Fee-Only Fiduciary Financial Advisor in Williamsburg, VA

Wealth management and tax-aware planning for high-earning women, from peak earning years into retirement.

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Financial Advisor Client in Williamsburg

Your financial plan shouldn’t be one more thing on your list.

Wealth isn’t built in one place. It comes together across tax brackets, investment accounts, equity compensation, retirement timing, and a dozen quiet assumptions about what the next chapter is supposed to look like.

That’s where Spark works.

We’re a fee-only fiduciary firm. No commissions, no product sales, no asset minimum. We meet clients by appointment at our Fords Colony office or by video call. The first conversation is a chance to walk through where you are and where you’d like to be.

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Who is Spark?

Spark is a fee-only fiduciary wealth management firm based in Virginia, serving clients in Williamsburg, Richmond, and virtually across the country. The full Spark team supports the planning, investment, and client service work behind every relationship.

Lauren Haynes Financial Advisor Speaker

Lauren Zangardi Haynes, CFP®, CIMA®

Lauren founded Spark in 2018 after more than twenty years in financial services, including her early career at U.S. Trust. She built the firm to put planning first and shape it around the life each client is working toward.

Alexis Grason, CFP, RICP in Richmond, VA

Alexis Grason, CFP®, RICP®

Alexis is a Senior Financial Advisor with nineteen years in the industry. She focuses on retirement income planning for women working through the financial side of life’s transitions, with the aim of making complex decisions feel clearer.

Michelle Orellana, CFP®

Michelle came to financial planning from a background in tax, which shapes how she helps clients building wealth or approaching retirement. Her focus is translating financial decisions into clear, practical steps.

Why people choose Spark

Four things shape every planning relationship at Spark:

Personal. Every relationship starts with listening. Before we talk about a plan, we want to understand your full situation and what’s on your mind. When you meet, you’re with the same person who already knows your situation, your goals, and your challenges.

Fee-only. Spark is paid only by the clients we serve. We don’t take commissions, referral fees, or any other form of product compensation. Spark is a member of NAPFA (the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors), which requires fee-only practice and an annual signed fiduciary oath. The full fee schedule is published here.

Fiduciary. As a Registered Investment Adviser, Spark is required to act in the client’s best interest. That is the legal and ethical standard we operate under for every recommendation we make.

Tax-aware. Tax decisions are part of the regular planning work at Spark. We not only look at how this year’s moves affect next year’s tax bill, but also the years after that. We will work with your CPA so you receive cohesive tax planning throughout the year.

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Lauren working with a client in Williamsburg
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What we plan with our Williamsburg clients

Financial Planning in Williamsburg VA

Financial Planning

A plan is only useful if it holds up as your life changes. We build one around your goals and the risks that could get in the way, and review it as things shift.

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Wealth Management in Williamsburg VA

Wealth Management

Spark builds portfolios around the timeline of your actual life: when you’ll need the money, how it’s taxed, and what’s coming next. Your plan comes first, and the portfolio follows from there.

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Retirement planning in Williamsburg VA

Retirement Planning

Whether retirement is decades away or right around the corner, we help you figure out how much is enough, how to make it tax-efficient, and how to shift from earning to drawing income.

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Investment Planning

Your asset allocation starts with your goals and how much risk you’re actually comfortable taking. We keep an eye on the portfolio and adjust as your life and the markets change.

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You deserve financial partners who genuinely understand your unique journey towards becoming financially independent.

Spark Financial Advisors team outside their Richmond, VA office

At Spark Financial Advisors we don’t just manage wealth, we align your financial goals with your life. We consider your individual needs and aspirations to craft a personalized plan.

About Spark Financial Advisors

Since our beginning in 2018, we’ve been dedicated to redefining the traditional financial firm experience. There’s a lot to love about Williamsburg, VA but stuffy wealth management is not exactly high on our list. You may have experienced something similar where you live.

At Spark Financial Advisors, we offer expert financial guidance in an inclusive and empathetic environment, where you can feel heard, educated, and empowered.

Our mission is to facilitate your journey towards making smart, bold financial decisions that not only meet your immediate needs but also pave the way for a prosperous future.

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How working with Spark starts, and what comes next

The first conversation with Spark is a chance to walk through where you are financially and figure out what kind of help would actually be useful. It usually covers what your situation looks like today, the questions or decisions on your mind, and whether ongoing planning and investment management with a fee-only firm makes sense as a next step.

From there, a planning relationship with Spark unfolds in three stages.

ENVISION

Clarity in Life Planning

We start by understanding what you are actually trying to do. What you are picturing for the next chapter, the people you are planning for, and the decisions on your mind right now. From there, we build the plan around your situation.

IMPLEMENT

Actionable Plan Development

We build the plan with you and put it to work: investment strategy, tax-aware decisions, retirement income, and the specific moves that need to happen this year and next.

SUPPORT

Continuous Guidance and Adaptation

Plans do not end when they are written. We meet regularly to check in on what has changed, work through what is coming next, and keep your plan moving with your life: through retirement transitions, family changes, market shifts, and the rest.

Together we’ll create a plan that aligns with you and your values.
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Frequently Asked Questions

It is a fair question, and one we hear often. The standard industry answer is an asset minimum: if you do not have $X million invested, you do not qualify.

Spark works differently. We have a minimum annual fee ($6,000), not a minimum asset level, because we would rather help a high-earning client build toward a million dollars and beyond than only show up after the work is already done.

Where Spark adds the most value is in complexity. That can mean equity compensation, the years right before retirement, a concentrated stock position, a recent inheritance, caring for an aging parent, the loss of a spouse or facing retirement on your own, or the planning that comes with any major life change. 

Spark is a fee-only firm. The only money we earn comes directly from the clients we work with. We don’t take commissions on products, accept referral fees from other firms, or receive compensation from mutual fund companies, insurance carriers, or anyone else whose products you might end up owning.

Fee-only is different from “fee-based.” A fee-based advisor can still earn commissions alongside fees, which is a meaningful distinction. Spark’s full fee schedule is published here, so you can read it before you ever call us. We are also happy to walk you through how fees would work for your specific situation during our first conversation.

Either works. Many Williamsburg clients meet in person at the Fords Colony office for their first conversation and then move to video calls for ongoing reviews. Some prefer video from the start. We typically meet with clients Tuesday through Thursday during business hours, by appointment.

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Visit the Williamsburg office

The Williamsburg office is at 1 Fords Colony Drive, Suite 4B, near the entrance to the Fords Colony community on the west side of Williamsburg, just off Route 60 and a few minutes from I-64. From Colonial Williamsburg, take Richmond Road (Route 60) west, turn left onto Olde Towne Road, then right onto Longhill Road. The Fords Colony entrance is about a mile and a half ahead on your left.

We are open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, by appointment only. Please call ahead. The office is not staffed for walk-ins.

You can reach us at (804) 451-1210 or through the contact form on this site. Our Williamsburg service area includes Williamsburg, James City County, York County, Newport News, and Hampton. Clients elsewhere in Virginia and beyond meet with us by video call.

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A Fee-only Financial Advisory Firm serving Richmond and Williamsburg , VA and Virtual Clients Nationwide

At Spark Financial Advisors, our method transcends the standard scope of wealth management. We concentrate on harmonizing your financial objectives with the distinct complexities of your personal circumstances. From our inception in 2018, our commitment has been to transform the conventional experience of financial firms. We not only deliver professional financial advice but also offer a service that is inclusive and empathetic, prioritizing listening to, educating, and empowering our clients.

Fee-Only Financial Advisory in Richmond,
VA & Williamsburg, VA

Richmond Office

7130 Glen Forest Dr., Suite 110
Richmond, VA 23226

Williamsburg Office

1 Fords Colony Drive, Suite 4B
Williamsburg, VA 23188

(804) 451-1210

DISCLOSURE: Spark Financial Advisors, LLC (“Spark Financial Advisors”) an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. The presence of this website on the Internet shall not be directly or indirectly interpreted as a solicitation of investment advisory services to persons of another jurisdiction unless otherwise permitted by statute. Follow-up or individualized responses to consumers in a particular state by Spark Financial Advisors in the rendering of personalized investment advice for compensation shall not be made without our first complying with jurisdiction requirements or pursuant an applicable state exemption. All written content on this site is for information purposes only. Opinions expressed herein are solely those of Spark Financial Advisors, unless otherwise specifically cited. Material presented is believed to be from reliable sources and no representations are made by our firm as to another parties’ informational accuracy or completeness. All information or ideas provided should be discussed in detail with an advisor, accountant or legal counsel prior to implementation.

For our social media and online review disclosures please visit: Spark Disclosures

© 2024 Spark Financial Advisors. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. owns and licenses the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and CFP® (with plaque design) in the United States to Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., which authorizes individuals who successfully complete the organization’s initial and ongoing certification requirements to use the certification marks.