Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (2024)

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Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (1)

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Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (2)

Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (3)

Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (4)

Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (5)

Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (6)

To find the top financial advisors in the U.S., we first identified all firms registered with the SEC in the country. Next, we filtered out firms that don't offer financial planning services, those that don't primarily serve individual clients, and those that have disclosures on their record. The qualifying firms were then ranked according to the following criteria:

  • AUM: Firms with more total assets under management are ranked higher.
  • Individual Client Count: Firms that serve more individual clients (as opposed to institutional clients) are ranked higher.
  • Clients Per Advisor: Firms with a lower ratio of clients per financial advisor are ranked higher.
  • Years In Business: Firms that have been in business longer are ranked higher.
  • Fee Structure: Firms with afee-only(as opposed tofee-based) compensation structure are ranked higher.

These stats are updated annually and accurate as of June 17, 2021. This list may include firms that have a business relationship with SmartAsset, in which SmartAsset is compensated for lead referrals. Such relationships have no impact on our rankings, and firms are included and ranked based strictly on the above criteria. SmartAsset is not a client of the aforementioned firms. SmartAsset did not receive compensation for including any of the firms on the aforementioned list.

We believe it’s more important now than ever to review your retirement plan with afiduciary financial advisor. Here’s why: The pandemic has shown us just how quickly decades of planning, investing and saving can be completely upended. This could mean your current financial plan might leave you without enough money to last your retirement.

Additionally, emotionally-charged decisions to sell off large quantities of stocks or other investments now lock in your losses, removing any chance for future growth. Research suggests people whowork with a financial advisorfeel more at ease about their finances and could end up with about 15% more money to spend in retirement.1

Consider this example: A recent Vanguard study found that, on average, a hypothetical $500K investment would grow to over $3.4 million under the care of an advisor over 25 years, whereas the expected value from self-management would be

The hypothetical study discussed above assumes a 5% net return and a 3% net annual value add for professional financial advice to performance based on the Vanguard Whitepaper “Putting a Value on your Value, Quantifying Vanguard Advisor’s Alpha”. Please carefully review the methodologies employed in theVanguard Whitepaper The value of professional investment advice is only an illustrative estimate and varies with each unique client’s individual circumstances and portfolio composition. Carefully consider your investment objectives, risk factors, and perform your own due diligence before choosing an investment adviser.The projections or other information regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results, and are not guarantees of your future results.

Find Qualified Financial Advisors That Serve Your Area

Our above list may have kickstarted your financial journey, but you can take it to the next level using SmartAsset’sfree financial advisor matching tool.While the methodology is different and you may not be matched with one of the firms mentioned above, our exclusive tool will match you with qualified fiduciary advisors, obligated to work in your best financial interest.

By clicking your state below and completing our questionnaire, we'll match you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors. From there, you can compare their personalities and investment strategies to decide which advisor will most help you achieve your financial goals.

Legally Committed to Your Financial Success

SmartAsset has matched thousands of people with financial advisors. Advisors are rigorously screened through our proprietary due diligence process. We only match with fiduciaries, so all of your financial advisor matches are legally committed to acting in your best interest.

The SmartAsset Guarantee

SmartAsset's advisor matching service is at no cost to you and there is no obligation to work with any of your advisors matches. You're in control. We are paid by our large network of fiduciary advisors to connect them with potential clients that may be a good fit.

The criteria for the matching tool differs from the methodology for the list above and you may not be matched with the advisor firms mentioned in this article.

Click Your State to Get Matched With Financial Advisors That Serve Your Area

After you choose your state and answer a few questions you can compare up to three advisors who serve your area, and decide which to work with.

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Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (12)

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We help you stay in control of the advisor search by giving you up to three pre-screened choices for you to review at your leisure

Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (13)

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We’ll help facilitate introductions in the format that makes sense for you

Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (14)

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This is not an offer to buy or sell any security or interest. All investing involves risk, including loss of principal. Working with an adviser may come with potential downsides such as payment of fees (which will reduce returns). There are no guarantees that working with an adviser will yield positive returns. The existence of a fiduciary duty does not prevent the rise of potential conflicts of interest.

SmartAsset Advisors, LLC (“SmartAsset”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Financial Insight Technology, is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an investment adviser. SmartAsset’s services are limited to referring users to third party registered investment advisers and/or investment adviser representatives (“RIA/IARs”) that have elected to participate in our matching platform based on information gathered from users through our online questionnaire. SmartAsset does not review the ongoing performance of any RIA/IAR, participate in the management of any user’s account by an RIA/IAR or provide advice regarding specific investments.

We do not manage client funds or hold custody of assets, we help users connect with relevant financial advisors.

Other than application and licensing fees, SmartAsset did not provide compensation for the aforementioned awards.
Sources:
1.
Journal of Retirement Study Winter (2020)

2. Vanguard (Feb. 2019), Putting a Value on Your Value

3.
“Planning and Progress”, Northwestern Mutual (April 2020)

The projections or other information regarding the likelihood of various investment outcomes are hypothetical in nature, do not reflect actual investment results, and are not guarantees of your future results. Please follow the links to see the methodologies employed in theJournal of RetirementandVanguardstudies.

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We help you stay in control of the advisor search by giving you up to three pre-screened choices for you to review at your leisure

Review your matches

Connect with advisors

We’ll help facilitate introductions in the format that makes sense for you

Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (16)

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Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (20)

Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (21)

$1.69 million, or 50% less. In other words, an advisor-managed portfolio would average 8% annualized growth over a 25-year period, compared to 5% from a self-managed portfolio.2

A 2020 Northwestern Mutual study found that 71% of U.S. adults admit their financial planning needs improvement. However, only 29% of Americans work with a financial advisor.3

We believe it’s more important now than ever to review your retirement plan with afiduciary financial advisor. Here’s why: The pandemic has shown us just how quickly decades of planning, investing and saving can be completely upended. This could mean your current financial plan might leave you without enough money to last your retirement.

Additionally, emotionally-charged decisions to sell off large quantities of stocks or other investments now lock in your losses, removing any chance for future growth. Research suggests people whowork with a financial advisorfeel more at ease about their finances and could end up with about 15% more money to spend in retirement.1

Consider this example: A recent Vanguard study found that, on average, a hypothetical $500K investment would grow to over $3.4 million under the care of an advisor over 25 years, whereas the expected value from self-management would be$1.69 million, or 50% less. In other words, an advisor-managed portfolio would average 8% annualized growth over a 25-year period, compared to 5% from a self-managed portfolio.2

A 2020 Northwestern Mutual study found that 71% of U.S. adults admit their financial planning needs improvement. However, only 29% of Americans work with a financial advisor.3

Top Financial Advisors in the U.S. (2024)

FAQs

What are the top 5 financial advisor firms in the United States? ›

BlackRock, Vanguard, Fidelity, State Street Global Advisors, and J.P. Morgan Asset Management are the five largest financial advisory firms in the United States, ranked by assets under management (AUM). The size of these firms allows them to offer a multitude of services to their clients.

Who are the top 5 wealth advisors? ›

How we make money
  • Top financial advisor firms.
  • Vanguard.
  • Charles Schwab.
  • Fidelity Investments.
  • Facet.
  • J.P. Morgan Private Client Advisor.
  • Edward Jones.
  • Alternative option: Robo-advisors.

Who is the most trustworthy financial advisor? ›

  • We evaluated a selection of the top financial advisory firms in the US, what they offer, and their pros and cons. Fidelity Investments. ...
  • Fisher Investments. Fisher Investments is one of the best financial advisory firms for customized portfolio strategies. ...
  • Facet. ...
  • Vanguard. ...
  • Mercer. ...
  • Edward Jones. ...
  • BlackRock. ...
  • Charles Schwab.

Who is the most famous financial advisor? ›

The most famous financial guru today is probably Warren Buffett.

How many millionaires use a financial advisor? ›

In addition, millionaires are much more likely to work with a financial advisor (69%), more than double the amount of the general population (33%).

What is the highest paid financial advisor? ›

High Paying Financial Planner Jobs
  • Investment Consultant. Salary range: $97,500-$155,000 per year. ...
  • Senior Wealth Advisor. Salary range: $112,000-$147,500 per year. ...
  • Finance Advisor. ...
  • Portfolio Manager. ...
  • Private Wealth Advisor. ...
  • Certified Financial Planner. ...
  • Financial Planning Consultant. ...
  • Pension Consultant.

Do billionaires use financial advisors? ›

The factors a billionaire's advisor considers include goals and objectives, risk tolerance, tax status, cash flow needs and entity structure in order to build an appropriate portfolio, Harding says.

Who is in the top 5% of wealth? ›

According to recent data from the Federal Reserve, a net worth of at least $3,795,000 places you among the coveted top 5% of U.S. households. While this may seem like a substantial sum, it pales compared to the ultra-affluent's stratospheric wealth.

At what level of wealth do you need a financial advisor? ›

Very generally, having between $50,000 and $500,000 of liquid assets to invest can be a good point to start looking at hiring a financial advisor. Some advisors have minimum asset thresholds. This could be a relatively low figure, like $25,000, but it could also be higher, such as $500,000, $1 million or even more.

What is better than a financial advisor? ›

A financial planner can make more sense if you want a deeper analysis of specific components of your finances or desire a well-rounded, long-term plan. For example, if you want to strategically buy stocks and other assets to help you achieve long-term goals, a financial planner might be better equipped to help.

Who is better, Fisher or Fidelity? ›

Fisher Investments best accommodates experienced investors who want to continue growing their wealth, while Fidelity is best suited to people who wish to full-scope brokerage and financial services at a high value for money exchange.

How do you know if a financial advisor is good? ›

An advisor who believes in having a long-term relationship with you—and not merely a series of commission-generating transactions—can be considered trustworthy. Ask for referrals and then run a background check on the advisors that you narrow down such as from FINRA's free BrokerCheck service.

Who is the best person to talk to about investing money? ›

You can hire a broker, an investment adviser, or a financial planner to help you make investment decisions. You can also get investment advice from most financial institutions that sell investments, including brokerages, banks, mutual fund companies, and insurance companies.

What are the top financial advisory firms in the US? ›

7 Top Financial Advisor Firms by AUM
FirmAssets Under Management
BlackRock$10.47 trillion
Vanguard$8.6 trillion
Fidelity$5.3 trillion
State Street Global Advisors$4.34 trillion
3 more rows
May 14, 2024

Is Ameriprise a fiduciary? ›

Ameriprise only employs fiduciary financial advisors legally and ethically bound to act in their client's best interests. With this platform, you can invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, unit investment trusts (UITs), structured notes, options, and various alternative investments.

What are the top 5 investment firms? ›

5 Largest Brokerage Firms of 2024
Stock Brokerage FirmAssets Under Management*
Vanguard Group$9.3 trillion
Charles Schwab$9.1 trillion
Fidelity Investments$5.5 trillion
JPMorgan Chase & Co.$3.3 trillion
1 more row

What are the top 4 financial services firms? ›

They are Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC. Each provides audit, tax, consulting and financial advisory services to major corporations.

What are the top 5 wealth management companies? ›

What are the top 5 wealth management firms in the US?
Group NameCity
1545 GroupMenlo Park
2Jones Zafari GroupCentury City
3The Polk Wealth Management GroupNew York
4Hollenbaugh Rukeyser Safro WilliamsNew York
1 more row
6 days ago

Does Edward Jones have a good reputation? ›

Edward Jones ranks well as a popular and well-established financial advisor. Established in 1922, the company has been around for over 100 years.

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