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 let you pay for the services you want and skip paying for the ones you don't. They charge reasonable fees, adjust their approach to meet your specific needs, and offer a variety of ways to get in touch, including virtual meetings.
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.
- •
Over 60 investment account providers reviewed and rated by our expert Nerds.
- •
More than 50 years of combined experience writing about finance and investing.
- •
Extensive review of the features that matter most to average investors.
- •
Dozens of objective ratings rubrics, and strict guidelines to maintain editorial integrity.
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.
How we pick the best financial advisors for this list
All of the below firms are fiduciary financial advisors, which means they're required to put your interests above their own. Some of the companies we've included have in-house financial advisors. Others operate a network of participating advisors all over the country. (Not included on this list is NerdWallet Advisory, a registered investment advisor operated by NerdWallet that offers advisor matches. We don't rate or review our own products to avoid conflicts of interest.)
In many cases, working with an advisor through these firms is cheaper than finding a traditional local advisor, but you'll still have a 1-to-1 relationship with an advisor who knows your financial situation and understands your needs.
Also on our list of the best advisors are a few companies that manage your portfolio for you and offer you 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 pay an even lower fee if you opt for one of these services.
Below the table, you’ll see advisory firms divided into those two categories: services that match you with a dedicated financial advisor for more comprehensive advice; and lower-cost services that offer a team of advisors.
Best financial advisors
Some of these financial 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 | 3-Month Satisfaction Guarantee | |
 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 |
Finding the best financial advisor for you
As you review this list of financial advisors and compare options, keep three things in mind.
1. Your budget for advice. Simple, digital-only services will be less expensive; holistic financial planning will cost more. Know what you're comfortable spending before you dive in.
2. What services you need. Maybe you just want help picking investments, or maybe you need advice on more advanced topics, like estate planning or insurance needs. These requirements will help you choose what type of financial advisor you need — typically, a robo-advisor is a good fit for investment management, but you'll need a financial advisor for advanced planning. (View our picks for the best robo-advisors.)
3. Whether you want in-person or online advice. If you don’t mind meeting with your advisor virtually, you'll often save money with an online service. These services also typically have lower account minimum requirements than traditional investment advisors. No matter what option you choose, it's always important to check qualifications and make sure they follow a fiduciary standard, which means your needs come first.
» Need more information? Learn how to choose a financial advisor
These services will match you dedicated financial advisor who meets your needs — in most cases, you'll have free introductory meetings with a few advisors before choosing the one for you. You'll work with the same advisor on an ongoing basis, meeting virtually or in person if the advisor is local and offers that service.
These services offer unlimited access to a team of financial advisors — which means you may work with a different financial advisor each time. That generally comes at a lower cost, but you'll still be able to speak to an advisor and receive guidance as needed. Some of these advisors, including Vanguard, offer a dedicated advisor for clients who meet minimum investment requirements.
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
About the author