History
Sugar Hill Advisors, LLC launched in 2009 to leverage the financial and technical skills of its founder, David Ely CFP®, ChFC®. In 2019, the firm became a New Hampshire Registered Investment Advisor offering objective, fee-only financial advice to people like you.
David began exploring the idea of offering objective, fee-only advice without the traditional product offerings after a decade working in financial services. He felt the marketplace desperately needed to move toward a transparent way to compensate advisors that wasn’t based on a client’s net worth, a percentage of investable assets, or insurance and annuity sales. He wanted to offer flexible and budget-friendly advice to people from all walks of life - from those who just needed a few questions answered to those who wanted a detailed financial road map for life’s journey.
Above all, he wanted to remove any uncertainty about working with a planner. Committing to the financial planning process is hard enough, as change often is, so the time had come for a different experience with different expectations.
That’s what Sugar Hill Advisors, LLC is all about. Planning without the products.
It’s Easy to Get Started.
Finding the right financial planner is an important first step. That’s why we offer a free consultation to introduce ourselves and understand your goals and concerns.
By the end of our initial meeting, you will know which of our services will best meet your needs and the fee to get started.
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David Ely CFP®, ChFC®
founder & Principal
David has been providing a wide range of financial advice for 30 years, from kitchen tables to boardrooms.
He first started guiding people through the financial planning process in 1992, representing a nationwide financial services firm in Hartford, CT. He moved to New Hampshire in 1996 to become a key member of that firm’s Advanced Advisor Group, serving high net worth clients and their families throughout New England. In 2002, David wanted to give back to his community and put his financial know-how to work helping Upper Valley non-profits further their missions.
As director of planned giving at one non-profit, he focused on charitable gifts involving revocable and irrevocable trusts, life income gifts, real estate, and inter-generational transfers of wealth. For another, he led a $100 million fundraising campaign. All together, David has personally raised over $50 million for education, affordable housing, patient care, and medical research.
PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS
• CFP® Practitioner 1996
- Designation Info
• ChFC® 2002
- Designation Info
EDUCATION
• BS Electrical Engineering
- University of Hartford
ACTIVITIES & AFFILIATIONS
• Public Health Council
- Fundraising Volunteer
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, CFP® (with plaque design), and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.