Top 10 Financial Advisors in North Carolina

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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.

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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.

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Delegate Advisors is a Chapel Hill advisory firm that provides multi-family office and outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) services to high-net-worth individuals and their families. In fact, you'll need a minimum net worth of $50 million to become a client. The firm, which operates on a fee-only basis, also work with athletes who have a net worth of at least $25 million. 

Founded in 2012, the firm does not provide a fee schedule as it expects all clients will be qualified purchasers. It also works with insurance companies, trusts, corporations, endowments and foundations. 

Its advisory offerings include non-discretionary investment guidance, manager selection, asset allocation, tax and estate planning, pension advice and insurance and asset protection planning. The firm also delivers family office services such as treasury management, bookkeeping, performance reporting, family education, charitable counseling and property and casualty risk review. Additionally, Delegate Advisors offers investment management and research services to a pooled investment vehicle known as the Flexible Credit Fund, LP.

Delegate Advisors uses an “all asset” approach, tailoring strategies to client goals, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs. It evaluates third-party managers and investment options using both quantitative and qualitative analysis. Portfolios may include equities, fixed income, alternatives, derivatives and private investments, with an emphasis on diversification and long-term asset allocation.

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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.

The firm typically allocates a client's assets to its model portfolio portfolios:

• Aggressive Allocation with Emphasis on Capital Appreciation (80-100% equity)
• Aggressive Allocation with Emphasis on Capital Appreciation (70-90% equity)
• Moderately Aggressive Allocation with Primary Emphasis on Capital Appreciation and Secondary Emphasis on Income.
• Moderate Allocation with Emphasis on Capital Appreciation and Income.
• Moderately Conservative Allocation with Emphasis on Capital Appreciation, Capital Preservation and Income
• Moderately Conservative Allocation with Emphasis on Capital Preservation, Income and Moderate Capital Appreciation.
• Conservative Allocation with Emphasis on Capital Preservation and Income; Capital Appreciation is Secondary.

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New Republic Partners in Charlotte offers investment management, advisory, consulting and other services to affiliated pooled investment vehicles, separately managed accounts of various advisory clients and other persons and entities.

This fee-only firm, which handles client assets on both a discretionary and non-discretionary basis, also provides cash management, estate planning, financial planning, philanthropy and charitable giving services to high-net-worth clients.

Members of the New Republic team hold several professional credentials, including the chartered financial analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), chartered alternative investment analyst (CAIA) and certified public accountant (CPA) designations. 

New Republic Partners aims to generate superior long-term investment returns and achieve client objectives with globally diversified portfolios that contain exposures to private markets, complement public market investments and include sources of return that are less correlated to traditional asset classes.

The firm, which utilizes both passive and active strategies, generally favors active management within the most inefficient asset classes. Those inefficient asset classes are often characterized by high levels of manager performance dispersion. New Republic Partners also invests directly in private companies and such ventures typically involve a partnership with a strong management team that needs capital to grow. 

The firm leverages its established relationships with managers and companies across various asset classes and sectors to access fund managers with limited availability, identify co-investment opportunities and source proprietary deals.

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Veratis Advisors in Cary is a fee-only firm that works primarily with high-net-worth individuals. The firm also manages assets for non-high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, and state or municipal government entities. 

You will need a minimum of $1 million in investable assets to open an account with this firm. The advisory team holds multiple certifications, including two Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®), among others.

Veratis Advisors was founded in 2001 and it provides services to corporate retirement plans and personal clients. Services for personal clients included portfolio management, financial planning and rollover recommendations.

Veratis Advisors uses fundamental analysis to select securities for clients. Portfolios may include mutual funds, exchange-traded funds and cash-equivalent instruments. 

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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.

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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.

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Smith, Salley & Associates (SSA), which also does business as Smith Salley Wealth Management, offers financial planning and ongoing portfolio management services to both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, as well as banking or thrift institutions, charities and businesses. 

This fee-only firm generally has a minimum initial investment of $500,000 to engage in investment advisory services and $1 million to manage individual bond portfolios. However, these minimums may be negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Investment management fees generally depend on an annual percentage of assets under management currently capped at 1%. 

Founded in 2003, the firm’s current advisory team holds multiple designations, such as the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFPs®) and chartered financial analyst (CFA) credentials.    

SSA crafts financial advisory services based on client needs. So, the firm can build investment portfolios based on risk tolerance and financial objectives. For those with simpler needs, they get stand-alone financial planning assistance with budgeting, cash flow control, retirement savings, estate planning and more.  

When it comes to investing, the firm focuses on diversification and fundamental analysis, which means it evaluates securities such as stocks based on the company's underlying financials. SSA says that it will mostly invest client assets in stocks and fixed-income securities, and in certain cases also invest in equity and fixed-income exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as well as real estate investment trusts (REITs). For certain clients, the firm may recommend other alternative investments.  

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Biltmore Family Office rounds out our list of the top financial advisory firms in the Tar Heel State. Biltmore Family Office is a fee-only practice based in Charlotte that works with a relatively small pool of clients, most of whom have a high net worth. 

The firm’s team holds multiple certifications, including Certified Financial Planners™ (CFPs®) and chartered financial analysts (CFAs), among other designations. Biltmore generally serves families with investible assets of at least $10 million, or a net worth more than $25 million.

Founded in 2008, Biltmore Family Office's services focus on multi-generational wealth management, including family balance sheet management, investment planning and selection, tax management and wealth planning. 

Assets at the Biltmore Family Office are typically managed on a discretionary basis, although the firm does offer non-discretionary management, as well. Since the firm focuses on wealth management for high-net-worth individuals and their families, its investment recommendations are highly customized for each client's objectives and needs.

Advisors at the firm base target allocations on a client's financial priorities, such as lifestyle, generational and legacy objectives. The following strategies are used to tailor client portfolios: 

• Active security selection
• Passive ETF allocation
• Implementing bond and debt-related strategies
• Distressed bond and debt-related strategies
• Trading strategies
• Macro-economic strategies
• Commercial real estate 
• Private equity