align with their stage.

• Location: Cincinnati, OH; Franklin, TN
• Year Founded:²⁰⁰⁹
• Fee Structure: Fee-based [details not publicly disclosed]
• Account Minimum: Not publicly stated; family-office positioning suggests HNW focus
• Key Credentials: CFA (founding partner); full team credentials not publicly disclosed
• Services: Retirement planning, wealth management, single-family office services, private capital services
• Assets Under Management: $5B+⁷

5. DayMark Wealth Partners

DayMark Wealth Partners was founded in Cincinnati in 2022 by seven private wealth professionals with a combined experience of nearly 200 years.¹⁰ Despite its recent founding, the firm has scaled quickly, operating from eight offices across Ohio, Illinois, Connecticut, Utah, and Florida. That scale reflects a founding team that brought established client relationships and infrastructure from prior practices.

DayMark’s advisory model centers on what the firm calls the “Triangulation of Advice,” which separates the advisory role, custodian functions, and product recommendations to emphasize fiduciary prioritization.¹¹ The firm serves multigenerational families, business owners, and successful individuals. The founding team carries credentials including CFP®, CFA®, CPWA®, and CIMA® across planning disciplines.¹⁰

DayMark is a fee-based firm, meaning advisors may earn commissions from recommended products alongside advisory fees. Clients who want to eliminate that incentive entirely should review the firm’s Form ADV Part 2 before engaging and compare against fee-only firms like Foster and Motley on this list.

• Location: Cincinnati, OH (also Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Park City, Pepper Pike, Southport CT, Stuart FL, Westlake OH)
• Year Founded:²⁰²²
• Fee Structure: Fee-based
• Key Credentials: CFP®, CFA®, CPWA®, CIMA®
• Services: Investment management, financial planning, wealth advisory, multigenerational planning
• Assets Under Management: ~$4.5 billion (as of December 2025)¹⁰

6. Allworth Financial

Allworth Financial is a nationally scaled Registered Investment Advisory managing approximately $35 billion in client assets across 32,000+ client relationships, with a Blue Ash office serving the Greater Cincinnati market.¹² The firm was founded in 1993 and has grown into one of the largest RIAs in the country, earning recognition on Barron’s Top 100 RIA list (ranked #11 in 2025) and USA Today’s Best Financial Advisory Firms.¹³

Allworth operates as a fee-based fiduciary. The firm’s advisors hold CFP® designations, and its service model spans investment management, financial planning, tax planning, estate planning, insurance services, and 401(k) administration. The firm reports a 97% client retention rate.¹²

Among wealth management firms in Cincinnati, Allworth represents the national platform model. Its planning process and investment resources are consistent across all offices, which is an advantage for scale and standardization, but it also means clients work within a framework designed for the firm at large rather than one built around the Cincinnati market specifically. For clients who want a locally owned firm whose principals are embedded in the Greater Cincinnati community, that difference is worth evaluating.

• Location: Blue Ash, OH office (national firm)
• Year Founded:¹⁹⁹³
• Fee Structure: Fee-based
• Key Credentials: CFP®
• Services: Investment management, financial planning, tax planning, estate planning, insurance services, 401(k) administration
• Assets Under Management: ~$35 billion¹²

Spin-Off Rankings by Specialty

We also broke down the above ranked wealth management firms in Cincinnati into three subcategories based on specialty.

Wealth Management Firms for Estate and Legacy Planning

Estate and legacy planning requires coordination across investment management, trust administration, tax strategy, charitable giving, and succession planning. The best firms for this audience handle these disciplines in-house rather than referring clients to outside attorneys or accountants for each piece. Firms are ordered based on estate-specific service depth, relevant credentials (CTFA, CPA), and demonstrated integration of estate planning within the broader wealth management relationship.

Wealth Management Firms for High-Net-Worth Clients

High-net-worth clients, typically those with $1 million or more in investable assets, benefit from firms that offer institutional investment capabilities, estate planning depth, tax integration, and private market access. Firms are ordered based on service breadth for complex financial situations, HNW orientation, and relevant planning depth.

Wealth Management Firms for Fee-Only Fiduciary Service

Fee structure is a high-priority concern for wealth management clients because the relationship spans more product categories (investments, insurance, estate vehicles) where commissions could create conflicts. Fee-only firms eliminate all such conflicts structurally. Firms are ordered by the degree to which their compensation model limits product-sale incentives.

Ready to speak with a fiduciary wealth management team in Cincinnati?

Schedule a consultation with Journey Advisory Group

Disclosure

This material was prepared by First Page Sage for Journey Advisory Group. First Page Sage is a third-party consultant and was compensated by Journey Advisory Group for the preparation and distribution of this information.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for personalized investment advice or as a recommendation or solicitation of any particular security, strategy, or investment product. Economies and markets fluctuate. Facts presented have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable; however, neither Journey Advisory Group nor First Page Sage can guarantee the accuracy or completeness of such information. Past performance is not an indicator of future results.

Journey Advisory Group is an independent, fiduciary Registered Investment Advisor registered through the Securities and Exchange Commission.  SEC Registration does not constitute an endorsement of Journey Advisory Group by the SEC nor does it indicate that Journey Advisor Group has attained a particular level of skill or ability.  Journey Advisor Group serves the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Dayton regions.

References

1. SEC EDGAR, “Investment Adviser Public Disclosure (IAPD),” U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/ (accessed February-April 2026). Form ADV filings for all six firms reviewed.
2. AUM13F, “Journey Advisory Group LLC,” https://aum13f.com/firm/journey-advisory-group-llc (accessed April 2026). AUM reported as of July 2025 filing.
3. Journey Advisory Group, “Services” and “About,” https://journeyadvisory.group (accessed April 2026).
4. Foster & Motley, “About,” https://www.fosterandmotley.com/about (accessed April 2026). AUM of $2.9 billion; employee-owned, fee-only since 1997.
5. Foster & Motley, “Services,” https://www.fosterandmotley.com/services (accessed April 2026). Tiered service model: Essential, Prime, Premier, Legacy.
6. CNBC, “FA 100: Foster & Motley,” https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/01/foster-motley-wealth-management-financial-advisor-100.html (accessed April 2026). Seven consecutive years on CNBC FA100 list.
7. Constellation Wealth Advisors, homepage and services, https://constellation-wealth.com/ (accessed April 2026). $5B+ in assets served.
8. Bartlett Wealth Management, homepage and services, https://bartlett1898.com/ (accessed April 2026). Founded 1898; offices in Cincinnati, Chicago, Louisville.
9. Bartlett Wealth Management, “Awards and Recognition,” https://bartlett1898.com/awards/ (accessed April 2026). Includes Forbes’ 2025 Top RIA Firms, Barron’s 2025 Top 100 RIA Firms, and Financial Advisor Magazine’s 2025 Top 100 list.
10. DayMark Wealth Partners, homepage and about, https://www.daymarkwealthpartners.com/ (accessed April 2026). Founded 2022; 8 offices.
11. DayMark Wealth Partners, “About: Triangulation of Advice,” https://www.daymarkwealthpartners.com/about (accessed April 2026).
12. Allworth Financial, homepage, https://www.allworthfinancial.com/ (accessed April 2026). $35 billion AUM; 32,000+ clients; 97% retention rate.
13. Allworth Financial, homepage, https://www.allworthfinancial.com/ (accessed April 2026). Barron’s #11 Top 100 RIA Firms ranking referenced on firm homepage.

Appendix: Scoring Methodology

The following rubric explains how scores were assigned within each of the six weighted criteria. All scoring is based on publicly available information from SEC Form ADV filings, firm websites, and verified third-party directories. No proprietary or non-public data was used. This rubric was developed by First Page Sage as part of a third-party research engagement conducted on behalf of Journey Advisory Group.

Fee Structure (25 Points Maximum)

Fee structure carries the highest weight because the compensation model directly affects whether a wealth manager’s recommendations across estate, tax, insurance, and investment decisions are free from product-sale incentives. Wealth management relationships are broader than investment-only relationships, which means more product categories where commissions could create conflicts.

Is fee-only worth more than fee-based? Yes. Fee-only (22-25 points) scores higher than fee-based (11-20 points) because it structurally eliminates the possibility that any recommendation is influenced by commission income. Under a fee-based model, even with a fiduciary duty, the presence of commission-eligible products creates a potential conflict the client must evaluate. This does not mean fee-based firms provide inferior advice; it means the structural incentive alignment is not as clean. Within fee-based, firms score higher when commissions are limited to non-investment products and lower when commissions may apply to recommended products.

Scoring tiers:

Scores assigned:

Wealth Management Service Breadth (20 Points Maximum)

Service integration is the defining characteristic of wealth management. A firm that coordinates investment management, estate planning, tax strategy, trust administration, charitable giving, insurance, and legacy planning under one roof provides a fundamentally different value than one that handles investments and refers everything else out.

Why broader scores higher: Every referral to an outside provider introduces coordination risk, potential information gaps, and additional cost. Clients benefit most when a single team sees the full picture and can make recommendations that account for how each decision affects the others (e.g., how an estate plan affects tax exposure, how charitable giving strategies interact with legacy goals).

Scoring tiers:

Scores assigned:

Client Experience Model (25 Points Maximum)

Client experience carries the joint-highest weight because it directly affects the quality of advice a client receives day-to-day. Wealth management depends on deep knowledge of a client’s full financial life. Firms with low client-to-advisor ratios and fully integrated teams can provide proactive, personalized guidance that a high-volume model cannot replicate.

Why low ratios and integration score highest: A wealth management relationship involves ongoing decisions across investments, estate changes, tax events, and insurance needs. When one advisor handles too many clients, the relationship becomes reactive. When planning disciplines are siloed, recommendations may not account for how each decision affects the rest of the financial picture.

Scoring tiers:

Scores assigned:

Team Credentials (10 Points Maximum)

Scored by publicly verifiable designations held across the advisory team, weighted by rigor and relevance to the services most wealth management clients need.

CFP® alongside CFA is worth more. These are Tier 1 (3 points each) because they represent the most rigorous and broadly applicable qualifications in financial planning and investment management, respectively. CFP® requires 6,000+ hours of experience, a comprehensive exam, and an ongoing fiduciary duty during planning engagements. CFA requires passing three exam levels over a minimum of 2-4 years. A firm holding both can serve the widest range of client needs at the highest credentialed level. Tier 2 designations (CPA, CTFA, CPWA®, CIMA®) earn 1.5 points each because they add significant depth in tax, trust, or wealth management. Tier 3 designations (CMT®, CAP®, CWS®, ChFC®, MBA, APMA®) earn 0.5 points each as supplementary specializations. Scores are capped at 10. Firms that do not publicly disclose team credentials receive a base score of 2, reflecting the minimum competency assumed for SEC-registered advisors.

Designation tiers:

Scores assigned:

Geographic Roots (10 Points Maximum)

Independent local ownership scores higher because it keeps decision-making, accountability, and community investment within the region. For wealth management, where the relationship often spans decades and involves sensitive estate and tax matters, local accountability carries additional weight.

Scoring tiers:

Scores assigned:

HNW Orientation and Accessibility (10 Points Maximum)

This criterion evaluates how well each firm’s service model fits high-net-worth clients ($500K to $5M+) while remaining accessible to the upper mass-affluent market ($300K to $1M). A firm with a $2 million minimum may offer outstanding wealth management, but it serves a narrow slice of the Cincinnati market. A firm that provides institutional-caliber wealth management without an exclusionary threshold gives more prospective clients a realistic path to comprehensive planning.

Scoring tiers:

Scores assigned: