The name Verdence combines “Veritas” (Latin for “truth”) with independence. It’s more than our name, it’s how we work. As an independent firm, we provide financial advice free from outside influence. That independence empowers us to focus entirely on protecting and growing what matters most to you – your family, business, wealth, and legacy.
Our Promise
We understand the unique complexities presented by significant wealth. Our team helps individuals, families, and business owners navigate those complexities – to protect and build upon your life’s work.
Why Verdence Exists
Verdence was founded on a simple idea: to build the kind of wealth management firm that clients would design themselves.
That vision started with our founder and CEO, Leo Kelly, who believed advisors should be hyper-focused on clients. Period. And financial advice should be based on what’s in the clients’ best interest. Advice without pushes, commissions, or outside pressure. So, although Leo Kelly was leading a successful team at Merrill Lynch, in 2012, he and his team of six left Merrill Lynch. They would go on to create what would become in 2017 Verdence Capital Advisors.
They didn’t take the easy path. They built it from the ground up, by investing their own energy and resources to make it work. What started with a handful of team members has grown into a national firm of more than 50 people, and over $4 billion in assets under management.
Verdence has grown because we stayed true to the founding idea. Independence matters. Fiduciary advice matters. Clients deserve a partner who is fully transparent, unbiased in recommendations, and focused on their long-term net outcome.
Our team understands what it takes to build something that lasts. Many of our clients have done the same in their businesses and lives. That shared experience helps us connect with the people we serve and drives us to strive to protect and grow the wealth they’ve worked hard to build.
We believe this story resonates with our clients, because it reflects their own journeys. That empathy is the cornerstone of our business, helping us connect on a human level with an incredible range of self-made individuals.
Because we know how it feels to risk everything. We know what it means to build wealth against the odds. And we know why it matters so much to protect and grow your life’s work.
Why Clients Choose Us
We’re more than just wealth advisors—we’re your dedicated financial partners. Our independent firm combines deep industry knowledge with personalized attention. Our goal is to provide you bespoke strategies and sophisticated financial planning to guide you through life’s most significant financial milestones.
We are beholden only to our clients’ best interests. We deliver risk-adjusted comprehensive, bespoke advice and financial planning. We provide full transparency of our counsel, investment solutions, reporting, and our compensation. We remain independent from any bank, broker-dealer, or custodian.
You can’t fake caring nor passion. I am blessed to have a team with an abundance of both.
How We Grow Your Wealth
Whether you’re planning for retirement, managing a business transition, or leaving a legacy, we provide insights and strategies that align with your aspirations and vision for the future.
Every client deserves to understand what’s happening in the world and how that may affect overall investing strategies. Leo Kelly (Verdence CEO) and Megan Horneman (Verdence Chief Investment Officer) conduct quarterly Insights Commentaries on world events that affect the global markets. We also create weekly insights, white papers and articles about the topics that matter most to our clients.
