Wes Moss is a man on a mission. The Atlanta-based CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and money educator has devoted his professional life to helping Americans retire sooner than they ever thought possible.
He is a Managing Partner in Capital Investment Advisors (CIA), a fee-only investment firm with over $4 billion in assets under management (as of December 31, 2021). Also serving as Chief Investment Strategist, he leads a team of financial advisors who share a zeal for helping families find happiness in retirement.
A fervent financial evangelist, Wes utilizes every available media platform to teach readers, listeners, and viewers how they can retire on their own terms. He bases much of his retirement planning philosophy on years of extensive research studying and surveying the financial and lifestyle habits of happy retirees, all of which can be found in his two books: What The Happiest Retirees Know and You Can Retire Sooner Than You Think.
Wes is the host of the long-running weekly call-in radio show Money Matters, the host/creator of the nationally recognized Retire Sooner Podcast, and the editor of RetireSoonerTeam.com. He is a frequent resource for news outlets across the country.
Wes has found that while money is a key ingredient in ensuring a fulfilling retirement, it’s only part of the recipe. The happiest retirees know in advance how they want to spend their golden years and they’ve taken the steps to make it possible. Happiness is more than just freedom from work, it’s having a purpose for that freedom. The happiest retirees have several core pursuits—hobbies on steroids—that engage their minds and keep them socially active long after they’ve stopped punching a time clock.
Wes is a firm believer in income investing as a means to build and manage retirement savings. He and his team help individuals and families invest in assets that make regular cash payments in the form of dividends, interest, and distributions. During the investor’s wealth-building years that income stream is reinvested in the portfolio to contribute to its growth. In retirement, those payments can be directed into the investor’s bank account as a “paycheck” to help meet monthly expenses.
Wes’ accomplishments have earned him national recognition. Barron’s has named him one of America’s top 1,200 Financial Advisors each year since 2014. In 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2021 Barron’s also named him a top 100 Independent Financial Advisor in America. In 2022 & 2023, Forbes listed him as a Best-In-State Wealth Advisor and in 2022 he was placed on the Investopedia 100, an index of the country’s most influential financial advisors.
Before joining CIA, Wes worked for UBS Financial Services in its Atlanta office. He holds a degree in economics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and their four boys. His core pursuits are golfing and coaching his boys’ lacrosse teams.
All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Stock prices fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and dramatically, due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or sectors, or general market conditions. For stocks paying dividends, dividends are not guaranteed, and can increase, decrease, or be totally eliminated without notice. Fixed-income securities involve interest rate, credit, inflation, and reinvestment risks; and possible loss of principal. As interest rates rise, the value of fixed-income securities falls.
Rankings and/or recognition by unaffiliated rating services and/or publications should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that he/she will experience a certain level of results if Capital Investment Advisors, LLC (“CIA”) is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services, nor should it be construed as a current or past endorsement of CIA or any of its financial advisors by any of its clients. Rankings published by magazines, and others, generally base their selections exclusively on information prepared and/or submitted by the recognized advisor. Therefore, individuals who did not submit an application for consideration were excluded and may be equally qualified. Rankings are generally limited to participating advisors. CIA does not pay a fee to be considered for any ranking or recognition, nor does it pay a fee to use a ranking or recognition. However, CIA may purchase plaques or article reprints from the ranking publication/service to publicize rankings after the ranking has been announced.
Barron’s magazine “America’s Top 1,200 Financial Advisors” rankings are based on quantitative and qualitative criteria data provided by over 4,000 advisors. The ranking considered advisors with a minimum of seven years’ financial services experience and have been employed at their current firm for at least one year. This report lists the top advisors in each state, with the number of ranking spots determined by each state’s population and wealth. Other quantitative and qualitative measures include assets under management, revenues generated by advisors for their firms, and the quality of the advisors’ practices, regulatory records, internal company documents, and 100-plus points of data provided by the advisors themselves. Investment performance is not an explicit component because not all advisors have audited results and because performance figures often are influenced more by clients’ risk tolerance than by an advisor’s investment-picking abilities. Wes Moss was ranked among the Top 1200 Financial Advisors by Barron’s magazine as follows:
2014 (Published 2/24/14; Data as of 9/30/13)
2015 (Published 2/23/15; Data as of 9/30/14)
2016 (Published 3/7/16; Data as of 9/30/15)
2017 (Published 3/6/17; Data as of 9/30/16)
2018 (Published 3/12/18; Data as of 9/30/17)
#7 of 30 Georgia advisors in 2019 (Published 3/11/19; Data as of 9/30/18)
#7 of 30 Georgia Advisors in 2020 (Published 3/13/20; Data as of 9/30/19)
#6 of 30 Georgia Advisors in 2021 (Published 3/12/21; Data as of 9/30/20)
#9 of 30 Georgia Advisors in 2022 (Published 3/11/22; Data as of 9/30/21)
#29 of 30 Georgia Advisors in 2023 (Published 3/10/23; Data as of 9/30/22)
Rankings and recognition from Barron’s are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Neither CIA nor Mr. Moss paid a fee to Barron’s in exchange for the rating.
Barron’s magazine “Top 100 Independent Advisors” ranking considered advisors with a minimum of seven years financial services experience. Quantitative and qualitative measures used to determine the advisor rankings include: client assets, return on assets, client satisfaction/retention, compliance records, and community involvement, among others. Wes Moss was ranked a Top 100 Independent Advisor by Barron’s magazine as follows:
#90 in 2017 (Published 4/15/17; Data as of 12/31/16)
#65 in 2019 (Published 4/22/19; Data as of 12/31/18)
#53 in 2020 (Published 4/20/20; Data as of 12/31/19)
#74 in 2021 (Published 4/16/21; Data as of 12/31/20)
Barron’s does not receive compensation from advisors, participating firms and their affiliates, or the media in exchange for rankings. Rankings and recognition from Barron’s are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor.
The Forbes ranking of “Best-In-State Wealth Advisors,” developed by SHOOK Research, is based on an algorithm of qualitative criteria, gained through telephone, virtual and in-person due diligence interviews, and quantitative data. Those advisors that are considered have a minimum of seven years’ experience, and the algorithm weighs factors like revenue trends, assets under management, compliance records, industry experience and those that encompass best practices in their approach to working with clients. Portfolio performance is not a criterion due to varying client objectives and lack of audited data. Rankings and recognition from Forbes’s are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Neither CIA nor Mr. Moss paid a fee to Forbes in exchange for the rating. Data provided by SHOOK® Research, LLC. Wes Moss was recognized by Forbes as a Best-in-State Wealth Advisor in:
2022 (Published 4/7/22; Data as of 6/30/21)
2023 (Published 4/4/23; Data as of 6/30/22)
Investopedia’s (a financial media website) ranking “Investopedia 100” highlights financial advisors who it believes are making significant contributions to critical conversations about financial literacy, investing strategies, life-stage planning and wealth management. The annual Investopedia 100 list honors financial advisors who have demonstrated top-of-the-industry skills in the following critical areas.
- Reach: defined as digital presence across their own websites, social media, and other media platforms such as video and podcasts.
- Community support: measured through peer nominations by industry professionals outside of their own firms.
- Commitment to financial literacy: measured by the advisor’s participation in workshops, programs, nonprofits or collaboration with others in the community to spread financial education to those who need it most, as well as the creation of accessible content.
All three factors weighed heavily in the Investopedia 100 methodology. Applications were checked for accuracy and quality, and final scores were tabulated according to weights designated for each of the criteria above. Rankings and recognition from Investopedia are no guarantee of future investment success and do not ensure that a current or prospective client will experience a higher level of performance results, and such rankings should not be construed as an endorsement of the advisor. Neither CIA nor Mr. Moss paid a fee to Investopedia in exchange for the rating. Wes Moss was recognized in the Investopedia 100 in:
2022 (Published 7/11/2022)
For more information about recent rankings:
2023 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors
2023 Barron’s Top 1200 Financial Advisors
2022 Forbes Best-In-State Wealth Advisors
2022 Investopedia Top 100 Financial Advisors