Top 10 Financial Advisors in North Carolina

Find an Advisor

CAPTRUST, a fee-based firm located in Raleigh, is not only the top-rated financial advisor in North Carolina, it's the rated No. 1 in the U.S., according to SmartAsset's metrics. 

With a minimum investment of just $50,000, CAPTRUST is fairly accessible to most potential investors. The firm’s advisory team holds multiple certifications, including designations like the chartered financial analyst (CFA), accredited retirement plan specialist (ARPS) and certified public accountant (CPA), among others.

As a fee-based firm, advisors may earn commissions for buying and selling financial products. But they are still fiduciaries and must therefore act in the best interest of the client. Advising fees are based on a percentage of assets under management (AUM). The firm serves both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans, charities, government entities, insurance companies and businesses.

Founded in 2003, CAPTRUST offers investment advisory, portfolio management and wealth planning services. More specifically, the firm can help clients with investment goal setting, asset allocation analysis, manager selection, portfolio performance monitoring, financial planning, estate and tax planning, charitable planningand coordination with outside advisors. The firm also provides tax return preparation, bill pay, bookkeeping and family office services.

Advisors at CAPTRUST use both risk-based and outcome-based analysis when deciding on asset allocation for a client. Asset allocation for portfolios is based on equities, fixed income, strategic opportunities, commodities and real estate with a risk profile that’s appropriate to the client. For security analysis, the firm uses fundamental, technical, quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Find an Advisor

Sterling Capital Management, a fee-based firm located in Charlotte, works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, retirement plans, pooled investment vehicles, investment advisors, charitable organizations, corporations, insurance companies, government entities and other institutional clients. Advisory fees are generally based on a percentage of assets under management, but advisors may also earn commissions for selling securities or insurance.

Sterling Capital Management offers separate account management, wrap and model program services, OCIO services, retirement plan services, financial planning, direct indexing, tax management solutions and sub-advisory services. The firm also advises mutual funds, ETFs, collective investment funds, common trust funds and private investment funds.

Sterling Capital Management’s investment strategies include taxable and tax-exempt fixed income, municipal bonds, high yield, large-cap and small-cap equity, dividend-focused equity, value strategies, growth-oriented strategies, thematic portfolios and multi-asset OCIO portfolios. The firm may use fundamental, quantitative, qualitative, behavioral, cyclical and technical analysis.

Find an Advisor

Alphastar Capital Management, a fee-based firm located in Cornelius, works with both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans and businesses. Advisory fees are generally based on a percentage of assets under management, but advisors may also earn commissions for selling securities or insurance. This can be a conflict of interest, but advisors are still bound by fiduciary duty when acting as an advisors. The minimum investment at Alphastar is $10,000.

Alphastar’s services include investment management, model portfolios, sub-advisory services, financial planning, budgeting, cash flow analysis, tax analysis, retirement planning, insurance planning and estate planning.

Alphastar, which has been in business since 2011, takes a strategic approach, setting asset allocations and periodically rebalancing portfolios. Active and passive investments may be used.

The firm also takes a tactical approach that is mathematically based and aims to identify both market and asset class trends. A portfolio's composition could reflect both of these approaches.

Find an Advisor

Capital Investment Advisory Services, a fee-based firm located in Raleigh, works with individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable institutions, foundations, retirement plan accounts and IRAs.

Capital Investment Advisory Services provides separately managed accounts, third-party asset management programs, sub-advised account services, referrals to third-party advisers, portfolio model and advisor update services, financial planning and portfolio review services. 

As a fee-based firm, Capital Investment Advisory Services and its representatives may receive advisory fees, as well as commissions or other compensation through affiliated broker-dealers and insurance-related activities. This can be a conflict of interest, but advisors are still bound by fiduciary duty when acting as advisors. The firm does not require a minimum account size, though accounts may be subject to a negotiable minimum annual fee of $500.

Capital Investment Advisory Services uses charting, fundamental analysis, technical analysis and cyclical analysis. Client portfolios may include equities, corporate debt, municipal securities, U.S. government securities, mutual funds, ETFs, derivatives, variable annuities, certificates of deposit, REITs and options. The firm manages assets across both discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Find an Advisor

Verity Asset Management, a fee-based firm located in Durham, works with individuals, high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, endowments, foundations, corporations, other businesses, employers and other registered investment advisers. Required investment minimums vary by service and strategy. 

Originally formed as an independent broker-dealer in 1996, Verity began operating as a registered investment adviser in 2005 and took its current name in 2011. The firm provides discretionary account management, individual portfolio management, institutional portfolio management, retirement plan services, sub-advisory services, third-party manager services, mutual fund manager services and limited financial planning. It also offers non-discretionary allocation recommendations for defined contribution plan participants and may provide advisory referral services.

Verity uses asset allocation, tactical asset allocation, value, income, fundamental, technical and qualitative analysis. Depending on the model or account, the firm may use long-term purchases, short-term purchases, trading, hedging and sustainable investing through an outside third-party manager. Assets are generally managed on a discretionary basis, though the firm also offers certain non-discretionary services.

Find an Advisor

Bragg Financial Advisors is a fee-only firm located in Charlotte. Clients of the firm include both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as investment companies, retirement plans, charities and businesses. 

The firm’s team holds multiple certifications, including designations as Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), chartered financial analysts (CFAs) and certified public accountants (CPAs), among others.

Investment minimums vary by account type. A minimum of $5 million of assets under management (AUM) is required for the Managed Account Program and a minimum of $1 million of assets is required for the Small Cap Value Managed Account Program. These minimums may be negotiable. 

Founded in 1997, Bragg Financial Advisors offers a range of services, including individual portfolio management, portfolio construction, financial planning, retirement planning, education planning, investments, insurance and estate planning.

Bragg Financial Advisors employs a long-term, diversified investment strategy that emphasizes broad exposure across asset classes and market sectors. The firm prioritizes strategic asset allocation over security selection or market timing, constructing portfolios with a mix of equities, fixed income, and other instruments. Securities are typically held for a year or longer.

Find an Advisor

Cornerstone Wealth operates on a fee-based structure and caters to a diverse clientele including individuals and high net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, retirement plans, other advisers and various business entities such as corporations and limited liability companies. Cornerstone Wealth, which is located in Huntersville, does not impose a minimum asset requirement for account openings or maintenance. 

As a fee-based firm, there is a potential conflict of interest as the firm or its advisors could earn commissions for the sale of certain securities. However, they are held to a fiduciary duty that requires them to put their clients' needs first. However, the firm does have a number of employees who hold specialized credentials, including the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), accredited investment fiduciary (AIF), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified private wealth advisor (CPWA) designations, among others. 

Founded in 2001, Cornerstone Wealth offers comprehensive portfolio management, financial planning and consulting, retirement plan consulting for employers, as well as management of held-away accounts, annuities and 529 plans. The firm also provides tax preparation services and facilitates client access to affiliated and unaffiliated investment managers, insurance providers, and financial solutions platforms.

Cornerstone Wealth constructs portfolios using proprietary models aligned with each client’s investment goals and risk tolerance. Investments may include individual equities, mutual funds, ETFs and fixed income securities. Where suitable, they also allocate assets to external managers, alternative investments or structured notes. The investment committee meets bi-weekly to review models and macroeconomic conditions.

Find an Advisor

Salem Investment Counselors, Inc. is a Winston-Salem-based advisory firm offering services on a fee-only basis. Clients at Salem include both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as retirement plans, charitable organizations, corporations and other business entities.

Fees at this firm are based on a percentage (1%) of your overall assets under management. The core members of its advisory team hold multiple certifications, including the chartered financial analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) and certified public accountants (CPA) designations.

Founded in 1979, Salem Investment Counselors offers investment management services that include both asset management and financial planning. The firm manages public, marketable securities on a discretionary basis and assists clients with private investments, such as limited partnerships, on a non-discretionary basis. Its services are tailored to individual financial goals, risk tolerance, and tax and insurance considerations. 

Salem Investment Counselors, which does not impose a minimum investment or account size, constructs client portfolios using a core strategy of equity and fixed-income investments. The firm selects equities based on characteristics like strong performance records, high margins and undervalued small or mid-sized companies. It prioritizes high-quality, short- to intermediate-term fixed-income securities and may also use ETFs, mutual funds, REITs, MLPs and private equity.

Find an Advisor

Woodard & Company Asset Management Group, a fee-only firm located in Bermuda Run, works with individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, charitable organizations, pension and profit-sharing plans and other institutional clients. The minimum investment at Woodard & Company Asset Management Group is generally $250,000. Accounts below that level may be accepted and may be charged a higher annualized advisory fee.

The firm offers discretionary asset management, retirement plan services, employee education, coordinated plan administration and non-discretionary asset management for pension and profit-sharing plans. Members of the firm’s advisory team hold professional credentials including the CFP® and CPA designations, as well as Series 65 registrations.

Woodard & Company Asset Management Group uses tactical asset allocation and equity management strategies. Its tactical asset allocation approach considers client objectives, portfolio theory, market trends and economic conditions, generally using mutual funds across asset classes for diversification. Portfolios, depending on the needs of the client, may also include mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, common stocks, bonds, commodity funds and certain hedging strategies.

Find an Advisor

Blueprint Financial Advisors, a fee-based firm located in Charlotte, works with individuals, families, high-net-worth individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses and pension and profit-sharing plans. 

Blueprint Financial Advisors offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning and retirement plan consulting services. More specifically, the firm can help clients with retirement planning, tax-related investment planning, cash flow management, risk management, education funding planning, insurance planning, estate and divorce planning, budgeting and personal liability planning.

Blueprint Financial Advisors does not impose a minimum asset requirement. However, accounts with less than $1 million in assets may be charged a quarterly minimum fee of $100 at the firm’s discretion. As a fee-based firm, some advisory personnel may earn commissions from insurance or securities transactions. This can be a conflict of interest, but advisors are still bound by fiduciary duty when acting as an advisor.

Blueprint Financial Advisors generally uses globally diversified portfolios across asset classes such as U.S. equities, foreign developed equities, emerging market equities, real estate, bonds, TIPS and alternatives. The firm also uses proprietary trend-following and momentum-based strategies, combining a strategic allocation aligned with client objectives with tactical allocation shifts based on its rules-based trend-following process.