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Five Decades of Fiduciary Counsel.

Independent Since 1970. Trusted Across Generations.
OUR PURPOSE & VALUES

We exist to preserve clarity, confidence, and continuity for the generations we serve.

We provide fiduciary counsel aligning wealth with purpose and legacy that endures.

  • Integrity

    Every decision is driven by objective research and unwavering client-first judgment.

  • Relationships

    We put people first, building lasting relationships supported by a team that continually grows.

  • Discipline

    We help clients pursue meaningful goals with discipline and dependable follow-through.

  • Competency

    We solve complex challenges through shared experience and collaborative thinking.

  • Transparency

    We build trust through clarity, transparency, and aligned interests.

OUR DIFFERENCE

Independence shapes our judgement.
Precision guides our counsel.
Experience defines our perspective.

We combine disciplined structure with boutique focus — ensuring strategy, simplicity, and continuity in every relationship.

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Independent Counsel

We answer only to our clients, providing advice that’s independent and enduring.

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Integrated Strategies

Our portfolio, tax, and legacy planning work as one — reducing complexity and revealing clarity.

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Generational Continuity

Each relationship is built to outlast markets and leadership — guided by enduring fiduciary care.

OUR LEGACY
2020
2015
2012
2008
2006
2003
1998
1985
1982
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1970

The Fiduciary Group has truly evolved from a family-owned local business to a world-class wealth management firm serving families and businesses in the Coastal region and beyond.  In 2020, the firm celebrated its 50th anniversary. 

We are proud not just of what we’ve accomplished the last 50 years, but the fact that the firm we’ve built—the team, the infrastructure, the intellectual capital, the processes—allows us to continue to grow and thrive and serve our clients and future clients for generations to come.  We celebrated 50 years of fiduciary wealth management, with 20/20 vision for the future!

TFG enters into a strategic partnership with Focus Financial Partners LLC, a leading partnership of independent fiduciary wealth management firms.

Focus partner firms maintain their entrepreneurial independence and operational control while benefitting from the synergies, scale, economics, and best practices of the market leader to achieve their business objectives. www.focusfinancialpartners.com

Joel Goodman becomes an equity owner in the firm. Scott McGhie becomes an equity partner a year later.

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Scott McGhie, CFA, CPA, joins the firm as portfolio manager and investment advisor. Lee Butler retires from active management of client accounts.

The firm begins serving as a fiduciary investment advisor to 401(k) plans.

Julia Butler, with a law degree from the University of Georgia and an MBA from Wharton, joins the firm, initially as a business innovation consultant and ultimately as Chief Operating & Compliance Officer.

Joel Goodman assumes the role of Chief Investment Officer.

Joel Goodman, who holds an MBA from Duke University and has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst ® designation, returns to Savannah with his family and joins the firm as portfolio manager.

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Malcolm becomes President and Chief Executive Officer. 

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Malcolm returns to the firm after graduating with a law degree.

By now, the firm’s clients were turning to Lee and Malcolm to do what has come to be known as "wealth management"—everything from investing assets and administering trusts and estates, to paying clients’ bills and overseeing family finances.

Seeing a need for greater expertise in estate and taxation matters, Malcolm entered the University of Georgia Law School.

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Lee’s son, Malcolm, joined the company after graduating from Duke University. Saving and investing was in Malcolm’s DNA, opening his first account when he was 12 years old.

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The firm is founded by Lee Butler. Lee had worked for many years in the trust department of a large bank, managing and administering families’ assets across generations.

He recognized the need for independence from banks, brokers, and financial products if he was going to serve as fiduciary advisor acting in the clients’ best interests.

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The People
Behind the Counsel.

Our team share a single commitment — clarity, discipline, and enduring trust.

Each brings perspective shaped by decades of experience and a shared commitment to enduring trust.

Invested In Our Community

We believe stewardship extends beyond managing assets. Through education, philanthropy, and community partnerships, we invest in the values that strengthen families, institutions, and the places we call home.

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Purpose Beyond Wealth.

We answer only to our clients, ensuring advice that’s independent and enduring.

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Purpose Beyond Wealth.

We answer only to our clients, ensuring advice that’s independent and enduring.

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Purpose Beyond Wealth.

We answer only to our clients, ensuring advice that’s independent and enduring.

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Purpose Beyond Wealth.

We answer only to our clients, ensuring advice that’s independent and enduring.

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Conversations
That Endure.

Every relationship begins with understanding — of priorities, values, and legacy.

If you’re seeking a partner who measures success in decades, not quarters, we’d welcome the opportunity to connect.