Why we left institutional
wealth management
Avance was founded on a simple premise - that high-net-worth clients deserve advice that is genuinely independent, structurally conflict-free, and built around the complexity of their actual situation. Not the complexity the institution can profitably service.
Before founding Avance, our advisors spent years inside some of the largest wealth management institutions in the world - including Goldman Sachs. We worked with the kind of clients we now serve independently: founders approaching liquidity events, executives with complex equity compensation, physicians building wealth through practice ownership.
What we saw from the inside was a consistent gap between what clients needed and what large institutions could profitably provide. Product quotas shaped recommendations. Proprietary platforms limited investment options. Compliance departments slowed planning decisions. The advisor's incentives and the client's interests were rarely perfectly aligned.
We left to build the firm we wished existed - one where the only obligation is to the client, the only constraint is what is actually best for their situation, and the only measure of success is the outcome they achieve.
The advice should never depend on how the advisor is paid.
Fee-only means our revenue comes entirely from client fees - no commissions, no revenue sharing, no product incentives. The recommendation and the compensation are structurally separated.
Depth beats breadth.
We serve a narrow set of client types deliberately. A founder's pre-liquidity planning and a physician's practice sale are fundamentally different disciplines. Generalist advice for complex situations is not advice - it is risk.
The best client relationships are long ones.
The value of working with an advisor compounds over time. We know our clients' history, their trade-offs, and what is coming next. That kind of knowledge cannot be onboarded in a meeting.
No product quotas
We have no products to sell, no affiliated investment funds, and no revenue-sharing arrangements with any custodian or platform. Our only revenue comes from the fees our clients pay us directly.
No institutional constraints
As an independent RIA, we choose our custodians, our investment platforms, and our service model. We are not limited to what a parent company has built or what a compliance department has pre-approved.
Built for complexity
We deliberately serve a narrow set of client types - founders, executives, and physicians - because depth matters more than breadth. A generalist advisor and a specialist advisor are not the same thing.
Integrated tax planning
Through our affiliation with APW Tax Services LLC, we offer integrated investment and tax planning under one roof. Investment decisions and tax decisions are made together, not handed off between two advisors who rarely talk.
Transparent pricing
Our fees are disclosed upfront and do not change based on what we recommend. Whether we recommend a low-cost index fund or a complex alternative strategy, our compensation is identical.
Long-term relationships
We work with a small number of clients by design. Every advisor at Avance has the capacity to know each client's situation deeply - not from a CRM, but from continuous engagement over years.
Fort Lauderdale, FL
South Florida - Miami, Palm Beach, and surrounding areas
Our primary office serves the South Florida market - from Miami to Palm Beach - with a concentration in healthcare, real estate, and executives relocating from high-tax states. Florida's favorable tax environment creates specific planning opportunities our advisors understand well.
Asheville, NC
Western North Carolina - serving clients nationally
Our Asheville office is home to a growing community of founders, remote executives, and professionals building wealth outside major financial centers. Western North Carolina's entrepreneurial growth makes it a natural fit for the kind of clients we serve.
We serve clients across the United States. We work around your schedule and meeting preference - in person, by video, or by phone.
Schedule a call →Meet the team behind the firm.
A discovery call is 30 minutes. It is the fastest way to understand whether our approach is the right fit for your situation.