In 1991, James E. Nevels had a vision – to create a financial advisory organization dedicated to independent, unconflicted service to clients. With just a pen, pad of paper and his deep desire to turn his vision into something truly tangible, Jim set to work at a picnic table in the attic of his Swarthmore, Pennsylvania home. His first order of business was to return to where it all began…Alabama. It was there, in 1952, where Jim was born to young African American parents – a time when the odds were not in his favor. However, Jim’s years of perseverance and countless hours of intense work paid off when his trip home in 1992 turned into an opportunity to manage a $35 million mandate for the City of Birmingham – The Swarthmore Group’s first client.

Today, The Swarthmore Group is one of the oldest, active, minority-owned registered investment advisors headquartered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Mr. Nevels’ vision and values are deeply rooted in the firm, and are embraced by our team of passionate professionals. Understanding what is important to our clients and helping them build a solid path to achieve those goals is the hallmark of The Swarthmore Group.