Buffalo is the 2nd largest city in the state of New York and the largest city in western New York. For this reason, you’re bound to find plenty of financial advisors in the area.
To save you from the hassle of finding a professional, Benzinga has sifted through multiple registered advisors and listed some of the finest firms in Buffalo. Read on to find out who made the cut.
Best Financial Advisors in Buffalo Near You
- Best for Comprehensive Financial Services: Hudson Advisor Services Inc.
- Best Robo-Advisor: M1 Finance
- Best for Retirement Planning: Dopkins Wealth Management
- Best for Fiduciary Planning: Delaware Avenue Advisors
- Best Portfolio Analysis: Personal Capital
- Best for Diverse Suite of Financial Services: Grenda Group
- Best for Wealthy Families and Individuals: HighTower Buffalo
Best for Comprehensive Financial Services: Hudson Advisor Services Inc.
Hudson Advisor Services is a registered investment advisor that provides investment advisory and family office services to individuals, families, trusts and institutions. The firm serves clients from not just Buffalo but also Vero Beach, Florida and Greenwich, Connecticut.
Hudson offers a wide range of financial services that include portfolio management, private wealth management and financial planning. The firm offers customized services tailored to meet your needs, such as tax filing preparation, disbursement of income and more.
In addition to these services, the firm also takes care of the little needs that you may have — paying bills, advice on funding education and refinancing a mortgage.
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Hourly charges
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Financial planning services
- Selection of other advisers (including private fund managers)
Address
237 MAIN STREET SUITE 600BUFFALO NY, 14203
Phone number
877-504-1964
- Customizable Auto Investing
Best Robo-Advisor: M1 Finance
M1 Finance is a convenient money management platform that helps you invest, save and borrow money. You can do the following with an M1 account:
- Invest in a portfolio of stocks and ETFs and automate your investments
- Access a flexible line of credit and borrow at a 3.5% base rate
- Spend money using your M1 checking account
You can do all of this for free!
M1 also has an upgraded account called M1 Plus. It comes with a $125 sign up fee and gives you a host of benefits such as 1% cashback on select purchases, 2% base rate when borrowing and much more.
There is no minimum balance required on both the M1 Basic and M1 Plus account.
Best for Retirement Planning: Dopkins Wealth Management LLC
Dopkins Wealth Management is a registered investment advisory and consulting firm that specializes in providing a strategy to withdraw money at the time of retirement. The firm incorporates tax planning, business succession planning, wealth preservation and wealth transfer into its investment strategies.
Dopkins offers a year-by-year plan to draw down your assets in the most tax-efficient manner possible during retirement.
The firm reviews your investment accounts, tax-deferred retirement accounts like IRA and 401(k), annual retirement spending goals, Social Security claiming strategy and more. Ultimately, the firm aims to make your money last by minimizing tax liability and maximizing wealth to your heirs.
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Pension consulting services
- Selection of other advisers (including private fund managers)
Address
200 INTERNATIONAL DRIVE WILLIAMSVILLE NY, 14221
Phone number
716-634-8800
Best for Fiduciary Planning: Delaware Avenue Advisors, Inc.
Delaware Avenue Advisors is a veteran-owned, New York-registered investment advisory firm. The firm offers fiduciary-level advisory services which means that it looks out for your interest at best and aims to build trust.
The firm has a chartered financial analyst (CFA) and relies on the CFA institute asset manager code of conduct as its corporate governance.
Over the last 20 years, the firm’s focus has been on retirement income portfolios that blend growth and income. The firm also offers 401(k) fiduciary consulting services for your retirement.
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Hourly charges
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Financial planning services
- Pension consulting services
- Publication of periodicals or newsletters
- Educational seminars/workshops
Address
1207 DELAWARE AVENUE #SUITE 101BUFFALO NY, 14209
Phone number
716-633-4372
- High Net Worth Individuals
Best Portfolio Analysis: Personal Capital
Personal Capital lets you view all your accounts at once to help you easily budget your finances and figure out where you spent your money. You can also track a multi-asset portfolio with Personal Capital’s free investment management tools.
Looking for an advisor to manage your portfolio? Personal Capital also provides managed services if you have an account minimum balance of $100,000. The advisors can help you with tax optimization strategies and can guide you with your long- and short-term goals.
Best for Diverse Suite of Financial Services: Grenda Group LLC
Grenda Group is a locally owned registered investment advisor in Buffalo. Grenda Group evaluates your entire financial situation — legal, tax, insurance and risk.
The firm offers a diverse range of wealth management services such as:
- Asset management services
- Comprehensive financial lifestyle planning
- Generation, estate and philanthropy planning
- Tax-efficient strategies
- Risk management techniques
- Enhanced portfolio reporting
- Retirement planning
- Social security planning
Best for Wealthy Families and Individuals: HighTower Buffalo LLC
HighTower Buffalo is a boutique wealth management firm with over 100 years of combined experience. The firm primarily offers financial planning of successful families and individuals. It has access to top-tier industry resources, research and vendors to provide comprehensive wealth tracking.
HighTower Buffalo’s expertise lies in solving wealth management issues of professional athletes and entertainers. The firm’s team includes an advisor, Thomas Volpini, who has been registered with the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) since 2003.
The firm also specializes in helping business owners with cash management, business valuation and investment management.
Hightower’s investment strategy is rooted in the idea that you need a financial advisor who intimately understands your goals and needs as an investor. When you begin with Hightower, you’ll tell the company more about your goals and progress towards them. Hightower will then coordinate your investments with an individual advisor who aligns with your investing strategy and asset preference. With over $48 billion in assets under management, Hightower is one of the largest financial advisors in Chicago — and the rest of the country. The company offers financial planning services to individuals, corporations, universities, nonprofits and state and local governments. There’s no minimum account balance required to begin working with Hightower.
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Hourly charges
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Other
- Financial planning services
- Selection of other advisers (including private fund managers)
- TREASURY MANAGEMENT FOR CORPORATE CLIENTS
Address
200 W. MADISON ST. SUITE 2500CHICAGO IL, 60606
Phone number
312-962-3800
Frequently Asked Questions
Which certifications should my financial planner have?
You should look for financial planners who are certified financial planners (CFP®) or chartered financial analyst (CFA) professionals. Other certifications qualify a financial planner but these 2 are the most credible.
How can I research the background of my financial advisor?
You can find information about your financial advisor by looking them up on credible sources such as the investment adviser public disclosure (IAPD) website or the BrokerCheck website.
Do financial advisors check your credit?
No, financial advisors typically do not check your credit unless it is necessary.
Find a Financial Advisor in Buffalo
When selecting a financial advisor, it’s good practice to check multiple firms before you make a decision. After your initial consultation, compare the services provided by the firm and choose the most suitable of the lot. A good financial advisor can add great value to your future so it’s worth taking the extra effort to find someone you can trust.
Methodology
To determine the top financial advisors in Buffalo, we pored through all SEC-registered advisory firms that have an office in Buffalo. We winnowed the list by only including advisors that are registered fiduciaries, have no past disclosures and have minimal personal conflicts of interest. To further break down the list to the true top advisors in the area, we gave weight to advisors that offer both investment management and planning, have no conflicts of interest, have offices in multiple states, have a wrap fee program and over $50 million in assets under management.