Ardent Guardian Wealth Advisory is a registered investment advisor located in McLean, Virginia, founded by Mario Pizzamiglio. The firm offers comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, and tax preparation services. Ardent Guardian Wealth Advisory works one-on-one with clients over an extended period to build customized financial plans that cover retirement planning, cash flow and debt management, college savings, employee benefits optimization, estate planning, tax strategies, and risk management. In addition to planning, Ardent Guardian Wealth Advisory provides continuous investment management through personalized portfolios tailored to each client's specific goals, risk tolerance, and tax considerations. The firm uses passive investment strategies and modern portfolio theory, building portfolios primarily with index mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. Ardent Guardian Wealth Advisory operates as a fee-only firm, meaning they are compensated solely by clients and do not accept commissions or sales-related fees. The firm's principal also operates separate accounting and legal practices, which creates potential conflicts of interest that are mitigated by not requiring clients to use those affiliated services.
Fee Structure
Ardent Guardian Wealth Advisory requires an initial onboarding fee of $3,000 for baseline discussions and plan setup, though this fee may be reduced or waived at the firm's discretion. For ongoing investment management combined with comprehensive financial planning, the firm charges an annual advisory fee based on the total assets they help you manage:
- Up to $2M — $12,000 per year
- $2M to $5M — $17,000 per year
- $5M to $10M — $22,000 per year
- $10M to $15M — $27,000 per year
- $15M to $25M — $32,000 per year
- Over $25M — $37,000 per year
These fees are collected quarterly in arrears. Investment management is offered exclusively in conjunction with ongoing comprehensive financial planning and is not available on a standalone basis.