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Denver and the surrounding suburbs are home to hundreds of financial advisors. Having lots of advisors to choose from is good, but it can take a lot of research and time to sift through them all in order to find one right for you.
That’s where we come in — we’ve done that work for you, by gathering and analyzing data from thousands of SEC Form ADVs — the disclosure document that registered investment advisors must file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and state regulatory agencies — to find the best financial advisors in Denver.
You can look at our full methodology below to see how we measured, scored and rated all these advisors, but a few key factors weigh the heaviest in our analysis: Firms must be well-established with at least $250 million in assets under management, which shows a sense of stability. And they must offer clients the option to pay a flat or hourly fee for planning in addition to the standard assets under management fee. We also eliminated advisors from the running if they charge commissions. That’s because commissions can easily introduce conflicts of interest, as advisors may receive incentives for promoting specific investments.
» Not in Denver? See our other picks for the best financial advisors
Best financial advisors in Denver
Financial Advisor | Headquarters | Assets Under Management |
|---|---|---|
Denver PWM, LLC | Denver | $554,076,246 |
Elk River Wealth Management LLC | Denver | $905,278,017 |
Townsend | Westminster | $1,276,115,828 |
Paragon Capital Management | Denver | $1,249,154,038 |
BSW Wealth Partners | Boulder | $1,978,314,852 |
Destiny Capital Corporation | Denver | $333,286,34 |
J.F. Williams Co., Inc. | Denver | $251,546,094 |
Schaefer Financial Management, Inc. | Centennial | $979,145,182 |
The Wealth Conservancy, Inc. | Boulder | $260,006,850 |
Peak Asset Management, LLC | Louisville | $910,014,120 |
🔍 A word about fees
Financial advisors often have different fee structures for different types of services. Typically, the fee for investment management is a percentage of your assets under management (AUM). That fee will often — but not always — include holistic financial planning advice as well as portfolio management. Some advisors also offer separate rates for financial planning or other work — often a flat or hourly fee. You might prefer that if you don't want investment management. The most important thing: Be sure you understand your all-in fee and what services are included in that fee before you engage with a financial advisor.
What’s in a fee?
Financial advisor fees can be confusing. Keep in mind that generally an advisor won’t charge all the fees listed below; fee models vary among advisors. This is intended to be an overview of fees you might encounter when researching an advisor.
Fee type
Commonly associated with
Typical cost
Assets under management (AUM)
Managing your portfolio of stocks, bonds and other investments.
0.25% to 0.50% annually for a robo-advisor; about 1% for a financial advisor.
Flat annual fee (retainer)
Special projects, such as analyzing whether to buy or sell your business. May also provide more access to the advisor. In some cases, advisors may substitute flat fees for AUM fees.
Typically $2,500 to $9,200.
Hourly fee
Special projects, such as helping create a financial plan for a specific situation, such as a divorce.
$200 to $400.
Per-plan fee
Creating a detailed, written comprehensive financial plan for a client.
Typically $3,000, but varies by service.
Transaction costs and expense ratios
Fees that trading platforms charge the advisor to use, or fees that mutual funds, ETFs and similar instruments charge.
Varies; expense ratios may range 0.05% to 0.75%.
Custodial fees
Fees that the custodian charges you to hold your assets.
May be around 0.10% to 0.15%, but varies by account size, asset type, transaction activity and custodian.
Wrap fees
Bundles the firm’s investment management services and related custodial transaction costs together for one price.
Varies by account size and type.
Commission
Money earned from financial institutions for buying or selling certain products to clients.
3% to 6% of investment transaction amount.
To compile this information, we reviewed industry studies on average rates among financial advisors in 2024. Those studies included:
State of Financial Planning and Fees study from Envestnet, a company that develops software for the wealth management industry.
How Financial Planners Actually Do Financial Planning from Kitces.com.
We also reviewed fees charged by providers reviewed by the NerdWallet investing team.
More about these advisors
Denver Private Wealth Management tops this list. It provides investment advisory services and financial plans for high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, estates and other entities. Services may include retirement planning, education planning, insurance planning, estate planning advice, asset allocation and cash management.
Investment advisory fees top out at 1.5% of assets per year but vary with account size and type. Financial plan fees run $2,000 to $5,000 and are negotiable. Hourly fees are $200 to $300. There is a $500,000 account minimum.
Registered since: 2014
Main office address: 2000 South Colorado Boulevard Tower One Suite 3700, Denver
Fee structures offered: Hourly, fixed, AUM
Elk River offers wealth management services to individuals, trusts, estates, businesses and charitable organizations. It also provides financial planning services and investment consulting services.
Wealth management fees range from 0.80% (for accounts over $5 million) to 1% (the first $3 million) of assets per year and may be negotiable. Estate planning services are an extra $1,000. Hourly fees for financial planning are up to $500, and fixed fees may be up to $5,000 for financial plans and up to $15,000 for investment consulting. There is no account minimum.
Registered since: 2020
Main office address: 250 Fillmore Street Suite 425, Denver
Fee structures offered: Hourly, fixed, AUM
Townsend provides financial planning services and investment advisory services. Investment advisory fees may be negotiable and range from 0.68% (accounts over $40 million) to 1.25% (first $1 million) of assets per year.
There is a $500,000 account minimum and a $265 fee to complete a financial profile, which the firm says is an in-depth look at the client’s overall financial picture, including income sources, assets and retirement income needs. (Note that other advisors may not charge extra for this.) Hourly fees are $285, and there is an additional $150 annual fixed fee for continuing financial planning services. (The firm says this fee is for reviews of clients’ retirement status to provide an updated retirement outlook each year.)
Registered since: 2006
Main office address: 2761 W. 120th Ave., Suite 200, Westminster
Fee structures offered: Hourly, fixed, AUM
Paragon Capital Management offers investment management, financial planning and retirement services. Its financial plans may cover investment planning, retirement planning, insurance, tax planning, education planning and asset allocation.
Investment management fees range from 0.35% (for accounts $10 million and up) to 0.90% (on the first $1 million) of assets per year, which is a lower fee than we typically see from the advisors we considered for this list. Financial planning services cost $400 per hour. There is a $1 million account minimum and a minimum annual fee of $7,000.
Registered since: 1990
Main office address: 999 18th St., Ste. 1401, Denver
Fee structures offered: Hourly, fixed, AUM
BSW Wealth Partners, Inc. is a public benefit corporation specializing in financial planning, customized portfolio management and family office services. Its financial advisory services include wealth planning, strategic planning for concentrated positions, charitable giving, employee stock option planning and business exit planning, as well as assistance with college, debt and retirement planning.
Wealth management fees range from 0.50% (accounts over $5 million) to 1% (on the first $3 million) of assets per year and are negotiable. Hourly rates range $1,500 to $3,000. There is no account minimum, but the minimum wealth management fee is $10,000 per year. The firm also partners with companies to provide a packaged financial planning consulting service to their corporate executives. Those fees are $7,500 to $25,000 per year.
Registered since: 1994
Main office address: 2300 Broadway Street, Boulder
Fee structures offered: Hourly, fixed, AUM
Destiny Capital Corporation, which operates under the name Destiny for Entrepreneurs, specializes in portfolio management, financial planning and advisory services for retirees and for high-net-worth entrepreneurs who have most of their wealth tied up in business ventures rather than the stock market or other traditional investments. It also provides business planning, consulting and exit planning.
Fees range from 0.50% (accounts over $5 million) to 1.50% (for the first $1 million) of assets per year depending on account type and size. Flat fees range from $2,500 to $20,000, and hourly fees run $200 to $500. Minimum fees are $10,000 per year for combined investment management and financial planning services. There is a $500,000 account minimum.
Registered since: 1989
Main office address: 1800 Wazee Street Suite 300, Denver
Fee structures offered: Hourly, fixed, AUM
J. F. Williams Co., Inc. provides financial planning and investment management to individuals, small business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations and other entities.
Investment management fees are 0.2% of assets under management (for accounts over $10 million) to 1% (on the first $100,000) per year. The firm’s hourly rate is $100 for working with an associate financial planner and $200 an hour for more experienced financial planners and advisors at the firm. The flat fee for financial plans is $2,500 in addition to the AUM fee. (Financial plans are only available to clients also receiving investment management services.) There is no account minimum.
Registered since: 2015
Main office address: 1120 Lincoln Street Suite 1603, Denver
Fee structures offered: Hourly, fixed, AUM
This firm provides financial planning, financial management, investment management and advisory services.
Investment management costs 0.2% (for accounts over $5 million) to 1% (on the first $1 million) of assets per year; the fee is negotiable for amounts over $10 million. The minimum fee is $2,500 ($1,250 for annual financial reviews). Hourly rates are $250. The firm requires a $500,000 minimum investable net worth or at least $250,000 of annual income to do a financial plan. There is a $500,000 account minimum for investment management.
Registered since: 1989
Main office address: 7700 East Arapahoe Road Suite 265, Centennial
Fee structures offered: Hourly, fixed, AUM
The Wealth Conservancy, Inc. provides financial planning and wealth coaching, as well as advice on taxes, budget planning, estate planning, philanthropy and business planning. Investment management fees are negotiable and run 0.50% (on amounts over $3 million) to 1% (on the first $2 million) of assets per year. Fixed fees have a wide range, between $1,000 to $50,000.
The company does not have an account minimum, but the minimum quarterly fee is $10,000. Overall, this firm had a higher score in our rubric than most other financial advisory firms in Denver, but its relatively high minimum fee is a notable downside. For example, the tiered fee schedule suggests a $3 million account would pay about $27,500 per year, but in reality the account may pay $40,000 due to the minimum.
Registered since: 1983
Main office address: 2355 Canyon Blvd. Suite 204, Boulder
Fee structures offered: Fixed, AUM
Peak Asset Management provides investment management, investment supervision, portfolio management and financial planning. Advisory fees are negotiable and cost 0.50% (for accounts over $2.5 million) to 1.25% (on the first $500,000) of assets per year; there is a minimum annual fee of $11,250, which is what you’d pay under the firm’s AUM schedule if you had $1 million in assets invested with Peak. Fixed fees for financial plans range from $2,500 to $10,000. The account minimum is $1 million for new investment advisory clients.
Registered since: 1996
Main office address: 1371 E. Hecla Drive Suite A, Louisville
Fee structures offered: Fixed, AUM
Last updated on February 26, 2026
Methodology
To compile this list of best financial advisors, NerdWallet started with data for thousands of RIAs from the SEC's regulatory records. We eliminated advisors that reported, among other things, any of the following in Part 1 of their Form ADVs:
Very recent initial registration with the SEC.
No website.
Principal offices outside the United States.
Organization under the laws of a non-U.S. country.
Registration as an internet adviser.
No employees who provide investment advisory functions.
No high-net-worth clients.
No non-high-net-worth clients.
Less than $100 million in assets under management.
A low proportion of assets under management attributable to individual clients.
No financial planning services and portfolio management for individuals and/or small businesses.
Primary engagement in another type of business.
Convictions, charges, pleas, revocations, suspensions, or similar enforcement actions from legal or regulatory authorities.
NerdWallet then applied a proprietary weighted scoring system to the remaining advisors in the city's designated marketing area. The 10 highest-scoring advisors appear on this list. Learn more about our methodology here.
Why trust NerdWallet
Our deep, independent analysis sorts through key details to find and evaluate the information investors want when choosing a financial advisor.
Thousands of registered investment advisors 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.
What to know about hiring a financial advisor
We've researched everything so that you can be sure you find the right advisor and don't overpay.