Our Milestones
McKinley Carter's story is one of an independent wealth management firm continually evolving to provide comprehensive financial and advisory services for diverse needs.
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2003
Embracing Independence
As a first step toward this vision, David H. McKinley decided to break away from his broker-dealer affiliation and registered as an independent RIA (Registered Investment Advisory firm) regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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2007
A Partnership is Formed
McKinley formed a partnership with Will Carter, a lawyer who, dissatisfied with the quality of services available to him and his clients, had formed Kanawha Investment and Trust Company in 2002 to provide a more comprehensive, independent, and proactive approach to wealth management in Charleston, West Virginia. McKinley and Carter recognized that their different professional and business backgrounds were complementary and McKinley Carter Wealth Services ("McKinley Carter") was born.
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2009
Expanding Into Pittsburgh
McKinley Carter opened an office in the greater Pittsburgh area by partnering with Brian T. Gongaware's NetWorth Investment Advisors, based in Wexford, PA. This merger added extensive investment management experience to an already accomplished investment staff.
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2013
Reaching New Heights
The firm opened an office in downtown Parkersburg, West Virginia -- further expanding the firm's geographic footprint in "The Mountain State." In December 2013, the firm announced its expansion into the DC Metro market through the addition of Brian Lipton's YellowWood Financial Advisors (YWFA), located in Gaithersburg, MD.
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2020
Continued Growth and Expansion
McKinley Carter expands into southwestern Ohio through the addition of LifePlan Financial Group in Dayton, OH, in September 2020. This acquisition grows the firm's advisory team by 25% and adds $350 million to its assets under management, for a total of $1.8 billion.
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2020-21
Expanding Service Area
To meet the increasing needs of our growing client base, the Charleston, WV office expands its geographical service area to include the city of Parkersburg and surrounding region.
McKinley Carter's six offices serve individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits in 40 different states, the District of Columbia, British Columbia, as well as one foreign country. The company has built a team of professional advisors and operations staff members with a broad array of advanced financial experience and credentials in investments, insurance, estate planning, law, accounting/finance, real estate, business/career planning, retirement planning, and banking services.
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2025
Looking Forward
It is our dream to attract extraordinary colleagues and clients so we can work together to positively impact their lives and the communities where we live and work. We achieve this by scaling a well-designed, tech-enabled advisory platform allowing teams of high-performing advisors to meet the needs of many ideal clients.