The Financial Advisory Group, Inc. (Houston)


The Financial Advisory Group, Inc. is a large advisory firm based in Houston. It manages $874.37 million of regulatory assets for 1,746 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2002 and has operated in the jurisdictions of Arkansas, California, Florida, and 7 other states.

The Financial Advisory Group provides financial planning services, portfolio management for individuals and small businesses, portfolio management for businesses and institutional clients, and tax return preparation. It prepares financial plans for more than 250 clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

The Financial Advisory Group: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of The Financial Advisory Group, Inc. is $874.37 million, all of which is managed in discretionary accounts. The firm's AUM has grown by 300% since the beginning of its operation, and the company doesn't manage any assets belonging to foreign clients.

The firm manages $874.37 million in discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $500.79 thousand each.
The Financial Advisory Group has custody of $88.86 million in cash and securities for 30 clients in total but doesn’t act as a qualified custodian.

Investments

The firm invests in investment and business development companies the most. They account for 43% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is exchange traded securities, which make up 41% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in state and local bonds form 7% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay The Financial Advisory Group, Inc. for their services and products based on a percentage of assets under management, hourly charges, and fixed fees. Compensation based on assets under management promotes a long-term relationship between a client and the adviser and helps align mutual interests. These fees don’t include brokerage commissions, interest, taxes, and other account expenses.

What kind of clients Richard Joseph Alphonso serves?

The firm provides services to individuals, charitable organizations, high net worth individuals, and pension and profit sharing plans. The largest group of clients of Richard Joseph Alphonso is high net worth individuals with 254 clients and $826.24 million of assets under management. Among the 9 most similar advisory firms, The Financial Advisory Group has the 2nd highest percentage of high net worth individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $874.37 million for 349 clients that can include trusts, estates, and 401(k) plans and IRAs of individuals and their family members. None of the firm’s clients are foreign persons or businesses.

The Financial Advisory Group doesn't advise any private funds.

Careers at The Financial Advisory Group, Inc.

The company employs 18 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 44 percent of the employees work as investment advisers or researchers. 8 employees are registered as investment adviser representatives with the state securities authorities.

There isn’t anyone with the role of looking for and bringing in new clients on behalf of the firm. The firm compensates employees in addition to the salary for bringing in new clients. Employees don’t receive compensation from other entities for client referrals.

Richard Joseph Alphonso has been acting as President since 1 Jun 1997. Steven Joseph Rife has served as the Chief Investment Officer since 1 Jan 2017. Juan Diego Martinez joined the executive team most recently as the Chief Compliance Officer.

Direct owners and executive officers


Name Entity Date acquired Ownership Employer ID
Richard Joseph Alphonso President 1 Jun 1997 50% - 75% 2357286
Steven Arnold Estrin Chairman/chief compliance officer 1 Jun 1997 50% - 75% 716151
Richard Alphonso President 1 Jun 1997 50% - 75% 2357286
Steven Arnold Estrin Chairman 1 Jul 1997 50% - 75% 716151
Anita Frank Vice president 1 Dec 1999 Other 2460733
Juan Diego Martinez Chief compliance officer 1 Jan 2017 Other 6616826
Darryl Arthur Nelson Chief operating officer & president 1 Jan 2017 Other 1319877
Steven Joseph Rife Chief investment officer 1 Jan 2017 Other 5681190
Nathan Lynn Bowen Chief planning officer 1 Jan 2017 Other 4711892

Based in Houston

The principal office where The Financial Advisory Group, Inc. performs its advisory services is located at 5599 San Felipe, Houston, TX 77056, which is also the mailing address of the firm. It doesn’t run an office outside of the United States.

You can reach the main office by calling the phone number 713-627-7660 or by fax 713-627-9828. The normal business hours are 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. on Monday - Friday. You can find more information about the New York firm at finadvisors.com.