Laurel Wealth Advisors, LLC (Charlotte)

Laurel Wealth Advisors, LLC is a large advisory firm based in Charlotte. It manages $457.9 million of regulatory assets for 1,369 client accounts. It has been registered with the SEC as an adviser since 2008 and has operated in the jurisdictions of Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and 7 other states.

Laurel Wealth Advisors provides financial planning services and portfolio management for individuals and small businesses. It prepares financial plans for more than 50 clients. On top of advisory services, the firm doesn't engage in other business activities.

Laurel Wealth Advisors: assets under management

The assets under management (AUM) of Laurel Wealth Advisors, LLC is $457.9 million. The firm's AUM has grown by 815% since the beginning of its operation, and the company doesn't manage any assets belonging to foreign clients.

The firm manages $448.85 million in discretionary accounts and $9.05 million in non-discretionary accounts. On average, the discretionary accounts where all decisions are made on behalf of the client hold $331.26 thousand each. Non-discretionary accounts, where clients actively manage their portfolios, generally hold around $646.19 thousand.

Laurel Wealth Advisors has custody of $192.56 million in cash and securities for 295 clients in total but doesn’t act as a qualified custodian.

Investments

The firm invests in exchange traded securities the most. They account for 52% of the total AUM. The second-largest asset type is investment and business development companies, which make up 16% of the firm’s portfolio. Investments in investment grade corporate bonds form 13% of the total invested assets.

Fees & Commissions

The advisory firm has several streams of revenue. Clients pay Laurel Wealth Advisors, LLC 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 Laurel Wealth Advisors serves?

The firm provides services to individuals, charitable organizations, high net worth individuals, and corporations or other businesses. The largest group of clients of Laurel Wealth Advisors is high net worth individuals with 108 clients and $324.72 million of assets under management. Among the 11 most similar advisory firms, Laurel Wealth Advisors has the 5th highest percentage of high net worth individuals out of all clients.

The amount of regulatory assets under management is $457.9 million for 394 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.

Laurel Wealth Advisors doesn't advise any private funds.

Careers at Laurel Wealth Advisors, LLC

The company employs 14 people that are either part- or full-time employees. 64 percent of the employees work as investment advisers or researchers. 7 employees are registered as investment adviser representatives with the state securities authorities.

There are 2 people with the role of looking for and bringing in new clients on behalf of the firm. The firm doesn’t compensate employees in addition to the salary for bringing in new clients. Employees receive compensation from other entities for client referrals.

Direct owners and executive officers

Name	Entity	Date acquired	Ownership	Employer ID
David William Mcneish	Managing member	1 Oct 1999	Other	4485368
Timothy Mark Breedlove	Managing member	1 Oct 1999	Other	4485369
William Edward Sugg	Managing member, chief compliance officer	1 Jun 2007	Other	4312125
Barry Alan Altman	Member	1 Jun 2007	25% - 50%	2236284
Mark Stephen Thompson	Managing member	1 Apr 2008	Other	2928571
Dustin Marshall Waide	Member	1 Jan 2015	Other	2536569
Jennifer Lynn Jones	Member	1 Jan 2015	Other	4697951

Based in Charlotte

The principal office where Laurel Wealth Advisors, LLC performs its advisory services is located at 309 S. Laurel Avenue, Charlotte, NC 28207, which is also the mailing address of the firm. An additional office of the firm is in Huntersville, NC. It doesn’t run an office outside of the United States.

You can reach the main office by calling the phone number 704-927-4379 or by fax (704) 705-1558. The normal business hours are 8:30am - 5:00pm on Monday - Friday.