I have complete confidence in Tom and my financial goals that he has helped me to map out.
Ron
Missionary
About · Our Founders' Story
OUR FOUNDERS' STORY
40+ years of experience
Tom Graffeo, CFP®, CIMA®, founder and principal of Dove Investment Research & Management. More than 40 years of experience pursuing stability for his clients' financial future.
CFP® · CIMA®
watch our founders’ story
Tom Graffeo is the founder and principal of Dove Investment Research & Management, where his work is guided by a simple promise: faith in every answer. For more than four decades, Tom has helped individuals, families, and business owners navigate financial decisions with clarity, conviction, and a disciplined approach rooted in both values and evidence.
A seasoned advisor with over 40 years of industry experience, Tom is among the rare professionals who hold both the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®) designation and the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA) credential, earned through advanced study at The College of Financial Planning and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. This dual expertise places him in an elite tier of advisors nationally and forms the backbone of his specialty: institutional-grade portfolio management for private clients on Main Street, not just Wall Street.
Before founding Dove Investments in 2009, Tom served as a Vice President at AllianceBernstein and ING Group, advising financial professionals and high-net-worth clients on investment strategy, risk management, and planning frameworks. His experience across market cycles informs a disciplined, research-driven approach that helps clients stay grounded through uncertainty and focused on long-term outcomes.
At Dove Investments, our philosophy is built on the belief that financial guidance should be both faith-based and personal. Tom's deep portfolio-management expertise creates a distinctive advisory experience that blends human understanding with analytical rigor.
Tom is a member of the Financial Planning Association and the Investment Management Consultants Association. He is actively involved in Strong Tower Ministries, supporting outreach programs for disadvantaged children in Orange County and Baja California.
See what people say about working with Tom in these videos.
I had complete full faith and confidence that he was going to help, you know, manage all that portion of it because there's a lot of things that you have to manage in a difficult situation like that. And that was just one thing that I knew I didn't have to worry about.
Stacey
Retired
And he told me his story about how he started his company, Dove Investment. He showed me that and gave me the confidence that I could do this by giving me a Bible verse because I told him I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to get a paycheck.
Doris
Small Business Owner
I told him, I says, "I, I really appreciate that, thank you so much. And if you wouldn't mind also just keeping me in prayer." And he says, "Well, why don't we pray right now?"
Pat
Administrator
He was one of three people that I interviewed and I just felt comfortable with him right off the bat.
Charlie
Retired
We just kept on feeling an affinity towards Tom and Tyler. It was the duo factor, Tom and Tyler, that really, they were so genuine.
Kim
Medical Sales
We've had financial discussions, we've had spiritual discussions, and he's the real deal.
Monica
Retired
I was looking for a Christian organization that did investments, and someone who could take the money that I had and invest it wisely for me.
Carol
Retired
They get back to you right away and they answer questions about any concerns you might have.
Tammy
Retired
And he gave us a feeling that there was a strong moral and ethical connection there.
Rod
Retired
And once we made the decision to go with them, the ramping up, getting on board, starting our account was very simple.
Felix
Medical Sales
This statement is a testimonial by a client of the financial professional as of 07/29/24. The client has not been paid or received any other compensation for making these statements. As a result, the client does not receive any material incentives or benefits for providing the testimonial.
Faith in Every Answer
Thomas R. Graffeo
CFP®, CIMA, LPL Registered Principal
a ten year winner
FIVE STAR WEALTH MANAGER.
Tom has been named a Five Star Wealth Manager ten times: in 2016 and every year from 2018 through 2026. In 2026, just 122 of the 2,870 Orange County-area wealth managers considered (4%) received the award.
This award was issued on 05/01/2026 by Five Star Professional (FSP) for the time period 07/17/2025 through 01/02/2026. Fee paid for use of marketing materials. Self-completed questionnaire was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria. 2870 Orange County-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 122 (4% of candidates) were named 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers. The following prior year statistics use this format: YEAR: # Considered, # Winners, % of candidates, Issued Date, Research Period. 2025: 2,712, 117, 4%, 5/1/25, 7/31/24 - 12/31/24; 2024: 2,682, 140, 5%, 5/1/24, 7/25/23 - 1/31/24; 2023: 2,576, 160, 6.2%, 5/1/23, 7/25/22 - 2/10/23; 2022: 2482, 143, 6%, 5/1/22, 8/30/21 - 3/4/22; 2021: 2398, 144, 6%, 5/1/21, 8/17/20 - 3/12/21; 2020: 2320, 152, 7%, 5/1/20, 8/1/19 - 3/13/20; 2019: 2469, 187, 8%, 5/1/19, 8/13/18 - 3/11/19; 2018: 2423, 144, 6%, 5/1/18, 6/21/17 - 3/16/18; 2017: 1790, 280, 16%, 5/1/17, 8/24/16 - 2/24/17; 2016: 1383, 312, 23%, 2/1/16, 8/19/15 - 1/15/16; 2015: 2010, 351, 17%, 3/1/15, 8/30/14 - 1/30/15; 2014: 3489, 302, 9%, 3/1/14, 8/30/13 - 1/30/14; 2013: 2293, 415, 18%, 3/1/13, 8/30/12 - 1/30/13; 2012: 1760, 255, 14%, 3/1/12, 8/30/11 - 1/31/12.
Wealth managers do not pay a fee to be considered or placed on the final list of Five Star Wealth Managers. The award is based on 10 objective criteria. Eligibility criteria - required: 1. Credentialed as a registered investment adviser (RIA) or a registered investment adviser representative; 2. Actively licensed as a RIA or as a principal of a registered investment adviser firm for a minimum of 5 years; 3. Favorable regulatory and complaint history review (As defined by FSP, the wealth manager has not; A. Been subject to a regulatory action that resulted in a license being suspended or revoked, or payment of a fine; B. Had more than a total of three settled or pending complaints filed against them and/or a total of five settled, pending, dismissed or denied complaints with any regulatory authority or FSP's consumer complaint process. Unfavorable feedback may have been discovered through a check of complaints registered with a regulatory authority or complaints registered through FSP's consumer complaint process; feedback may not be representative of any one client's experience; C. Individually contributed to a financial settlement of a customer complaint; D. Filed for personal bankruptcy within the past 11 years; E. Been terminated from a financial services firm within the past 11 years; F. Been convicted of a felony); 4. Fulfilled their firm review based on internal standards; 5. Accepting new clients. Evaluation criteria - considered: 6. One-year client retention rate; 7. Five-year client retention rate; 8. Non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered; 9. Number of client households served; 10. Education and professional designations. FSP does not evaluate quality of services provided to clients. The award is not indicative of the wealth manager's future performance. Wealth managers may or may not use discretion in their practice and therefore may not manage their clients' assets. The inclusion of a wealth manager on the Five Star Wealth Manager list should not be construed as an endorsement of the wealth manager by FSP or this publication. Working with a Five Star Wealth Manager or any wealth manager is no guarantee as to future investment success, nor is there any guarantee that the selected wealth managers will be awarded this accomplishment by FSP in the future. Visit www.fivestarprofessional.com.
let's walk it together
READY WHEN YOU ARE.
Every financial journey begins with a conversation. We'll listen to your goals, answer your questions, and help you explore your options with faith-aligned guidance and transparent fees. There is no cost and no obligation, just an opportunity to discover whether we're the right fit for you.