Evan Harp sat down with Steelview Wealth Mangement’s Douglas Mongiardo to discuss his firm, the Exchange conference, and how seeing the way clients interacted with his father inspired him.
Evan Harp: Please tell us about your practice.
Douglas Mongiardo: Steelview Wealth Management is an independent, fiduciary, fee-based, comprehensive wealth planner. I am a second-generation advisor, working alongside my father and partner, Ross Mongiardo, and our two dedicated assistants.
We are boutique financial consultants — our goal is to become true long-term partners with our clients. That means our work goes well beyond investment advice. We build actionable, customized plans that guide clients through every stage of their lives. Because we are fee-based and don’t sell proprietary products, our success is directly aligned with our clients’ success.
My specialty is working with high-earning younger individuals — particularly those who have recently received inheritances and are seeking long-term, strategic guidance to grow and preserve their wealth.
The Steelview Investment Philosophy
Harp: What is your investment philosophy?
Mongiardo: Our investment philosophy at Steelview is simple. After identifying our client’s goal, risk tolerance, investment horizon, and liquidity needs, we create a custom portfolio from products we vet and stress-test extensively. Our core allocations are composed of equities and fixed income, with satellite holdings of alternatives like crypto, real estate, private equity, and private credit, and precious metals.
Too often I see investors, particularly younger ones, chasing trends and the “hot money,” which will inevitably lead to underperformance over the long term. The truth is, professional investing is not sexy. It is a steady, measured process where diversification and risk management rule. That allows us to compound our clients’ money and provide them with financial peace of mind.
Mongiardo on Age Bias
Harp: What’s the biggest challenge you had to overcome, and how did you do it?
Mongiardo: The biggest challenge I’ve faced is overcoming age bias. Early on, I’d hear comments like, “You weren’t investing during the 2008 financial crisis — how can you know how to prepare for the next one?” To me, that’s like asking a historian how they can be an expert on an era they didn’t live through. I’ve dedicated huge amounts of my time to studying financial history — learning patterns, themes, and behaviors that shape capital markets over time.
Today, my age has become an advantage, as I’m able to assure clients continuity through retirement, offer fresh perspectives on newer asset classes and technologies like cryptocurrencies and AI, and bring up-to-date technical expertise to the table.
Mongiardo Looks Forward to Hearing From van Eck at Exchange
Harp: The Exchange conference is coming up soon. What are you most looking forward to?
Mongiardo: This will be my first Exchange conference. I’m most excited to hear Jan van Eck speak. I greatly admire his investment style, and am always learning from his insights. As always, the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with top advisors at conferences like this is a huge plus.
Harp: Who is another advisor who inspires you?
Mongiardo: This is an easy one — my partner and father, Ross Mongiardo. He has been in the business 35 years, and has the grey hair to show for it. When I first started working with him and meeting his clients, what really stood out to me was the relationship he has with them. These people with whom he’s worked and become friends with over multiple decades not only trust him implicitly, but truly value his opinion, and are never hesitant to voice their appreciation.
It was refreshing to see that this business, unlike many others, is not transactional, but rather a partnership. It’s inspiring for me to know that if I continue to do great, honest work for my clients, I’ll have those same enduring relationships decades from now.
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