Best Financial Advisors in Raleigh — 9 That Made Our Cut

The Raleigh-Durham and Chapel Hill areas are home to a wide range of registered investment advisors, from firms that have been in business since the early 1980s to newer, nichier firms. But a familiar name or old address doesn’t necessarily translate to competitive fees, good service or help with what matters to you.

So our team went through thousands of SEC Form ADVs — the disclosures advisors must file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and state regulators. Using AI, we pulled all kinds of data about area advisors, such as fee schedules, account minimums and specifics about what kinds of services the advisors actually offer. Then we filtered that data and scored the advisors against our rubric. Cost is a heavily weighted factor for us, but it isn’t the only factor and this isn’t a list of the cheapest firms (though we did screen out firms with especially high fees). Our methodology page has the details on our scoring approach.

» Not in Raleigh? See our picks for the best financial advisors nationwide

Registered since 1982, Townsend has one of the longest track records of any firm on this list. We like that there is no account minimum, meaning even small investors can get in, and there is no minimum fee, which helps avoid surprises. The firm’s tiered schedule of AUM fees starts at a competitive 1.00% for even the smallest accounts; portions above $2 million pay even less. Townsend prepares tax returns for clients, which we think is a fantastic value-add because it helps clients avoid spending time and energy hiring a separate tax preparer and getting them up to speed on their financial situation.

Cardinal Capital Management goes all the way back to 1992, giving it one of the longer track records on this list. The firm is fairly large, managing just over $1 billion. The firm has three separate rate schedules depending on investment strategy, which lets clients see how a conservative or aggressive approach changes the price (we focused on the domestic large cap equity schedule). The $500,000 account minimum, plus a $2,500 minimum annual fee may put this firm out of reach for some smaller investors.

With about $196 million under management, Frazier Financial Consultants is one of the smallest firms on this Raleigh list, but it’s very accessible for small investors; there’s no account minimum and no minimum fee. Also, the AUM fee on balances below $1 million is less than 1.00%, which is fairly hard to find and presents a real opportunity for smaller investors to save some money on fees (a $250,000 account would save about $500 a year in AUM fees compared to an advisor with a 1.00% fee). In addition, Frazier charges a separate, reduced 0.25% rate on assets that it advises on but doesn't directly custody (this is often the case with 401(k) accounts, where the investment manager can advise you on what to do but can’t directly access the account to do it for you). If you have a lot of money in 401(k)s, this may or may not feel like savings; it depends on how you feel about having to implement the advisor’s guidance on your own in the account.

Hamilton Point Investment Advisors has a hefty $1 million account minimum, but its AUM fees are competitive, especially on smaller accounts, and the firm offers significant discounts on its AUM fees for larger accounts. At just over $1.2 billion in assets under management, Hamilton Point Investment Advisors is one of the larger firms on this list. However, the firm doesn’t prepare tax returns or estate planning documents.

Absher Wealth Management has a negotiable $500,000 account minimum, which is a sizeable hurdle but not like the $1 million minimums we often see. Plus, there’s no minimum AUM fee. People looking for a more highly resourced firm may like Absher Wealth Management’s size – the firm is large, with about $1.26 billion in assets under management. However, its fees are relatively high, and clients with less than $1 million to invest might find lower fees elsewhere. (The AUM rate at that level is 1.10%, which is about 10 basis points above what we consider competitive.)

Registered in 2021, Integrated Wealthcare is one of the newer firms on the list, and with about $218 million in assets under management, it’s also one of the smallest. The firm primarily serves people who work in medical or health care industries, which may make it off-limits for some people or a big plus for other people. Either way, we like that the firm doesn’t have an account minimum, which gives smaller investors access, and there are no minimum fees. The firm charges a competitive 1.00% on the first $2 million and offers fee discounts on balances above that threshold. Notably, the firm is also a licensed insurance agent that may receive commissions from the sale of insurance products.

Registered in 2005, Armor Investment Advisors has no account minimum and offers a solid 1.00% blended AUM fee on $1 million accounts. We don’t like the $6,000 minimum fee, but at least the firm says it’s waivable based on anticipated future assets or other factors, which is helpful for clients who are still building a balance. At 1.20% on up to $500,000, Armor's opening tier on the standard AUM fee schedule is among the highest on this Raleigh list for a smaller account; however, the fee discounts for higher balances are sizeable, which is why the 1.00% blended rate on a $1 million account is more standard.

Registered since 1993, Kuhn has one of the longer track records on this Raleigh list. There’s a $1 million account minimum, though, but the firm offers a solid 1.00% AUM fee on the first $2 million, which is a competitive rate at that level. However, that $1 million account minimum is negotiable, which means smaller clients may be able to get in the door. If that happens, however, be prepared to pay relatively high fees.  Clients that want financial planning have to pay extra for it if they have less than $500,000 under management. Also, a minimum fee kicks in below $1 million, so a $250,000 account may effectively pay 2.00%.

Financial Symmetry is a large firm with about $1.54 billion under management. Investors in the $1 million range and above pay a very competitive 0.85% AUM fee rate or lower, which we like. Financial Symmetry also prepares tax returns, which we like a lot; it’s one of the few firms on this list that does. One thing that stands out with this firm is that there’s no account minimum, though there is a $4,800 minimum annual fee. Smaller investors can sidestep that minimum fee via the firm’s Emerging Wealth service, which gives newer or smaller portfolios an onramp before they're large enough for the firm’s standard wealth management minimum to apply. This service gets you a one-hour consult to establish a long-term strategy, asset allocation and investment strategy, as well as portfolio management.