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Top Financial Advisors in Durham, NC

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SmartAsset.com maintains strict editorial integrity. This review was produced by SmartAsset based on publicly available information. The named firm and its financial professionals have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed this review and are not responsible for its accuracy. Review content is produced by SmartAsset independently of any business relationships that might exist between SmartAsset and the named firm and its financial professionals, and firms and financial professionals having business relationships with SmartAsset receive no special treatment or consideration in SmartAsset’s reviews. This page contains links to SmartAsset’s financial advisor matching tool, in which SmartAsset is compensated for lead referrals, which may or may not match you with the firm mentioned in this review or its financial professionals.

Finding a Top Financial Advisor Firm in Durham, North Carolina

Are you looking to work with a financial advisor in the Durham, North Carolina area? SmartAsset's detailed list of the top financial advisor firms in Durham was compiled to help you find your options. In the tables and reviews below, SmartAsset lays out each firm’s fees, investing strategies, advisory certifications, services and more. Furthermore, SmartAsset also offers a free financial advisor matching tool, which connects you with up to three advisors who serve your area.

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Rank Financial Advisor Assets Managed Minimum Assets Financial Services More Information
1 Kuhn Advisors, Inc. Kuhn Advisors, Inc. logo Find an Advisor

Read Review

$753,733,591 $1,000,000
  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
  • Educational seminars

Minimum Assets

$1,000,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
  • Educational seminars
2 SLP Wealth SLP Wealth logo Find an Advisor

Read Review

$29,211,037 No set account minimum
  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management

Minimum Assets

No set account minimum

Financial Services

  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management
3 Integrated Wealthcare, LLC Integrated Wealthcare, LLC logo Find an Advisor

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$144,890,842 No required minimum
  • Investment advisory
  • Investment advisory for business retirement plans
  • Financial planning
  • Third-party money managers

Minimum Assets

No required minimum

Financial Services

  • Investment advisory
  • Investment advisory for business retirement plans
  • Financial planning
  • Third-party money managers

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4 Pinafore Wealth Counsel Inc. Pinafore Wealth Counsel Inc. logo Find an Advisor

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$132,767,709 $2,000,000
  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management

Minimum Assets

$2,000,000

Financial Services

  • Financial planning services
  • Portfolio management

What We Use in Our Methodology

To find the top financial advisors in Durham, we first identified all firms registered with the SEC in the city. Next, we filtered out firms that don't offer financial planning services, those that don't serve primarily 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 who 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.
  • Age of Firm
    Firms that have been in business longer are ranked higher.
  • Fee Structure
    Firms with a fee-only (as opposed to fee-based) compensation structure are ranked higher.

All information is obtained through public records and is updated annually after the firms’ form ADV filing. 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, and did not receive compensation for including any of the firms on the aforementioned list.

Kuhn Advisors

A fee-only firm, Kuhn Advisors, Inc. requires a minimum of $1 million to open an account. The majority of its clients are high-net-worth individuals, followed by non-high-net-worth individuals, charities and businesses. Some of the firm’s advisors also hold professional financial certifications such as Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and certified public accountant (CPA).

This firm’s advisory fees are based solely on a percentage of your assets under management (AUM). Comparatively, other firms may charge fees based on the above percentage structure, in addition to a per-hour rate and fixed fees, depending on the scope of services you receive.

Beyond individuals, this firm can also manage the assets of charitable foundations and those with trusts. The firm’s financial services include investment management, pre-retirement planning, retirement income and distribution strategies, education funding, risk management, charitable giving and referrals to other qualified professionals. 

In essentially every situation, Kuhn Advisors believes that a long-term approach should be the basis of a client’s portfolio. The firm says this approach has been historically shown to decrease turnover and minimize taxes. 

Kuhn Advisors takes a deep dive into mutual fund managers and their backgrounds. This is done to ensure that managers have a strong knowledge of the companies they choose to invest in while finding opportunities that are largely undervalued by the market.

SLP Wealth

SLP Wealth is a fee-based registered investment advisor (RIA) that provides investment management, financial planning, tax preparation and bookkeeping services. It is fee-based, and the firm and its affiliated insurance entity may also earn commissions from insurance referrals, creating a potential conflict of interest. However, as an RIA, SLP Wealth is held to a fiduciary standard and is obligated to act in the best interests of its clients.

The firm primarily serves individuals and business entities, with many clients being small business owners, professionals and families with complex financial planning needs. SLP Wealth does not require a minimum account size to engage its services.

SLP Wealth takes a team-based approach to managing client portfolios. The firm offers discretionary investment management tailored to each client’s goals, risk tolerance and liquidity needs. Portfolios typically consist of diversified allocations using no-load mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). 

The firm also offers access to third-party sub-advisors for direct indexing and tax loss harvesting when appropriate. These portfolios are rebalanced periodically to remain aligned with client objectives. SLP Wealth favors a long-term buy-and-hold strategy and discourages short-term market timing, instead emphasizing goal-oriented investing and coaching clients to stay disciplined through market cycles.

Integrated Wealthcare

Integrated Wealthcare offers investment advisory, financial planning and insurance services. The firm primarily works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, families, business owners and corporations in general. For investment management, the firm primarily focuses on helping physicians with their financial planning.

Integrated Wealthcare is a fee-based firm, which means its advisors may earn a commission through the sale of specific investments. This can create a potential conflict of interest, but the firm is bound by its fiduciary duty to put the needs of its clients first. There is no required minimum account size.

Integrated Wealthcare uses three different forms of analysis to determine the right investment strategy for each client. These forms are fundamental, technical and cyclical analyses. The recommended investments may vary and could include exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, non-traded alternatives and individual securities. 

Pinafore Wealth Counsel

Pinafore Wealth Counsel is a fee-based firm with a focus on investment management and financial planning.

The firm serves individuals, families, retirement plan participants, business entities, trusts and charitable organizations. While Pinafore Wealth Counsel requires a minimum of $2 million in managed assets for new advisory clients, it may waive this threshold at its discretion.

Financial planning and consulting services include comprehensive plans, single-subject advice and retirement consulting. The firm also offers Financial Transition Planning through a methodology licensed from the Sudden Money Institute.

Fees for investment management are charged using a blended, tiered structure ranging from 1.25% on the first $500,000 to 0.50% on assets over $2.5 million. Financial planning fees range from $6,500 to $15,000 depending on complexity, or $450 per hour for hourly consulting services.

While the firm is a fiduciary and legally obligated to act in clients’ best interests, some advisors may also be licensed insurance agents and may earn commissions from the sale of insurance products. Clients are under no obligation to purchase insurance through the firm.

Pinafore Wealth Counsel tailors its investment strategies to each client’s goals, risk tolerance, time horizon and liquidity needs. The firm employs a range of analysis methods, including fundamental, technical, charting and cyclical analysis. Its investment strategy blends long- and short-term purchases, with portfolio construction typically involving mutual funds, ETFs, stocks, bonds and options. Risk management, asset allocation and regular portfolio reviews are central to its approach.

 

How Long $1mm Lasts in Retirement

SmartAsset's interactive map highlights places where $1 million will last the longest in retirement. Zoom between states and the national map to see the top spots in each region. Also, scroll over any city to learn about the cost of living in retirement for that location.

Least
Most
Rank City Housing Expenses Food Expenses Healthcare Expenses Utilities Expenses Transportation Expenses

Methodology We analyzed data on average expenditures for seniors, cost of living and investment returns to determine how many years of retirement a $1 million nest egg would cover in cities across America.

First, we looked at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on the average annual expenditures of seniors. We then applied cost of living data from the Council for Community and Economic Research to adjust those national average spending levels based on the costs of each expense category (housing, food, healthcare, utilities, transportation and other) in each city. Using this data, SmartAsset calculated the average cost of living for retirees in the largest U.S. cities.

We assumed the $1 million would grow at a real return (interest minus inflation) of 2%. Then, we divided $1 million by the sum of each of those annual numbers to determine how long $1 million would cover retirement expenses in each of the cities in our study. Cities where $1 million lasted the longest ranked the highest in the study.

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Council for Community and Economic Research