Best Financial Advisors

Mariner

Sometimes, templated methods and model portfolios aren’t as good as flexible, attentive services that change with your financial life, especially when that life requires a more personal touch. We think Mariner seems best at delivering that.

What we like about Mariner

Highly customized portfolios. Mariner advisors create investment portfolios around client goals instead of following a one-size-fits-all strategy. We think this is important because people often have unique goals and needs. Plus, clients with complex financial lives need flexible plans and advisors who are good at coordinating a lot of moving pieces.

More under one roof. We like that Mariner’s in-house specialists can handle many needs, which helps clients avoid having to see (and pay) other specialists on the side. The firm’s AUM fee covers financial planning and consulting, and an advisor coordinates with specialists on investment and noninvestment matters. Mariner also offers family office services (including banking, bill-paying, record keeping, authorizing users and other administrative work) and tax services.

• 👉 See how we rate Mariner's fees, services and more.

  Reviewed in: Dec. 2025 | Period considered: Oct. - Dec. 2025

  Account minimum	There's no firmwide minimum, but some investment strategies or custodial platforms may require a starting balance. Mariner offers a complimentary consultation to determine if it's a good fit.
  Account management, planning or subscription fee	Fees vary by service. Typical rates are: 1.25% on the first $1 million. 1% on assets of $1 million to $5 million. 0.80% on assets of $5 million to $10 million. 0.60% on assets above $10 million. There's a quarterly minimum fee of $1,875.
  Advisor access and credentials	Each client is typically paired with a dedicated advisory team that may include an advisor, investment specialist and planning support staff. Advisors meet a fiduciary standard and may hold CFPs, CPAs, CFAs or JDs. Clients may communicate with their advisory team in person, virtually or by phone.
  Financial planning services	Financial plans are customized to address clients' goals, priorities and financial complexity. Services include wealth and investment planning, retirement planning, tax, estate, insurance and trust planning.
  Investment expense ratios	Not rated. Investments used and portfolio costs vary.
  Portfolio construction	Each portfolio is customized to meet a client’s goals, time horizon and risk tolerance. Portfolios can be constructed using individual securities, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, separately managed accounts and/or limited partnerships when appropriate.
  Brokerage options	Mariner clients can hold assets at multiple third-party custodians, including Fidelity, Schwab and Pershing.
  Accounts supported	Mariner supports a broad range of account types, including individual, joint and family accounts; retirement accounts (IRA, Roth IRA, 401(k) rollovers); and trust, charitable and business accounts.
  Tax strategy	The firm’s advisory teams work closely with in-house tax professionals to help identify potential tax efficiencies. That means: Tax-loss harvesting and asset location strategies may be implemented. Coordination with CPAs and tax professionals. Focus on proactive, year-round tax awareness.

Where Mariner falls short

Minimum fee. You’ll pay at least $1,875 per quarter ($7,500 a year), which can translate to a high percentage if you don’t have at least $600,000 of assets under management.

Clients with simple finances may feel overloaded. Mariner can do a lot, but this firm may be too extra for people who don’t have complex financial needs. Mariner may be the advisor you switch to after you realize you’ve outgrown your current financial advisor.

Edelman Financial Engines

Edelman Financial Engines specializes in helping clients who are approaching retirement. For many people, this is a time in life when financial math changes quickly because they’re moving from accumulating savings to spending that savings. We think Edelman Financial Engines stands out for its focus on helping people through this transition.

What we like about Edelman

Custodial options. Edelman uses Fidelity and Charles Schwab for custody services, which is fairly limited compared to other firms NerdWallet reviews. But if your accounts (particularly your retirement accounts) are already sitting with Fidelity or Schwab, it’ll be easier to onboard with Edelman.

Fee structure. EFE charges 1.75% on the first $400,000 of assets under management (AUM). That’s higher than many other advisors, which makes Edelman a less-competitive option for people still building assets. However, Edelman’s tiered fee structure means that you pay a lower fee on the proportion of your assets above certain thresholds (you pay 1.75% on the first $400,000 but only 1.25% on the next $350,000, for example). Someone with $1 million in AUM would pay an effective rate of 1.39%.

Retirement Paycheck service. Edelman has an offering that creates a predictable income stream in retirement, which basically means the firm moves some of your assets (about three years’ worth of income) into lower risk, fixed-income investments.

• 👉 See how we rate Edelman's fees, services and more.

  Reviewed in: Dec. 2025 | Period considered: Oct. - Dec. 2025

  Account minimum	Declined to disclose. Opening an account may be subject to a minimum account size, which is determined based on proprietary models developed by EFE. This minimum may be increased, decreased or waived at the firm's discretion.
  Account management, planning or subscription fee	The fee drops the more assets you have under management. 1.75% on the first $400,000. 1.25% on the next $350,000. 1% on the next $250,000. 0.75% on the next $2 million. 0.60% on the next $7 million. 0.50% on the next $15 million. The AUM fee covers financial planning services as well as investment management. But clients who only want a financial plan would pay a one-time fee of up to $10,000.
  Advisor access and credentials	All wealth planning clients are supported by a dedicated advisor, who provides unlimited access throughout the year. Advisors are available via email, chat/text, phone, video or in-person meeting.
  Financial planning services	EFE provides personalized, comprehensive support for complex financial planning needs, including tax optimization, estate planning, and insurance strategies.
  Investment expense ratios	Average 0.14%.
  Portfolio construction	95% of portfolios are unique to the individual. EFE wealth advisors work closely with clients to ensure their portfolio is aligned with their unique needs, goals and risk tolerance. The process is intended to create personalized, age-appropriate, diversified portfolios for each client selecting from among thousands of available investment options and maximizing the risk-adjusted returns of these portfolios by optimizing asset-class exposures, manager performance, fund-specific risk and fees.
  Brokerage options	EFE managed assets are held with one of its custodian partners, including Fidelity, Schwab and Axos.
  Accounts supported	EFE provides comprehensive account management across taxable and non-taxable accounts, including managing assets within most 401(k) plans or other workplace retirement plans.
  Tax strategy	Services include asset location and tax-loss harvesting — offered at no additional cost — as well as direct indexing capabilities. EFE also provides tax planning support.

What Edelman Financial Engines doesn’t do as well

Standardized portfolios. EFE may not be the right choice for people who want highly customized portfolios. Edelman is a big, efficient firm, and its advisors may recommend a standardized investment portfolio rather than offer to create a custom one just for you. For example, in its Retirement Paycheck service, the firm chooses short-term and long-term investments for all the clients in the service at the same time.

Modern Wealth Management

We think Modern Wealth Management can be a good fit for people who already have a significant amount to invest, want financial planning as well as investment management, and like the option to meet in person with an advisor.

The firm’s tiered fee structure is common in the business, and people with relatively small account balances pay the highest percentage fees (AUM fees are 1.5% on the first $499,999; the percentage is lower for assets beyond that threshold). That makes Modern Wealth relatively expensive for someone with less than $1 million.

Where Modern Wealth Management shines

Team approach: The client’s advisor coordinates with other advisors who specialize in taxes, estate planning, investment management or other topics. This can help create a more holistic approach to financial planning.

Onboarding: Like at Edelman, you can use either Schwab or Fidelity as a custodian or broker, which is fairly limited compared to other firms NerdWallet reviews. If you’re already using Fidelity or Schwab to house your accounts, especially your 401(k) or other retirement accounts, it may take less time to get things started with Modern Wealth Management.

• 👉 See how we rate Modern Wealth Management’s fees, services and more.

  Reviewed in: Dec. 2025 | Period considered: Oct. - Dec. 2025

  Account minimum	$250,000. May be waived or negotiated at the firm's discretion.
  Account management, planning or subscription fee	Rates are adjusted based on assets under management and the client's needs. For each tier, the specified fee rate is applied only to the portion of the client’s assets that falls within that tier: 1.5% on the first $499,999. 1.25% on assets of $500,000 to $999,999. 1% on assets of $1,000,000 to $2,999,999. 0.75% on assets of $3,000,000 to $4,999,999. 0.65% on assets of $5,000,000 to $9,999,999. 0.55% on assets over $10 million. The AUM fee covers all financial planning services as well as investment management. But clients who only want a financial plan would instead pay a one-time fee of $2,500 to $10,000. Tax preparation requires a separate service agreement. And estate planning may require paying a separate fee to a third-party provider.
  Advisor access and credentials	Modern Wealth clients work with a dedicated team including advisors, relationship managers, and service specialists holding a wide array of designations, including CFPs, CPAs, CFAs, ChFCs, CRPCs, AIFs and Series 65 and Series 66 credentials. Clients can connect with advisors through their preferred method: phone, email, in-person or virtual meetings.
  Financial planning services	Offers comprehensive financial planning services covering tax, estate, investment management and insurance planning catered to the unique needs of the client. Additional services like college planning, retirement income planning, and more are available and customized to your goals.
  Investment expense ratios	Average 0.26%.
  Portfolio construction	Portfolios are pre-built with several options available. Modern Wealth can customize portfolios with a wide array of investment options, including individual stocks, socially responsible investments and more.
  Brokerage options	Modern Wealth Management requires clients to use either Schwab or Fidelity as a custodian or broker.
  Accounts supported	Supports a spectrum of account types including IRAs, trusts, workplace plans and more, supported by Schwab and Fidelity.
  Tax strategy	Helps clients optimize their tax strategy with advanced solutions like asset location, tax loss harvesting, direct indexing and other specialized tax planning strategies.

Where Modern Wealth Management falls short

High-cost investments: In addition to paying an AUM fee to the advisory firm, investors also usually pay fees on the mutual funds and ETFs in their portfolio. The portfolios that Modern Wealth manages have an average expense ratio of 0.26%, which we think is high. NerdWallet’s analysis shows that many other firms we review use funds with lower expense ratios.

Vanguard Personal Advisor

Vanguard Personal Advisor offers a good combination of personalized financial planning, virtual tools and a well-known set of funds. People with at least $500,000 get even more personalized advice. You do have to move your assets onto the Vanguard platform, though.

What we like about Vanguard Personal Advisor

Low fees: Vanguard is a behemoth in the investment world, and it’s able to use its heft to keep fees low, even in its advisory arm. The advisor charges just 0.30% to 0.31% of assets under management, which is very low compared to other firms we’ve reviewed, and the $50,000 account minimum is similarly low in the industry.

Human and virtual assistance: Most of Vanguard’s advisors are certified financial planners, and the firm also offers virtual planning tools. The advisors create personalized financial plans and monitor investor portfolios, which is a huge value at this price point and can be really helpful for people who want a comprehensive financial plan and the security of being able to reach a human when necessary.

• 👉 See how we rate Vanguard’s fees, services and more.

  Reviewed in: Oct. 2025 | Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2025

  Account minimum	$50,000.
  Account management, planning or subscription fee	For an all-index investment option, Personal Advisor clients pay a net advisory fee of 0.30%. Clients with an ESG or active/index investment options may pay an advisory fee ranging from 0.25% to 0.27% or 0.26% to 0.35%, respectively.
  Advisor access and credentials	Unlimited appointments over phone, email or video. Clients can also reach their advisors through Vanguard's mobile app. Most advisors are certified financial planners, and some have additional credentials (e.g., CFA, CTFA, ChFC). Investors with account balances under $500,000 get a team of advisors; investors with balances of $500,000 or more get a dedicated advisor.
  Financial planning services	Can advise and create a custom portfolio for a variety of situations, such as saving for retirement, college or a family vacation home. Services include: budgeting, debt management, home purchase and real estate investments, insurance needs, education planning, marital asset considerations, company stock options, alternative investments, retirement savings and drawdown strategies, Roth conversion strategies, Social Security and Medicare, small business continuity, charitable gifting, estate planning, generational wealth transfer, and more. Clients also have access to a number of digital tools.
  Investment expense ratios on portfolios	Average expense ratio is 0.04%.
  Portfolio construction	Portfolios are constructed on a client-by-client basis with low-cost. Personal Advisor clients can use a wide variety of funds in their portfolios, including all-index, ESG, tax-exempt fixed income, active fixed income, and active equity funds. Based on the client's existing holdings and tax liability, the portfolio may be constructed to accommodate previously held non-Vanguard investments. Clients have access to the Vanguard Cash Plus account — a self-directed account that offers a competitive APY, access to FDIC insurance and additional options including a dedicated routing and account number, direct deposit and bill pay. Private equity is also available to Personal Advisor investors who meet qualification and suitability requirements.
  Brokerage options	Clients must move money to Vanguard but can keep outside investments if there are embedded gains or other reasons to do so.
  Accounts supported	Individual and joint brokerage accounts. Roth, traditional, rollover, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs. Trusts. Vanguard record-kept 401(k)s plans. Personal Advisor will consider and provide guidance for other account types (e.g., 529s, UGMA, UTMA, non-Vanguard record-kept 401(k)s, and spousal accounts), but does not directly manage them.
  Tax strategy	Assets are allocated strategically among taxable and tax-advantaged accounts to optimize for taxes. Tax-loss harvesting Tax-exempt municipal bonds. Minimum tax cost basis method.
  Customer support options (includes how easy it is to find key details on the website)	Customer support is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time. Ability to schedule appointments with an advisor at any time.

Where Vanguard Personal Advisor falls short

Inflexibility: You have to move your money into a Vanguard account and exclusively use Vanguard’s suite of products/funds.

High account minimum for dedicated advisor access: Accounts under $500,000 get access to a team of advisors rather than a single dedicated advisor.

Ellevest

Ellevest can be a good choice for high- and ultra-high-net worth individuals who want an all-women advisory team or are particularly interested in investing in climate change solutions, affordable housing and healthcare technology for women. There’s a $500,000 account minimum.

Where Ellevest shines

Impact investing: Ellevest wants to help people create change in the world without compromising returns. It pursues this primarily through a diversification strategy using private investments that have low correlation with public markets and that support values-based goals.

Special focus: Women-focused investing gives special attention to women's generally lower incomes, different lifetime earnings curve and longer lifespans in its portfolio construction work.

• 👉 See how we rate Ellevest’s fees, services and more.

  Reviewed in: Oct. 2025 | Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2025

  Account minimum	$500,000.
  Account management, planning or subscription fee	The fee drops the more assets you have under management: 1.25% for clients with under $1 million. 1% for clients with $1-2 million. 0.25% to 0.95% for clients with more than $2 million in assets under management.
  Advisor access and credentials	All financial advisors are women, fiduciaries and Investment Advisor Representatives; some are CFPs. Reviews are scheduled at least annually or more depending on the client’s circumstances and needs. Advisors are available in person, by video, text, phone, or via email during flexible hours.
  Financial planning services	Retirement planning, financial windfall planning, estate and family planning, cash flow analysis, budget analysis, and tax strategies. Tax and estate planning are coordinated with the client’s CPAs and estate planning attorneys.
  Investment expense ratios	On average: Equities: 0.15%. Fixed income: 0.15%. Alternative investments: 1.5% to 2%.
  Portfolio construction	Portfolios are custom and unique to a specific client's needs and goals. Ellevest can manage stocks, bonds, mutual funds and ETFs for all clients and alternative investments for clients who are eligible (such as accredited investors). At certain account balances, impact strategies can be further customized.
  Brokerage options	Clients’ assets are only managed and held at Ellevest's custodian Charles Schwab & Co Inc.
  Accounts supported	Individual and joint taxable accounts. Traditional, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE and inherited IRAs. Individual 401(k)s. Retirement plans such as cash balance plans and profit sharing plans. Joint tenancy/community property, revocable trusts, irrevocable trusts, uniform trust to minors accounts (UTMAs) and donor advised funds.
  Tax strategy	Tax-loss harvesting on taxable accounts. Intentional Impact Portfolios offering enables stock-level tax-loss harvesting. Ellevest reviews the placement of assets in certain accounts depending on the investment.
  Customer support options (includes how easy it is to find key details on the website)	The advisors are available during and outside of investment hours. Website transparency was below average.

Where Ellevest falls short

You need a relatively big account: Ellevest's account minimum is $500,000, which is one of the highest minimums we’ve come across in the firms we review. This will likely be too high a hurdle if you’re just starting to invest, and some of the private investments Ellevest offers access to are only open to accredited investors. (That means you need to have at least $200,000 of income for the past two years — or $300,000 of household income — or at least $1 million of net worth.)

Facet Wealth

If you just want some simple investing strategies as well as help now and then on more complicated financial decisions, Facet could be a good choice. The firm’s flat fee doesn’t increase as you add more assets under management, which we think makes it a good place for high earners who are building wealth and making more complicated financial decisions for the first time (what to do with company stock or an inheritance, for example).

What we like about Facet

Flat fees. Facet charges an annual flat fee for comprehensive planning services, which is unusual in the industry. Its top-tier offering is most like having a traditional financial advisor. It costs $8,700 per year, but the good news is that the fee doesn’t change based on the size of your portfolio. This fee structure thus gets more and more economical percentage-wise as your money grows. A client with $1 million would effectively pay just 0.87% in annual fees, which is fairly low compared to other firms that charge 1% or more of assets under management.

Clear investment strategies. People opting for the highest-tier offering get private market investing and direct indexing. But Facet’s main focus is low-cost ETFs. This can be useful because it keeps fees low and portfolios diversified.

• 👉 See how we rate Facet's fees, services and more.

  Reviewed in: Oct. 2025 | Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2025

  Investment minimum	$0.
  Account management, planning or subscription fee	$2,600 - $8,700 annually based on the complexity of the plan.
  Advisor access and credentials	All advisors are certified financial planners and fiduciaries. Advisor access and methods of contact are determined by membership tier.
  Financial planning services	Depending on the level of membership, Facet advisors can advise on the majority of situations covered by full-service financial planning firms. In addition to tax planning, they now also offer tax filing services.
  Investment expense ratios	Average 0.08%
  Portfolio construction	Facet portfolios can cover the following asset classes with portfolios build from low-cost ETFs: All U.S. stock types: large cap, small cap, growth, value. An ESG option. Developed non-U.S. Emerging markets. Government, mortgage, corporate and municipal bonds. Asset-backed securities. Commercial mortgage-backed securities. Alternative income (for qualified members only).
  Brokerage options	Facet manages discretionary investment accounts and opens accounts with Apex and Fidelity as the custodian.
  Accounts supported	Direct management: Non-retirement brokerage accounts Roth, traditional, SEP, rollover and inherited IRAs Revocable living trusts Investment account recommendations provided for workplace retirement plans and guidance provided on managing stock option plans.
  Tax strategy	Tax-loss harvesting on all taxable accounts as part of the investment service included in the flat planning fee. Direct indexing is available at the Complete tier with a minimum balance of $200,000. Tax planning, preparation and filing services are available at the Plus and Complete tiers.
  Customer support options (includes how easy it is to find key details on the website)	Email support daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern. Phone support can be scheduled at the member's convenience.

Where Facet falls short

Heavy focus on the basics. If your finances are super complicated, Facet’s investment management approach may not be for you. If your wealth is tied up in private equity, a business or real estate, for instance, or if your estate plans require a custom strategy, you might find it frustrating that Facet’s certified financial planners (CFPs) mostly address basic planning needs in those areas. Facet refers clients to third-party attorneys, CPAs or other parties for complex planning and execution of some things, which can cost clients more time and money.

Flat fee may feel high for smaller investors. Flat fees can be a great way to add predictability, but one downside is that if you have a small amount to invest (say, $150,000), then $8,700 a year could amount to a relatively high 5.8% fee. Other advisors whose fees are a percentage of assets typically run about 1.0%.

Financial advisor matching services connect you with a qualified, vetted financial advisor who can help you the way you want to be helped. These services don’t charge you a fee to get matched with an advisor. But each service has its own requirements for what kinds of advisors can be in their networks, which affects what kind of matches you get. Also, the advisors in these networks set their own fees, which means you’ll still have to make sure the advisors you match with are ones you can afford. (NerdWallet also operates a financial advisor matching service, NerdWallet Advisors Match.)

Harness Wealth

Harness Wealth is an interesting option for people who have been DIYing their financial planning but no longer have time or interest, or their lives have become financially complex enough to require help from a pro. Harness vets financial advisory firms and then recommends advisors based on a client’s specific needs.

Where Harness Wealth shines

Ease and convenience: The company’s proprietary search algorithm and a dedicated concierge help you find a suitable financial advisor. Harness Wealth vets all its advisors with a fastidious process, and you get a free consult with advisors before committing.

• 👉 See how we rate Harness’s fees, services and more.

  Reviewed in: Oct. 2025 | Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2025

  Account minimum	$250,000 for investment management. No minimum for 1:1, hour-long financial planning sessions or tax help. Some firms on the Harness platform also offer flat-fee financial planning starting at $2,000 for a comprehensive plan.
  Account management, planning or subscription fee	Wealth management: Fees start at 1% or lower for the first $1 million of investable assets. Financial plan: A flat fee of $2,000 to $10,000. Tax preparation and filing: A flat fee starting at $1,500. Fees typically increase with tax complexity. Estate plan: A flat fee of $1,500 to $7,000. Tax planning sessions: $500 per hour. Note: Fees typically increase with added complexity. Harness Wealth does not charge clients additional fees for using the service.
  Advisor access and credentials	To be eligible to work with Harness, firms’ advisors must have or be working toward any of the following industry-specific designations: CFP, CFA, CIMA, JD, CPA. Clients typically work with a team of advisors (but speak with a single point of contact) with expertise across financial, tax, trust and estate. The frequency of meetings can be personalized to client preference (monthly, quarterly, annual) and based on the recommendation of the advisor as to what's needed. Advisor firms set their own hours but are generally flexible and offer weekend access when necessary. All firms must offer email and chat through the concierge chatbox.
  Financial planning services	The full range of financial planning services is available through both firms that offer ongoing advisory relationships and those offering one-time, stand-alone financial plans.
  Investment expense ratios	Not rated. Investments used and portfolio costs vary by firm.
  Portfolio construction	Highly tailored to meet the needs of each client.
  Brokerage options	Firms must custody with Charles Schwab, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity, Bank of New York Mellon, Raymond James, or Pershing. Clients do not have to transfer assets if they’re only receiving financial planning services.
  Accounts supported	Firms can directly manage: Retirement accounts: IRAs (traditional, rollover, Roth, SEP, SIMPLE, nondeductible, spousal) and 401(k)s. Nonretirement accounts (individual and joint). Digital assets (cryptocurrency, NFTs). Trusts. Cash accounts. Specialty/education (529s, UTMAs, Coverdells). Business accounts. Nonprofit accounts/endowments.
  Tax strategy	Harness offers free online tools to support financial and tax planning. Wealth management firms on the Harness platform incorporate several tax efficiency strategies into their investment management services including tax-efficient investments as part of asset allocation, tax-deferred accounts for high yield investments, tax-efficient managers, tax loss harvesting, minimizing holdings turn over and integration with charitable giving plans. Harness Tax and other tax advisory firms on the Harness platform also offer strategic tax planning services with a focus on private company equity and crypto assets.
  Customer support options (includes how easy it is to find key details on the website)	Phone, chat, video call and email support Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.

Where Harness Wealth falls short

Advisor fees are just average: Harness says its advisors’ fees are 1% or lower for the first $1 million of assets. Although a 1% AUM fee is common for financial advisors, many competitors charge less for similar services.

Minimum: Harness says its advisors have a $250,000 account minimum if you want investment management services. However, there’s no account minimum if you just want a one-time financial plan or some tax help. Those services come with a flat fee instead (For example, $2,000 to $10,000 for financial plans and $250 an hour for tax planning.)

Zoe Financial

Zoe matches prospective clients with financial advisors who meet their needs, but it’s also a technology company, providing the platform advisors use to work with their clients, including digital tools to track accounts. The advisors in Zoe’s network offer full-service financial planning; some advisors also do tax planning.

Where Zoe Financial shines

Service range: Zoe advisors offer a wide range of services, which increase the chances that you’ll find a good advisor if you need help with retirement planning, investing, tax strategy, buying a home or other large asset, or understanding stock options and other forms of employee equity compensation.

• 👉 See how we rate Zoe’s fees, services and more.

  Reviewed in: Oct. 2025 | Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2025

  Account minimum	$150,000 in investable assets to receive an advisor match. Some advisors in Zoe's network may have higher minimums.
  Account management, planning or subscription fee	None from Zoe. Typical fees from advisors are based on assets under management and complexity of service. Typical fee range for assets under management structure: 0.75% - 1.25%. Fees may be higher or lower depending on the advisor.
  Advisor access and credentials	Zoe's advisor network includes both advisor teams and dedicated advisors depending on the client's needs. Clients have unlimited access to their advisor team via video, phone, text and email. Depending on location, advisors can also meet in person. Specific hours vary by advisor. Advisors hold at least CFP or CFA.
  Financial planning services	Zoe Financial can connect users with advisors who cover the full spectrum of financial planning, including investing, retirement, tax strategy, managing debt, estate planning and managing stock options.
  Investment expense ratios	Not rated. Zoe does not have this data to disclose about the advisors in its network.
  Portfolio construction	Tailored to meet the needs of each client.
  Brokerage options	All major custodians including Schwab, Fidelity, APEX Clearing, and Pershing a BNY Mellon Company. There is no limit to the number of brokerage accounts clients can have.
  Accounts supported	IRAs, Roth IRAs, taxable accounts, 529s, trusts, cryptocurrency or any investment account that can be held at major custodians. Select advisors can directly manage 401(k)s.
  Tax strategy	All advisors offer comprehensive tax planning. Some advisors also prepare taxes for clients. Tax loss harvesting, business tax planning, direct indexing, and other specialized strategies are offered by some advisors in the Zoe Network.
  Customer support options (includes how easy it is to find key details on the website)	Customer support is available by phone or email Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern, excluding holidays.

Where Zoe Financial falls short

Fees: The company tells us that typical fees for its advisors are 0.75% to 1.25% of assets under management, but it’s hard to tell how much money you need to have in order to get the rates at the lower end of that range.

Significant account minimums: Zoe has a $150,000 account minimum for investment management, and some advisors the network may have even higher minimums.

Wealthramp

Wealthramp gets you an advisor you can meet with as much as you want, and often virtually if you’re not in the same city. Wealthramp says most of its advisors are either CFPs, CPAs or CFAs, or have at least 10 years of experience.

What we like about Wealthramp

Hand-selected advisors: Wealthramp advisors are personally vetted by Wealthramp CEO Pam Krueger.

Tax services: Many financial advisors can help clients with basic, generic tax strategies such as tax-loss harvesting, but we love that Wealthramp advisors often go further. Some do tax preparation, tax-efficient retirement planning and tax-efficient wealth transfer planning, which helps clients avoid redundant conversations with a third-party tax specialist.

Help with complex financial needs: Wealthramp's advisors may be better at helping clients navigate unusual financial situations, such as a divorce. Some of the other financial advisors and services we review tend to be more one-size-fits-all.

• 👉 See how we rate Wealthramp’s fees, services and more.

  Reviewed in: Oct. 2025 | Period considered: Aug. - Oct. 2025

  Account minimum	None.
  Account management, planning or subscription fee	None from Wealthramp. Typical advisor fees: 0.8% to 1.2% for accounts under $1 million; or flat fee of $1,500 to $10,000 per year. 0.5% to 1% for accounts over $2 million. One time fees: $750 to $10,000.
  Advisor access and credentials	Dedicated advisor you can meet with on an unlimited basis. You can meet with most advisors over the phone, Zoom, chat or in person. Most advisors either have top-level credentials such as certified financial planners, CPAs or CFAs, or have at least 10 years of experience.
  Financial planning services	Wealthramp can connect users with advisors who cover the full spectrum of financial planning. Specialized advisors can help you with investment services, divorce planning and stock options.
  Investment expense ratios	Not rated. Investments used and portfolio costs vary by advisor.
  Portfolio construction	Highly tailored to meet the needs of each client.
  Brokerage options	Wealthramp network advisors work with most major custodians, including Schwab/TD Ameritrade, Fidelity and Pershing.
  Accounts supported	Taxable, IRAs, trusts, 529s, 401(k) management, workplace plans and small-business plans.
  Tax strategy	All Wealthramp advisors offer comprehensive tax planning, including tax-loss harvesting. Some offer tax preparation and more complex tax strategies.
  Customer support options (includes how easy it is to find key details on the website)	Wealthramp concierge customer support is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET via email, chat and phone. If you call, they will respond within 24 hours, even over weekends or holidays.

Where Wealthramp falls short

Fees: Wealthramp gave us a range that suggests some advisors on the high end can be relatively expensive (0.8% to 1.2% for accounts under $1 million; 0.5% to 1% for accounts over $2 million).

Compare all of our picks

3 things to remember when hiring a financial advisor

As you review this list of financial advisors and compare options, keep these things in mind.

1. Your budget for advice — and average costs

Simple, digital-only services will be less expensive; holistic financial planning will cost more. Know what you're comfortable spending before you dive in, and compare to this table to make sure you're not spending more than you should.

» Learn how to choose a financial advisor

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. For example, if you only want a service to pick investments for you and then manage the resulting portfolio, a robo-advisor may be a good fit. (View our picks for the best robo-advisors.) But you'll need a financial advisor for advanced planning, personalized guidance or more detailed strategies like estate planning or prioritizing various goals. No matter what option you choose, check the advisor's qualifications and make sure they are fiduciaries, which means they must act in your best interests.

3. Whether you want in-person advice

If you don’t mind meeting with your advisor virtually versus in an office, you might save money — especially if you work with a larger online-only firm like Facet, one of our picks above. It is cheaper to operate a firm without office locations, and some virtual advisors will pass those savings on to you. If you want to develop an in-person relationship with your advisor, you'll want to opt for a local firm or a larger firm with office locations in your area. The financial advisor search networks on our list can help match you to local options.