Our Story
A commitment to helping clients manage their total financial situation, an entrepreneurial vision, and strong management team have taken the West Virginia firm, McKinley Carter Wealth Services (“McKinley Carter”), to national recognition, fueled by the skills and ambition of its two founding principals, David H. McKinley of Wheeling and Will Carter of Charleston.
McKinley, president and managing director of McKinley Carter, founded the firm in 2003 under the name “McKinley Investment Group”. Since then, the firm has grown to be one of the largest investment advisory firms in the state and is still climbing.
McKinley Carter, an SEC-registered independent wealth management firm, develops and implements personalized comprehensive financial strategies for individuals, families, businesses and non-profit organizations.
The firm offers a broad range of fiduciary financial services including investment management, financial planning with an emphasis in retirement, estate and trust services, pension and profit-sharing plan services, mortgage and debt management services,and insurance consulting.
With about $320 million in assets, the firm, which is based in West Virginia, has been recognized as one of the nation’s fastest-growing and among the top 20 percent of the largest registered investment advisors, according to industry data collected by Moss Adams. In addition, the company has been ranked among the best 150 financial advisors for doctors in the nation by Medical Economics Magazine.
McKinley Carter attributes its growth to its highly qualified team of professionals and comprehensive suite of wealth management services. Today theteam consists of nearly 30 highly experienced employees whose credentials include advanced degrees in law, accounting and business as well as professional designations in financial planning and investments.
But national recognition and regional perception hasn’t always been the case for the firm. McKinley Carter Wealth Services has grown significantly in size since the firm’s inception in 2003 when there were only three employees and one office location.
Responding to the changing needs of their clients and growing their business to meet those needs, McKinley Investment Group, based in Wheeling, merged with Will Carter’s Kanawha Investment and Trust, based in Charleston, to form McKinley Carter Wealth Services in 2007, adding six more employees for a total of 14.
By the end of 2008, McKinley Carter Mortgage, a new subsidiary of McKinley Carter Wealth Services, was formed with Bob Mead of Buckeye Mortgage and Mike Winesburg of J. Michael Mortgage. This new entity brought four new mortgage professionals as well as debt management advisory services to the firm’s clients.
In May 2009, Brian Gongaware and NetWorth Investment Advisors of Wexford, Pa., joined forces with McKinley Carter. The combined firm now serves clients in 23 states and four countries.
Recognizing that in these challenging economic times people need more comprehensive and customized help with financial matters than ever, the firm anticipates many more developments in the months and years ahead.
“Considering the past year’s turmoil on Wall Street,” McKinley stated, “I am very confident in the future of our firm. Many sophisticated clients are looking to local ‘Main Street’ types of companies versus the traditional ‘Wall Street’brokerage houses for objective, client-focused advice.”
The Wheeling office serves as the firm’s corporate headquarters and is located at 2100 Market Street in the former Ohio County Public Library building - now known as Bennett Square. For more information on McKinley Carter Wealth Services, visit or call 866-306-2400.
McKinley Carter Wealth Services (“MCWS”) is an SEC registered investment adviser with its principal place of business in the State of West Virginia. MCWS and its representatives are in compliance with the current registration and notice filing requirements imposed upon registered investment advisers by those states in which MCWS maintains clients. MCWS may only transact business in those states in which it is registered /notice filed, or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration /notice filing requirements. This press release is limited to the dissemination of general information pertaining to its investment advisory services. Any subsequent, direct communication by MCWS with a prospective client shall be conducted by a representative that is either registered or qualifies for an exemption or exclusion from registration in the state where the prospective client resides. For information pertaining to the registration status of MCWS, please contact MCWS or refer to the Investment Adviser Public Disclosure web site (). For additional information about MCWS, including fees and services, send for our disclosure statement as set forth on Form ADV from MCWS using the contact information herein. Please read the disclosure statement carefully before you invest or send money.
Rating information based on the independent research of the editorial staff of Medical Economics magazine. The criteria used in compiling the rankings include the adviser’s knowledge and experience, geographic location, fee arrangements, minimum portfolio requirements and federal disciplinary history. The rating does not necessarily reflect any individual client’s actual experience and in no way is indicative of any future performance.