INVESTINGBest Financial Advisors
The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.
The best financial advisors don't earn commissions for promoting specific investments or other products — which can introduce a conflict of interest. They offer holistic, expert guidance to take the guesswork out of planning for your future goals. They also adjust their approach to meet your specific needs, and they offer a variety of ways to get in touch, including virtual meetings.
This page covers the best financial advisors as chosen by NerdWallet's editorial team.
How we picked the best financial advisors for this list
Duty to the client. All of the firms on our list are fiduciary financial advisors, which means they're required to put your interests above their own.
Breadth. Some of the financial advisor firms on our list have in-house financial advisors. Others operate a network of advisors all over the country, and they refer you to the financial advisor who is the best fit for your needs. (Not included on this list is NerdWallet Advisory, a registered investment advisor operated by NerdWallet that offers advisor matches. We don't review our own products to avoid conflicts of interest.)
Access. In many cases, working with an advisor through these firms is cheaper than finding a local financial advisor, but you'll still have a 1-to-1 relationship with an advisor who knows your financial situation and understands your needs. However, we've also included a few financial advisor firms that offer access to a team of financial advisors on an as-needed basis. In most cases, you'll talk to a different advisor each time, but you'll generally pay an even lower fee if you opt for one of these services.
More about our methodology
NerdWallet’s comprehensive review process evaluates and ranks companies that provide financial planning services online or connect users to a financial advisor. Our aim is to provide an independent assessment of providers to help arm you with information to make sound, informed judgements on which ones will best meet your needs. We adhere to strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
We collect data directly from providers through detailed questionnaires, and conduct first-hand testing and observation through provider demonstrations. The questionnaire answers, combined with demonstrations, interviews of personnel at the providers and our specialists’ hands-on research, fuel our proprietary assessment process that scores each provider’s performance across more than 20 factors. The final output produces star ratings from poor (one star) to excellent (five stars).
For more details about the categories considered when rating financial advisors and our process, read our full methodology.
Why trust NerdWallet
Our deep, independent analysis sorts through key details to find and evaluate the information investors want when choosing a financial advisor. To see our full methodology and learn more about our process, read our criteria for evaluating online financial advisors.
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Over 60 investment account providers reviewed and rated by our expert Nerds.
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More than 50 years of combined experience writing about finance and investing.
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Extensive review of the features that matter most to average investors.
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Dozens of objective ratings rubrics, and strict guidelines to maintain editorial integrity.
Best financial advisors
The best financial advisor for you depends on your financial planning needs. Some of these advisors can match you with a local advisor, while others operate online and meet with clients virtually, via phone or video call.
| Broker | NerdWallet rating | Fees | Account minimum | Promotion | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Zoe Financial | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | Varies by Advisor (free initial consultation) | $150,000 | None no promotion available at this time. | |
 Vanguard Personal Advisor | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | 0.30%management fee | $50,000 | None no promotion available at this time | |
 Facet | Reviewed in: Apr. 2025Period considered: Aug. 2024 - Apr. 2025 | $1,000 and upper year (free initial consultation) | $0 | None no promotion available at this time. | |
 Harness Wealth | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | Up to 1%per year | $250,000 | $250 off one year of financial or tax planning | |
 Wealthramp | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024Period considered: Aug. 2023 - Oct. 2024 | Varies by advisor(free initial consultation) | $0 | None no promotion available at this time | |
 Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium™ | Reviewed in: Oct. 2024Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2024 | $30monthly | $25,000 | None no promotion available at this time | |
 Ellevest Wealth Management | Reviewed in: April 2025Period considered: April 2025 | 0.25% - 1.25% | $500,000 | None no promotion available at this time | |
 Merrill Guided Investing with advisor | Reviewed in: Oct. 2025Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2025 | 0.85%management fee | $20,000 | None no promotion available at this time |
See more details about these advisors
Zoe Financial
Fees: Varies by advisor (free initial consultation)
Account minimum: $150,000
Why we like Zoe: Zoe Financial matches individuals with vetted financial advisory firms for free. The advisors can help with a range of services, such as retirement planning and investing, tax strategy, buying a home and understanding stock options. Some of Zoe's advisors even offer comprehensive tax planning, so you can get your whole financial life together in one place. We also like that Zoe supports all major custodians, and there's no limit to the number of brokerage accounts clients can have.
Pros:
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Advisors offer free initial consultations.
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Access to a range of services, including investment management and financial, tax and estate planning.
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No fee for using Zoe Financial to find an advisor.
Cons:
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Difficult to know financial advisor fees upfront.
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$150,000 investment minimum.
Vanguard Personal Advisor
Fees: 0.30% management fee
Account minimum: $50,000
Why we like Vanguard: Vanguard Personal Advisor is one of the largest players in the hybrid robo-advisor/online planning space, which helps keeps fees relatively low. You can get virtual planning tools and guidance from human financial advisors, most of whom are CFPs. The portfolios only use Vanguard funds, though.
Pros:
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Low portfolio management fee.
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Comprehensive advice with goals-based planning tools.
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Unlimited access to a team of financial advisors.
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Solid investment selection with Vanguard’s suite of funds.
Cons:
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Relatively high $50,000 investment minimum.
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Portfolios use only Vanguard funds.
Facet
Fees: $1,000 and up per year (free initial consultation)
Account minimum: $0
Why we like Facet: The fee you pay is based on the level of service required and the complexity of your financial situation. Also, some financial advisors require you to move your assets to their brokerage, but Facet manages existing accounts at several brokerages, including Fidelity, Charles Schwab and Apex. Facet is definitely on the higher end of the cost spectrum, though.
Pros:
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Comprehensive, full-service financial planning.
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Meetings are held virtually, via phone or video call.
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Access to a dedicated certified financial planner.
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Flat membership fee means you pay only for what you need.
Cons:
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Wide fee range makes it difficult for potential customers to estimate costs.
Harness Wealth
Fees: Up to 1% per year
Account minimum: $250,000
Why we like Harness Wealth: The integration with Harness Tax can be a one-stop-shop for those who have a complicated financial life. Clients typically work with a team of advisors (but speak with a single point of contact) with expertise across financial, tax, trust and estate. Harness advisors offer complimentary initial consultations. Also, clients do not have to transfer assets to a Harness custodian if they’re only receiving financial planning services. The account minimum is fairly high, however.
Pros:
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Advisors offer free initial consultations.
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Access to a range of services, including investment management and financial, tax and estate planning.
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No fee for using Harness Wealth to find an advisor.
Cons:
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Difficult to know financial advisor fees upfront.
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Firms require a $250,000 investment minimum for investment management. (No minimum for a one-time financial plan.)
Wealthramp
Fees: Varies by advisor (free initial consultation)
Account minimum: $0
Why we like Wealthramp: Advisors in Wealthramp's network are all fee-only fiduciaries and personally vetted by Wealthramp's CEO. Some advisors offer services such as tax preparation, tax-efficient retirement planning and tax-efficient wealth transfer planning.
Pros:
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Advisors offer free initial consultations.
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Access to a range of services, including investment management and financial, tax and estate planning.
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No fee to use Wealthramp to find an advisor.
Cons:
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Difficult to know financial advisor fees upfront.
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Some advisors require investment minimum of $100,000 or more.
Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium
Fees: $30 monthly subscription fee; one-time $300 planning fee.
Account minimum: $25,000
Why we like Schwab: Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium clients get access to a team of CFPs, receive a financial plan and get access to interactive planning tools. While the service doesn't initially pair clients with a dedicated advisor, clients can request to work with the same advisor. Clients can get guidance for any life milestone including buying a home to having a child, college savings, retirement, income and budgeting. The upfront fee is unusual, however.
Pros:
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Clients can request to work with the same advisor.
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Unlimited access to a team of advisors.
Cons:
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Managed assets must be held at Schwab.
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Flat fee makes pricing better for investors with higher balances.
Ellevest Wealth Management
Fees: 0.25% - 1.25%
Account minimum: $500,000
Why we like Ellevest: Ellevest specializes in financial advisory work for high- and ultra-high-net-worth women. Most advisors are CFPs or CFAs. The fee drops the more assets you have under management.
Pros:
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Comprehensive financial planning.
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Most advisors are certified financial planners or chartered financial analysts.
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Customized portfolios.
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Manages alternative assets.
Cons:
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$500,000 investment minimum.
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Relatively high management fee at lower balances.
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Does not offer tax or estate planning.
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Clients’ assets are only managed and held at Ellevest's custodian Charles Schwab & Co Inc.
Merrill Guided Investing
Fees: 0.45% management fee
Account minimum: $1,000
Why we like Merrill: Merrill makes it enticing for existing customers or Bank of America clients to get on board with its investing service. The Preferred Rewards program reduces management fees, increases interest rates, gives discounts on auto loans and increases credit card rewards as account balances grow. It offers human portfolio management in a robo-advisor format.
Pros:
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Portfolios are managed by humans, not algorithms.
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Socially responsible portfolio options.
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Access to human advisors (for a higher fee).
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Lower fees for Bank of America customers.
Cons:
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High portfolio management fee.
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$1,000 account minimum.
Guide to working with a financial advisor
Here's how to get what you need from a reliable advisor at a reasonable cost.
What a financial advisor does
There are different types of financial advisors, but in general they should all be able to help you with at least the following:
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Prioritizing or setting financial goals.
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Coaching you through the financial effects of life or market changes.
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Reviewing and rebalancing investments.
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Retirement planning.
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Managing the tax consequences of various events or decisions.
Typically, during your meetings the financial advisor will assess your financial situation (your assets, debts and expenses), identify areas for improvement and help you create a financial plan.
» MORE: What financial advisors do
Financial advisor fees
Financial advisors use several different fee structures, including annual fees that are a percentage of assets under management, flat annual or monthly fees, hourly rates, one-time financial plan fee, or, for some advisors, commissions.
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Assets under management (AUM): Typically about 1.0% for a financial advisor; 0.25% to 0.50% per year for a robo-advisor.
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Flat annual fee (retainer): Typically $2,500 to $9,200.
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Hourly fee: Usually about $200 to $400.
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Per-plan fee: Typically about $3,000, but the cost will vary by service.
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Commission: 3% to 6% of investment transaction amount.
We suggest working with financial advisors who are fee-only fiduciaries. Fee-only advisors charge flat fees or a percentage of the assets they manage; they don't get commissions. (Note: fee-only advisors aren't the same as fee-based advisors, who may earn commissions on products they sell and charge clients a fee or percentage of assets.) Advisors that meet virtually often cost less than advisors that are in-person only, and they typically have lower account minimum requirements.
How to choose a good financial advisor
It's important to find a financial advisor who is a good fit for your life and who doesn't charge you for services you don't need. These are the six basic steps to the selection process. Our article on how to choose a financial advisor will walk you through each step.
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Step 1: Decide what you want the financial advisor to do.
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Step 2: Look for these key financial advisor credentials.
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Step 3: Decide if you want to work with a human.
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Step 4: Decide what you want to pay.
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Step 5: Look for red flags.
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Step 6: Hire the financial advisor.
Be sure to check the advisor's qualifications by looking at their Form ADV on the SEC website, and ask them whether they follow a fiduciary standard, which means the advisor must work the best interest of the client and only recommend investments that are the best fit. (Nonfiduciaries, such as broker-dealers, need only to recommend products that are “suitable” — even if they're not the lowest-cost or most ideal for you.)
When to hire a financial advisor
If dealing with money or investing for future goals feels overwhelming, or if your finances feel unorganized, a financial advisor can certainly help. Here are some common situations that can often benefit from working with a financial advisor.
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Undergoing one or more major life changes.
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Getting married or divorced.
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Not having any specific financial goals.
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Disagreeing with your partner about how to invest or handle money.
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No time for or interest in financial planning or investments.
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Receiving employee equity compensation (stock options, RSUs, deferred comp, etc.).
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Starting or running a business.
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Feeling like your taxes could be lower with better planning.
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Feeling like your finances are disorganized.
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Needing help managing or planning to leave or receive an inheritance.
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Received unexpected tax bills.
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Wondering whether and how you’ll reach a particular money goal.
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Having aging parents, a family member with functional needs or a serious illness that involves special expenses.
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Needing someone to validate your money decisions or strategy.
Financial advisor FAQs
- Zoe Financial: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
- Vanguard Personal Advisor: Best for Access to a team of financial advisors
- Facet: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
- Harness Wealth: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
- Wealthramp: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
- Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium™: Best for Access to a team of financial advisors
- Ellevest Wealth Management: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
- Merrill Guided Investing with advisor: Best for 1-to-1 relationship with a financial advisor
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