Top Financial Advisor Firms: Expert Investment Guidance for Your Financial Goals

Top Financial Advisor Firms Help You Grow Your Wealth and Achieve Your Goals

• Registered investment adviser (RIA) companies employ financial advisors who act as fiduciaries, prioritizing clients’ best interests.
• When choosing a financial advisor firm, consider factors such as advisor credentials, fees, available services, and account minimums.

Evaluate each advisor thoroughly to ensure they meet your specific needs and budget.

FINANCIAL ADVISORS—The best financial advisors can help you create a comprehensive financial roadmap to grow your wealth and reach your goals.

Betterment Premium: Low AUM Requirement for Access to Financial Planning

Betterment Premium offers one-on-one access to a financial planning professional.

Tiered fees range from 0.10% to 0.65% AUM. The relatively low AUM requirement to access unlimited planning services makes professional guidance available to those who might not be high-net-worth individuals.

Betterment Premium provides a range of services, including investment management, retirement planning, and estate planning. Their fees are competitive, with a 0.65% AUM fee for accounts with less than $100,000 and 0.10% AUM fee for accounts over $1 million.

For example, Chelsea Ransom-Cooper, CFP, cofounder of Zenith Wealth Partners, notes that ‘Many financial planning professionals focus on helping you create structure and strategy as you go through your financial life.’ Betterment Premium’s services align with this approach, offering a holistic view of clients’ finances.

Betterment Premium’s low AUM requirement and competitive fees make it an attractive option for those seeking professional guidance without the high costs associated with traditional financial advisory firms.

According to Zina Kumok, a financial advisor at C.H. Douglas & Gray Wealth Management, ‘Most advisors offer a free discovery meeting. Find out how they charge and how they work, and make sure you understand what they offer for the price you’re paying.’ This approach allows potential clients to assess whether Betterment Premium is a good fit for their needs.

Betterment Premium also offers a range of educational resources, including webinars and articles, to help clients make informed decisions about their finances.

Facet: Flat Fee Structure for Investment Management and Financial Planning

Facet offers membership levels at flat rates, with investment management and financial planning services.

Clients are limited in the assets they have exposure to, with the company mainly utilizing ETFs as part of its strategy and alternative assets mainly in the form of private loans and real estate.

Facet’s flat fee structure can be beneficial for those with larger portfolios, as the fee does not increase with account size. For example, a client with a $500,000 portfolio might pay a flat fee of $500 per year, while a client with a $1 million portfolio would pay the same fee.

According to Roger Whitney, CFP, founder of Agile Retirement Management, ‘Figure out what you want from the advisor in the first place. Start with what you need help with and what you want to accomplish.’ Facet’s services cater to clients seeking comprehensive financial planning and investment management.

Facet’s membership levels include:

• $500 annual fee for quarterly meetings with an advisor
• $1,000 annual fee for monthly meetings with an advisor
• $2,500 annual fee for unlimited meetings with an advisor

Facet’s flat fee structure and range of membership levels make it an attractive option for those seeking flexibility and transparency in their financial advisory services.

Facet also offers a range of services, including investment management, retirement planning, and estate planning. Their approach is centered around providing personalized advice and guidance to help clients achieve their financial goals.

Retirable: Comprehensive Retirement Planning for Those 50 and Older

Retirable focuses on those who are at least 50 years old to help them begin managing their income during retirement.

Retirable uses a process that involves dynamic income planning to help determine a monthly retirement ‘paycheck’ you can use to cover your basic needs and wants.

Retirable’s approach to retirement planning is comprehensive, taking into account factors such as Social Security, healthcare, housing, and legacy planning. Their fees are competitive, with a 1% AUM fee for accounts under $500,000 and 0.50% AUM fee for accounts over $1 million.

According to Zina Kumok, a financial advisor at C.H. Douglas & Gray Wealth Management, ‘Most advisors offer a free discovery meeting. Find out how they charge and how they work, and make sure you understand what they offer for the price you’re paying.’ Retirable’s services align with this approach, offering a clear and transparent fee structure.

Retirable’s focus on retirement planning and dynamic income planning makes it an attractive option for those seeking comprehensive guidance during this critical phase of life.

Retirable also offers a range of educational resources, including webinars and articles, to help clients make informed decisions about their finances.

Modera Wealth Management: Flexible Fee Structure and Comprehensive Services

Modera Wealth Management doesn’t disclose account minimums to work with them and might set a minimum on a case-by-case basis.

Modera imposes quarterly fee minimums, which can result in higher fees for those with lower account balances.

However, Modera’s fees can be quite low for those who only choose portfolio management services, once an account balance is high enough to cover the minimum fee. Additionally, Modera Wealth Management offers special services, including disability planning, and provides planning for LGBTQ+ individuals.

According to Miranda Marquit, ‘When comparing the costs of a financial advisor, consider which fee structure makes sense for your situation.’ Modera Wealth Management’s flexible fee structure and comprehensive services make it an attractive option for those seeking tailored guidance.

Creative Planning: Comprehensive Financial Planning for High-Net-Worth Individuals

Creative Planning offers comprehensive financial planning services to those with at least $500,000 in assets under management (AUM).

Clients of Creative Planning have access to custom portfolios constructed by advisors and wealth managers based on their needs, as well as access to a variety of asset classes.

Creative Planning’s fees range from 0.25% to 1.20% AUM, depending on the level of service and account balance. Their services cater to high-net-worth individuals seeking comprehensive financial planning and investment management.

According to Chelsea Ransom-Cooper, ‘Some financial advisors will manage your portfolio, but many focus on providing practical planning and advice and leave the implementation up to you.’ Creative Planning’s services align with this approach, offering a range of solutions to meet clients’ diverse needs.

Empower Personal Strategy: Investment Management and Financial Advice

Empower Personal Strategy offers investment management and financial advice to those with at least $100,000 in investible assets.

At the lower tier, clients can access unlimited advice from the advisory team and use digital tools to manage their account.

Empower’s fees range from 0.49% to 0.89% AUM, depending on the level of service and account balance. Their services cater to individuals seeking investment management and financial advice, as well as tax efficiency and cash flow insights.

According to Roger Whitney, ‘Figure out what you want from the advisor in the first place. Start with what you need help with and what you want to accomplish.’ Empower Personal Strategy’s services align with this approach, offering a range of solutions to meet clients’ diverse needs.

Empower Personal Strategy also offers a range of services, including investment management, retirement planning, and estate planning. Their approach is centered around providing personalized advice and guidance to help clients achieve their financial goals.