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.

Full list — best financial advisors for 2025:

• •

  Zoe Financial

• •

  Vanguard Personal Advisor

• •

  Facet

• •

  Harness Wealth

• •

  Wealthramp

• •

  Schwab Intelligent Portfolios Premium™

• •

  Ellevest Wealth Management

• •

  Merrill Guided Investing

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.

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:

• •

  Prioritizing or setting financial goals.

• •

  Coaching you through the financial effects of life or market changes.

• •

  Reviewing and rebalancing investments.

• •

  Retirement planning.

• •

  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.

• •

  Assets under management (AUM): Typically about 1.0% for a financial advisor; 0.25% to 0.50% per year for a robo-advisor.

• •

  Flat annual fee (retainer): Typically $2,500 to $9,200.

• •

  Hourly fee: Usually about $200 to $400.

• •

  Per-plan fee: Typically about $3,000, but the cost will vary by service.

• •

  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.

» MORE: Learn more about financial advisor fees

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.

• •

  Step 1: Decide what you want the financial advisor to do.

• •

  Step 2: Look for these key financial advisor credentials.

• •

  Step 3: Decide if you want to work with a human.

• •

  Step 4: Decide what you want to pay.

• •

  Step 5: Look for red flags.

• •

  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.)

» MORE: 10 questions to ask a financial advisor

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.

• •

  Undergoing one or more major life changes.

• •

  Getting married or divorced.

• •

  Not having any specific financial goals.

• •

  Disagreeing with your partner about how to invest or handle money.

• •

  No time for or interest in financial planning or investments.

• •

  Receiving employee equity compensation (stock options, RSUs, deferred comp, etc.).

• •

  Starting or running a business.

• •

  Feeling like your taxes could be lower with better planning.

• •

  Feeling like your finances are disorganized.

• •

  Needing help managing or planning to leave or receive an inheritance.

• •

  Received unexpected tax bills.

• •

  Wondering whether and how you’ll reach a particular money goal.

• •

  Having aging parents, a family member with functional needs or a serious illness that involves special expenses.

• •

  Needing someone to validate your money decisions or strategy.