Finding the right financial advisor in Colorado isn’t an easy task because the options can seem overwhelming. Benzinga saves you trouble by providing you with a list of top financial advisors in Colorado. Read on to learn about our top picks for best firms, account minimums, fee structures and other important facts.
Best for Finding Custom Financial Advisors: SmartAsset
Find the right financial advisor to prepare for your future. SmartAsset's platform connects investors, soon-to-be-retirees and retirees with financial advisors from across the country.
The first comprehensive solution for easily and securely pairing investors with financial advisors, SmartAsset provides you with free and secure access to the financial advisor marketplace and sources advisors that are right specifically for you based on your location, assets and personal preferences.
Answer a brief survey regarding your preparedness for retirement, investment style and contact information, so SmartAsset’s algorithm can match you with the best financial advisor for you!
Best Robo-Advisor: M1 Finance
M1 Finance is an easy-to-use platform that allows you to invest, borrow and spend your money seamlessly. You’ll find 4 major areas within M1 Finance:
- M1 Invest lets you build a custom portfolio of the funds and stocks that you want or choose from 80 expert portfolios. You can also invest in fractional shares and get automatic rebalancing.
- M1 Borrow lets you borrow at a low rate, starting at 2%.
- M1 Spend integrates your checking account so you can make a direct deposit, transfer money and make transactions with your debit card.
- M1 Plus costs $125 per year. This account offers you all of the above plus 1% annual percentage yield (APY) checking account, 1% cashback, a lower base rate on the portfolio line of credit and more.
There is no minimum account balance required to open an M1 Basic or Plus account.
Brokerage products and services are offered by M1 Finance, LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC, and a wholly-owned subsidiary of M1 Holdings, Inc. ✝Your free trial (a $30 value) begins the date you enroll in the M1 Plus subscription, and ends 3 months after (“Free Trial”). Upon the expiry of the Free Trial, your account is automatically billed a monthly subscription fee of $10 unless you elect annual billing of $95 or cancel your subscription under your Membership details in the M1 Platform
Best Portfolio Analysis: Personal Capital
Personal Capital is a popular digital asset management service that also includes personalized advice from financial planners. Its dashboard gives you a complete view of your money so you can track your budget and investments.
There are 2 ways you can use Personal Capital:
- Personal Capital’s free planning tool lets you manage your spending and assets for free.
- Managed services can give you tax-saving strategies and plans to achieve your short- and long-term goals. You’ll need to apply with a $100,000 minimum account balance. There is a 0.89% account management fee which can go as low as 0.49% if your account balance is larger.
Best for Fiduciary Financial Planning: Guidepost Financial Planning LLC
Guidepost is a fee-only financial planning firm with advisors who have over 15 years of experience. The firm is a fiduciary which means that it’s obligated to put your finances first. It does not earn any commissions for the investments it makes on your behalf.
Guidepost offers you services such as financial planning, retirement planning, project-based planning and investment management. The firm also provides advice on mortgages, budgeting and cash flow issues, 401(k), 403(b) and other retirement programs, stock options, IRA, life and disability insurance and more.
Best for High-Net Worth Investors: Shelton Capital Management
Shelton Capital Management is a financial advisory firm that has a strong history of managing portfolios for high-net worth investors. The firm makes high-quality investment solutions to help your unique needs. It offers a range of products and customizable solutions such as fixed income, equity income and international equity solutions.
Shelton also provides Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) investing if your objective is to invest in the green economy. A green economy company is believed to help improve the economy and reduce environmental risk.
Best for Ethical Investing: First Affirmative
First Affirmative has over 30 years of experience in socially responsible investing (SRI). The firm is ideal for those who want to grow their money by investing only in companies and funds that have a positive social impact.
First Affirmative’s clients are individuals, retirees, trusts, estates and charitable organizations. The services provided to investors are tailored to the individual needs while integrating environmental, social and governance to your investment. The firm creates portfolios using mutual funds, stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), municipal bonds and more.
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Hourly charges
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Financial planning services
- Pension consulting services
- Selection of other advisers (including private fund managers)
- Publication of periodicals or newsletters
- Educational seminars/workshops
Address
5475 MARK DABLING BOULEVARD SUITE 108COLORADO SPRINGS CO, 80918
Phone number
703-245-5820
Best for Wide Range of Services: Seamount Financial Group
Seamount Financial Group is one of the finest financial advisors in Colorado Springs. The firm provides a range of services such as wealth management, retirement planning, tax planning, risk management and estate planning.
Seamount’s wealth management service requires a minimum of $500,000 of investable assets. The firm provides clarity on retirement elements such as pension plans, 401(k) plans, IRAs, employee benefits and more. It uses a host of tax-saving strategies like capital gain planning, annual review of tax return, capital gain planning and tax-cutting through charitable giving.
Best for Faith-Based Planning: Fruitage Financial
Fruitage Financial is a wealth management and financial planning firm centered around faith and family. The firm’s advisor, James King, is a chartered financial analyst (CFA) who specializes in several areas such as financial planning, financial advising, retirement and 401(k) consulting.
The firm’s faith-based financial security planning approach is designed to help you do the following:
- Create short- and long-term goals to make sure you choose only the right financial products and services.
- Identify the hiccups that might affect your financial planning strategy.
- Keep a close eye on your plan to see that it meets your ever-changing needs.
Best for Engineers and Technology Professionals: OakTree Financial Planning
OakTree Financial Planning is a fee-only firm that provides financial planning and portfolio management for engineers and technology professionals. The firm’s clients typically work at high-tech companies such as Amazon, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Schneider Electric, Agilent Technologies, Keysight Technologies and Alcatel-Lucent.
OakTree’s services include retirement, investment, insurance, estate and tax planning. The firm does not require an account minimum but believes their services and fees are more appropriate if you have over $1,000,000 of investable assets.
Best for Families and Small Business Owners: Fletching Arrows Wealth Management LLC
Fletching Arrows Wealth Management, an advisory firm in Fort Collins, helps families and small businesses with a wide range of services.
Fletching Arrows provides small business help with succession planning, tax management, risk management and retirement planning for you and your employees.
The firm can also help individuals and families with wealth management, legacy planning, investment planning, college planning, life insurance and more.
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Hourly charges
- Financial planning services
- Selection of other advisers (including private fund managers)
Address
155 E. BOARDWALK DRIVE SUITE 400FORT COLLINS CO, 80525
Phone number
970-488-1878
Best for Customized Financial Planning: Sharkey, Howes & Javer
Sharkey, Howes & Javer is a financial advisory firm that has been around for close to 3 decades. The firm offers customizable financial planning and goal-based investing. What this means is that you will get recommendations that are ideal for your unique situation. Sharkey, Howes & Javer serves clients with a wide range of needs — retirees, your college education, selling your business and more.
In addition to comprehensive financial planning, the firm also helps businesses plan. The firm offers employer-sponsored retirement plans like 401(k) plans and profit-sharing plans that can have tax advantages and improve employee retention rate.
Sharkey, Howes and Javer has a team of certified financial planners (CFP®s).
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Hourly charges
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Financial planning services
- Pension consulting services
- Selection of other advisers (including private fund managers)
- Educational seminars/workshops
Address
720 SOUTH COLORADO BLVD SUITE 600 SOUTH TOWERDENVER CO, 80246-1904
Phone number
303-639-5100
Best for Full Suite of Investment Management Services: G&S Capital
G&S Capital is an independent, fee-only registered investment advisor (RIA) based in Denver. The firm offers a wide range of investment management services and specializes in individual and family investment management, corporate 401(k) and retirement plans and financial planning.
The firm serves family investment management and planning, the firm typically serves clients with portfolios up to $500,000. The firm’s corporate retirement plans typically serve clients with over $1,000,000 in plan assets.
G&S is a fee-only advisory firm which means that they are only motivated to do what is in your best interest and provide you unbiased advice.
Best for Comprehensive Wealth Management: Mercer Advisors
Mercer is a top-ranked private wealth manager in the U.S. with over $5 billion assets under management. Mercer offers a range of wealth services for many aspects of your financial life:
- Customized financial planning and investment strategies
- Proactive tax planning and preparation
- Retirement planning
- Estate planning
- Corporate and family trustee services
Mercer has a team of CPAs, CFP® professionals and lawyers to support your relationship manager so you can tackle any financial problem with ease.
- A percentage of assets under your management
- Fixed fees (other than subscription fees)
- Financial planning services
- Pension consulting services
- Publication of periodicals or newsletters
- Educational seminars/workshops
- TRUST SERVICES, ESTATE PLANNING, TAX RETURN PREPARATION
Address
1200 17TH STREET SUITE 500DENVER CO, 80202
Phone number
(800) 258-1559
Best for Fee-Based Portfolio Management: Value Financial Advisers Inc.
Value Financial Advisers Inc. has been operating for close to 4 decades — upper management has a combined experience of 90 years.
The firm’s main service is fee-based portfolio management. This means that the firm gets paid based on assets under management and not based on commission. The firm looks out for your needs and tailors an approach that fits well with the aim of a long-term win-win advisory relationship.
The firm also provides financial planning and wealth management services such as insurance and tax planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I talk to a financial advisor for free?
Yes. The first consultation with a financial advisor is typically free.
Do financial advisors check your credit?
No. Financial advisors only check your credit if you specifically request help in that area.
Do I need a financial advisor for retirement?
Hiring a financial advisor for retirement can be helpful if you lack the time or skill to manage your finances on your own. If you want to plan for retirement, you can even opt for a robo-advisor — a cheaper alternative to a financial advisor.