We are delighted to officially celebrate our 50th anniversary this February! The team at The Fiduciary Group is dedicated to helping clients build their wealth over the long-term through sound planning, useful advice and disciplined investment management.
Ever since our founding in 1970 by Lee Butler, we have followed the fiduciary model by putting client interests first with objective financial advice. The Fiduciary Group started when Lee Butler recognized the need for independence from banks, brokers and financial products in order to serve as a fiduciary advisor.
“Starting my own business required more than simply replicating what I had done as a bank trust officer,” Lee Butler explains. “I wanted to adopt what was right about the trust system and to concentrate on offering impartial advice. We developed a special niche in assisting Savannah’s leading families in the management of their finances and the transfer of assets from one generation to the next.”
Malcolm Butler joined the firm in 1980 after graduating from Duke University and earned a JD from University of Georgia School of Law in 1985. He became President and CEO of The Fiduciary Group in 1998.
Since then, the team rapidly grew with the next generation of partners and leadership. In 2003, Chief Investment Officer Joel Goodman joined the firm. In 2006, Chief Retirement and Planning Officer Julia Butler joined the firm.
Lee Butler retired from active management of client accounts in 2008. That same year, Director of Portfolio Management Scott McGhie joined The Fiduciary Group. Lee Butler’s granddaughter, Bess Butler, joined the firm in 2017 and currently serves as an Associate Investment Advisor, bringing a third generation of wealth managers to the team.
“We are truly a Savannah success story,” says Julia Butler. “Over the years, The Fiduciary Group has grown from a locally owned family business to a world-class wealth management firm serving families and companies throughout the Southeast and beyond.”
In 1985, the firm managed $40 million in assets and had a team of three. The firm now manages over $1.1 billion in assets (as of 12/31/19) and has a team of 14 accomplished financial professionals serving high net-worth individuals and families, business owners, company 401(k) plans, trusts and nonprofit organizations.
“The key to our success over the past five decades has been adherence to our core values of integrity, competency and undivided loyalty to our clients’ best interests,” Malcolm Butler explains. “We’ve built a team and a culture that will thrive for generations to come. We look forward to serving clients and exceeding expectations for the next 50 years and beyond.’”