Best financial advisors of 2025

There are hundreds of thousands of financial advisors to choose from across the U.S. As if that's not intimidating enough, the menu of services, mode of delivery (in person, online-only or a combination of in person and online) and how they price their advice (fee-only, commission-based, a percentage of the assets they manage) can vary widely.

Bankrate evaluated dozens of the largest financial advisory firms to make it easier to find trusted money advice based on your personal needs, budget and other preferences. The providers below are recognizable names with a nationwide presence. If you prefer to work with an independent advisor or a smaller firm, use Bankrate's Advisor Match tool to connect with a vetted and certified fiduciary pro.

• Charles Schwab
• Vanguard
• Fidelity Investments
• Facet
• J.P. Morgan Private Client Advisor
• Edward Jones

Charles Schwab offers one of the best online brokerage platforms, but you can also find top-notch financial advisor solutions that meet your needs. In fact, Schwab was named Best Financial Advisor as part of the 2025 Bankrate Awards.

Schwab offers various levels of financial advising.

• Schwab financial consultants are available for free to Wealth Advisory clients with $500,000 in assets who want help building a financial plan and sifting through different investment options.
• The premium tier of Schwab’s automated portfolio management service — Schwab Intelligent Portfolios — includes unlimited access to a team of certified financial planners for clients who meet the $25,000 minimum account balance requirement. You’ll pay a $300 one-time set-up fee and $30 per month, which generally is less than the cost of a few hours of advising from a traditional planner.

Schwab can also help you find an independent financial advisor in your area through its website findyourindependentadvisor.com. Fees for these advisors may be significantly higher than those for Schwab’s wealth advisory business, however.

• AUM: $782 billion in “managed investing solutions”
• Account minimums: $25,000 for Intelligent Portfolios premium tier; $500,000 for Schwab Wealth Advisory
• Fees: Intelligent Portfolios premium: $300 plus $30 per month; Schwab Wealth Advisory: 0.8% on first $1 million; advisor network fees vary

Vanguard may be best known for its plethora of low-cost fund options, but it also offers several advisory options that allow clients who meet minimum asset levels (ranging from $50,000 to $5 million) to speak with a financial advisor. The firm offers three service levels that provide access to personalized financial planning, various investment options and automated tax-loss harvesting.

If you’re OK meeting with a different advisor each time you need help, then Vanguard’s Personal Advisor program (minimum: $50,000) might be for you. But if you’d prefer a dedicated advisor to work with over time, you’ll need to choose Vanguard’s Personal Advisor Select program, which comes with a $500,000 investment minimum. Those looking for more complex financial advice such as estate planning or charitable giving advice will need Vanguard’s Personal Advisor Wealth Management services. As you'd expect from the industry's low-cost leader, all of Vanguard’s financial advisor options feature reasonable annual fees ranging from 0.3% to 0.4%, and the fees decline as your assets grow.

• AUM: $107.7 billion in discretionary client assets
• Account minimums: $50,000 to $5 million depending on level of advice
• Fees: 0.3% to 0.4%; fees decline at asset levels above $5 million

In 2026, Fidelity celebrates its 80th birthday. It's one of the largest financial services companies in the U.S., and the company offers a handful of options for clients looking to work with financial advisors.

Fidelity Go, the firm’s automated portfolio management service, lets customers with account balances of $25,000 or more schedule an unlimited number of 30-minute financial coaching calls with a trained advisor to discuss spending, debt and retirement planning (you get access to a team of advisors, not a single, dedicated advisor). For those with more than $25,000 in their account, the advisory fee is 0.35%. (If your balance is less than $25,000, there's no advisory fee, but also no calls with a financial advisor.) 

If you have $50,000 or more to invest, for a 1.1% fee Fidelity Advisory Services gives you access to a diversified investment portfolio plus phone calls with advisors (not a dedicated advisor) for help with goal-based planning, including retirement savings. Fidelity Wealth Management requires that you have $500,000+ in your account; if so, for a fee of 0.2% to 1.5%, you’ll get a dedicated advisor plus access to other experts who can offer guidance on investing, retirement, home buying, estate planning and more. Finally, Fidelity Private Wealth Management requires you have $2 million managed by Fidelity plus at least $10 million in total investable assets. For a fee ranging from 0.2% to 1.04%, you’ll get customized, ongoing financial planning and investment management from a team of advisors, plus an in-depth review of your finances with an advisor at least once a year. 

• AUM: $6.8 trillion in discretionary client assets (includes mutual funds)
• Account minimums: $25,000 to $2 million, depending on level of advice
• Fees: 0.2% to 1.5%

Facet is a unique financial advisor firm on this list because it doesn’t charge an annual fee based on your level of assets. Rather, it charges a flat $2,600 to $8,700 per year based on the type of plan you choose. While this might sound like a lot, it's actually fairly reasonable for investors with $1 million or more in assets — and may even make sense for those with less money.

You’ll work with a financial advisor — a certified financial planner (CFP) who acts as a fiduciary — whom you'll meet with via video conference. They’ll be able to help you with any number of financial issues such as retirement planning, taxes, buying a house, saving for college, insurance, estate planning and more. There are no investment minimums, so anyone can sign up, though the fees make the most sense for those who have already accumulated significant savings.

• AUM: $4.8 billion in discretionary client assets
• Account minimums: None
• Fees: $2,600 to $8,700 per year

You may know J.P. Morgan as the largest bank in the U.S., but it also offers financial advisory solutions at a reasonable rate. With J.P. Morgan Personal Advisors, you work with a team of advisors to help develop a financial plan. These advisors are fiduciaries, so they’ll put your interests before their own. Fees are 0.6% for assets up to $250,000 and 0.5% for more than $250,000. 

For a more personalized experience, J.P. Morgan Private Client Advisor allows you to work one-on-one with a dedicated advisor in your area. You’ll get a financial strategy and an investment portfolio that’s tailored to your needs and goals. The fee for this service starts at 1.45% annually, but declines as your portfolio grows. There may be additional fees based on how your portfolio is invested.

• AUM: $4.6 trillion
• Account minimums: $25,000 for J.P. Morgan Personal Advisors; $100,000 for J.P. Morgan Private Client Advisor
• Fees: Maximum advisory fee of 1.45%; other fees may apply

Edward Jones offers a traditional financial advisory experience, but with lower fees than you'll find at some other well-known firms. You can get started with a mutual fund and ETF-only portfolio for an investment minimum of $5,000, but you’ll need at least $25,000 if you want your advisor to manage your portfolio for you. Fees start at 1.4% but decline at higher asset levels. Certain accounts are also subject to a platform fee that starts at 0.05% and declines to 0% for assets over $10 million.

Edward Jones has more than 20,000 financial advisors with offices in all 50 states offering various services including retirement planning, education savings, estate planning, insurance and more.

• AUM: $2.2 trillion
• Account minimums: $5,000 to $25,000
• Fees: Start at 1.4%; fees decline at higher asset levels

Here are some key questions to consider as you choose a financial advisor:

• What kind of financial advising relationship are you looking for? You may need only a one-time planning session with an advisor to get you on the right track, or you may want an ongoing relationship where an advisor manages your portfolio and meets with you to provide regular updates. Understanding what you need from an advisor will help you identify potential fits.
• How does the advisor get paid? How an advisor is compensated is one of the most important things to understand, because it can impact the advice they give you. Advisors who earn commissions on the sale of certain products may push those products on clients even when they aren’t the best choice. Fee-only advisors don’t earn commissions on the sale of products, so their advice is more likely to be tailored to the needs of the client. Better yet, ask any advisor you're considering if they are a fiduciary, which means they’re required to put your interests before their own or their firm’s. 
• What are their credentials? You’ll want to understand an advisor’s qualifications before hiring them. Advisors with professional certifications such as the certified financial planner (CFP) or chartered financial analyst (CFA) designations have gone through rigorous training and are well-respected in the industry. 

Investors who are mainly looking for help managing their investments may benefit from using a robo-advisor instead of a traditional financial advisor. Robo-advisors use algorithms to build a portfolio based on your goals and risk tolerance, and typically come with low investment minimums and fees well below that of most human advisors.

Both robo-advisors and human financial advisors can help with investment management, but human advisors typically offer a greater number of services and a deeper relationship, albeit at a higher cost. However, some robo-advisors offer the option of working with a human advisor for free (if you meet certain account minimums) or for a small extra fee.

Here are some of the best robo-advisors to consider if you decide you don’t need all the services offered by traditional financial advisors.

• Betterment
• Fidelity Go
• M1 Finance
• Schwab Intelligent Portfolios
• Wealthfront

Editorial Disclaimer: All investors are advised to conduct their own independent research into investment strategies before making an investment decision. In addition, investors are advised that past investment product performance is no guarantee of future price appreciation.