We’re pretty particular about the people we work with.

Joe Montgomery is a Managing Director - Investments with Wells Fargo Advisors. A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ practitioner, Accredited Investment Fiduciary® and a PIM Portfolio Manager, he heads up The Optimal Service Group of Wells Fargo Advisors at the firm’s Williamsburg, Virginia office.

Joe joined the firm in 1975 and during his successful 47 year career, Joe has been routinely recognized in the industry. *Barron’s has named Joe every year to the Top 100 Financial Advisors ranking since its 2004 inception. In 2019, Joe was named to the Barron’s Advisor Hall of Fame which is reserved only for advisors who have been recognized by Barron’s as a Top 100 Advisor for ten years in a row. In December of 2019 Joe was the featured advisor on Barrons.com in an interview titled “Building a $13-Billion Practice”. Joe has also been interviewed for the Barron’s Top 1200 Financial Advisor ranking in the March 11, 2019 issue. In addition, Barron’s has named The Optimal Service Group to the Top 30 Institutional Consulting Teams ranking from 2015-2019 and to the Top 50 Institutional Consulting Teams from 2020-2022. Forbes magazine has named Joe #1 in Virginia on the Best-In-State-Wealth Advisors ranking from 2020-2022. Also, Joe was recognized as one of the Forbes Top 250 Wealth Advisors in 2019. In the past, Joe has been named to the Forbes Top 100 Wealth Advisors from its 2016 inception through 2018. Recognized by the international organization Financial Times Joe was named to the FT Top 400 Advisers in the U.S. from 2013-2019. Since 2005 Joe has been a charter member of the Dow Jones Wealth Management Advisory Council. Joe has also been sought out for his viewpoint by several media outlets. Joe is a frequent guest on Asset TV.com where he discusses trends in the investment environment and provides commentary on the current state of the markets. In 2014 Joe was featured on CNBC Squawk Box discussing risk in the marketplace.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, VA) and is a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute presented at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce (Philadelphia, PA), where he has since lectured.

Joe was president of William and Mary's Society of the Alumni and was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the College of William and Mary Board of Visitors. He has also served on the boards of the Endowment Association of the College of William and Mary, National Campaign Steering Committee of the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg Landing (a retirement community), Williamsburg Community Health Foundation, The Williamsburg Community Trust, Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Inc., the Jamestown-Yorktown Educational Trust, the Virginia Retirement System Investment Advisory Committee, Hampton Roads Academy, the Future of Hampton Roads, Investment Committee Chair of the Virginia Capitol Foundation and Williamsburg Community Hospital, where he chaired the Finance Committee. He currently holds the position of Vice Chair on the Virginia Retirement System Board of Trustees, where he has served since 2014. Joe is a member of the James Blair Society at the College of William and Mary and in 2017 he was appointed to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Board of Trustees. Additionally, Joe was named as the 2017 recipient of the Gerald R. Ford Legends Award. The award is presented to a former collegiate or professional center that has made significant contributions to the football and business communities, or through philanthropic endeavors.

*Click here to see IMPORTANT recognition disclosure information 

CA Insurance License Number: 0C18828. Resident State VA

James Johnson joined The Optimal Service Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in 2014. James began his career as an intern with the group while pursuing his Masters of Business Administration at William & Mary. He has since transpired into the role of a Senior Institutional Consultant, responsible for the oversight of multiple non-profit and municipal client portfolios. Within his responsibilities, James conducts portfolio analytics such as risk analysis, performance attribution and scenario testing. He also focuses on business development for the group’s institutional practice, as he attends various industry seminars and conferences. He also is a member of the practice’s Portfolio Oversight Committee.

James earned his B.A. in Economics from The College of William and Mary while being a 4 year starter for the football team, earning the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Award for his efforts off of the field. Subsequently, James earned his M.B.A. from the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary, graduating Magna Cum Laude.  He is Series 7 and Series 66 registered.

James is involved with multiple non-profit organizations including sitting on the board of William & Mary’s Hulon Willis Association and the Arts Association of Newton County, GA. James resides in Richmond, VA.