7 Best Financial Advisors in Denver

From downtown Denver out to Centennial and Fort Collins, the Front Range is home to a deep bench of registered investment advisors. Sorting the strong options from the rest takes time that most people don't have.

So we sorted through thousands of SEC Form ADVs, which are disclosure documents that investment advisors must file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and state regulatory agencies. We scrutinized these documents from advisors in the Denver area with the help of AI, which let us pore over the detailed data like each firm’s fee schedule, account minimums and specific offerings, plus much more. Then we filtered, fact-checked the information and scored the firms.

Fees are a big deal to us, so expensive advisors scored low in the cost areas of our rubric. Accordingly, the advisors that made the cut all tend to have AUM fees around 1.0% or better. But we aren't ranking these firms purely by who's least expensive. We gave extra credit to firms that don't require an account minimum or a minimum fee, since that opens the door to smaller investors, and we also considered service breadth, firm size and related factors. Our methodology page has the complete picture.

» Not in Denver? See our other picks for the best financial advisors

Schaefer Financial Management is a relatively large firm (over $1 billion under management) that offers a competitive 1.00% AUM fee for smaller investors. Those with over a million to invest receive a fee discount that we think is pretty substantial compared to other advisors we analyzed — a drop of 40 basis points, to 0.60% on the next $1 million, is one of the steepest we’ve seen. The firm has a long track record, which is another plus. There’s no minimum AUM fee, and Schaefer says it will help clients comparison shop for insurance (that comes with an extra hourly fee). There’s a $500,000 account minimum for investment management that the firm says is negotiable, and one-time financial plans (a separate service) typically start at $2,500.

The highest AUM fee on J.F. Williams’s fee schedule is 1.00%, which is very competitive, but what we like even more is how small-account-friendly it is; the fee discounts begin to kick in at just $100,000. We love that this translates to a blended AUM fee under 1.00% for many relatively low-balance investors, which is hard to find. Also, the firm has no account minimum. This firm doesn’t offer one-off financial plans (this means you have to sign up for investment management to get a financial plan from this advisor). Also, it doesn’t prepare tax returns or estate planning documents, and you have to use Schwab as the custodian, which may mean having to move some accounts in order to get set up.

Cherry Creek-based Peak Financial Advisors charges a palatable 1.00% AUM fee that comes with a substantial quarter-point discount (or more) on balances above that threshold. There’s a fairly steep $1 million account minimum, though. The firm also prepares tax returns, which costs extra but can be a huge help by cutting down on time spent searching for a tax preparer and getting them up to speed on your financial situation. Investment management services come with a financial plan, but clients who just want a one-off financial plan can pay a separate flat fee for that if they want.

A competitive 1.00% fee, no minimum fee and in-house tax prep all helped HighPass Asset Management score high on our rubric. There’s a $1 million minimum account requirement, but for those who can make the minimum, the firm’s flat 1.00% AUM fee for all clients and for all account balances avoids the mental gymnastics that more common tiered fee schedules require, and the lack of a minimum fee means no surprises when the invoice arrives. It also means that there are no discounts for people with larger account balances, which is a potential downside of this approach. We really like that the firm offers in-house tax-prep services for $500 per return, which isn’t just convenient — it’s a bargain for tax prep if you have a complicated tax situation.

Boulder-based Colorado Capital Management offers a competitive four-tier AUM fee schedule that peaks at 1.00%, despite being mid-sized relative to others on this list. The firm has a steep $1 million account minimum, but this and its AUM fees are negotiable. But note: Colorado Capital Management has a $10,000 minimum fee, which works out to the same 1.00% on the fee schedule if you’re investing the minimum $1 million. If you’re able to negotiate a lower minimum account balance, however, the $10,000 minimum fee may mean that clients with less than $1 million under management may end up paying more than 1.00% in AUM fees.

Like many advisors on the list, KilterHowling scored high for its competitive fee rate (1.00% on AUM under $1 million and then a quarter-point break on amounts over $1 million). There’s no account minimum, which means smaller investors can still get a competitive rate. However, the firm doesn’t prepare tax returns or estate planning documents, and the Boulder county location may mean a long drive for people in the central or south Denver metro area. 

Though it's smaller by AUM and located outside the metro core, Theory Financial stands out for its low fees on smaller account balances. Clients here will be one of the lucky few who can score sub-1.00% AUM fees for balances under $1 million, which can mean hundreds or thousands of dollars a year in savings, depending on account size. This firm doesn’t prepare tax returns or estate planning documents, so you’ll need to hire a CPA or estate attorney to handle those tasks.