Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC logo

Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC

Updated today

Client assets under management

$195,208,829

Clients

265

19% high-net-worth

Advisors

3

of 5 employees

Firm type

Supported

1-4 advisors or >$200M in AUM

Clients per advisor

88

High

Average account size

$736,637

About

Sterling Investment Advisors is an SEC‑registered adviser that provides discretionary investment management to individuals, estates, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, pension/profit‑sharing plans and an endowment, and it includes financial planning and estate‑planning tools as part of its investment management services at no additional cost. The firm also offers occasional hourly consulting to clients who do not engage its investment management services.

The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation implemented primarily with lower‑cost index mutual funds and ETFs, and it constructs forward‑looking return estimates by blending market‑equilibrium and cash‑flow valuation approaches; portfolios are stress‑tested with Monte Carlo simulations and reviewed quarterly for rebalancing. For clients who meet the accredited investor definition, private equity and private debt may be considered, and the firm can establish separate discretionary, non‑billable accounts for liquidity needs or restricted holdings.

Notably, the firm manages about $229 million across roughly 265 client relationships with three advisors and reported an ownership change in which an advisor increased an ownership stake to 30% and is now designated a control person as of January 1, 2026. One advisor maintains a full‑time academic appointment with limited day‑to‑day involvement at the firm; SIA commonly recommends Fidelity for custody but uses an alternative trust for IRA‑held private placements, does not aggregate trades into block orders, does not charge performance‑based fees, and occasionally grants fee concessions for early clients, a large endowment client, and pro‑bono cases.

Client services

Financial planning Portfolio management

Expertise

Private / alternative investments Cash flow / budgeting

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Fee options

Percentage

$0 - $250,000: 1.25% annually $250,000 - $500,000: 1.00% annually $500,000 - $1,000,000: 0.75% annually $1,000,000+: 0.65% annually

Project-based

$200 per hour

Other

Account minimum: $250,000 Fee-only: $200 per hour for consulting services

Main office location

Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC

2095 S. Boston Place

Bolivar MO 65613, United States

Number of offices

1

Most active in

Missouri · Texas

Disclosures

Exclamation point means they have disclosures of this type. Check mark means no disclosures of this type were found.

Business activities & affiliations

Advisors at this firm

user avatar

Troy B

Series 65

Bolivar, MO

Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC

Troy Bethards is a financial advisor at Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and serves as Dean of the College of Business and Computer Science at Southwest Baptist University, where he has worked since 2000. Sterling Investment Advisors provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to individuals, estates, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and pension plans. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation using primarily lower-cost index mutual funds and ETFs, with portfolios reviewed quarterly and stress-tested through Monte Carlo simulations.

Private / alternative investments Cash flow / budgeting
user avatar

Tara P

Series 65

Bolivar, MO

Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC

Tara Parson is a financial advisor at Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC with three years of industry experience. She holds the Series 65 designation and previously worked at Southwest Baptist University for seven years before joining Sterling Investment Advisors in 2022. Sterling Investment Advisors is an SEC-registered firm that provides discretionary investment management and financial planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, estates, trusts, charitable organizations, and pension plans. The firm focuses on strategic asset allocation using primarily low-cost index funds and ETFs, employs forward-looking return estimates, and conducts quarterly portfolio reviews.

Private / alternative investments Cash flow / budgeting
user avatar

James J

ChFC®, Series 63, Series 65

Bolivar, MO

Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC

James Jones is a financial advisor with Sterling Investment Advisors, LLC, holding the ChFC® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 29 years of industry experience and has been with Sterling Investment Advisors since 1995. Sterling Investment Advisors is an SEC-registered firm that provides discretionary investment management, financial planning, and estate-planning tools to individuals, estates, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, and an endowment. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation using primarily lower-cost index mutual funds and ETFs, incorporates forward-looking return estimates, and conducts regular portfolio reviews.

Private / alternative investments Cash flow / budgeting
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